Hi y'all,
It was a fabulous night of prose, poetry, sketches and music last night @ The Iron City Club, Bucharest.
The sense of community in arts was quite wonderful to behold and I felt priveleged to have been invited to perform and be part of the event...
Here's some links to the evenings entertainment. If you're in town and want to check out a little of what upcoming Romanians are upto in literature, music and all things 'arts' then contact http://www.bocancul.literar.ro/ for info on future events...
http://www.bocancul-literar.ro//Forms/CreatieLiterara/DetaliiCreatie.aspx?id=17117
http://www.bocancul-literar.ro//Forms/CreatieLiterara/DetaliiCreatie.aspx?id=17118
See you at a gig soon,
Lu
www.myspace.com/lucozma
www.myspace.com/cozmalu
http://www.expatromania.ro/
Monday, May 25, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
NY based musician Alex Harding talks to Lu Cozma...
“I BELIEVE MUSIC IS PART OF THE UNIVERSE AS WE ARE...”
Coffee n’ conversation, Lu Cozma interviews Alex Harding.
Bari Sax is not a name of a person! Well there might be someone out there, somewhere by that name but in this instance Baritone Saxophone is, as I’ve only recently discovered, the most amazingly beautiful sounding instrument. And in the hands of NY’s adopted son, the most highly esteemed and talented, Alex Harding, ‘bari sax’ is at its most magnificent.
A recent tour with the New York, cult, underground funk band ‘DEFUNKT’ brought Alex to Europe where he first played Prague, Germany and then the Netherlands, from April 19th. Bucharest brought some much needed ‘down time’ from his busy schedule - by hanging out and performing concerts with his musician friends in the city. With the likes of Cristian Soleanu (alto sax) and Vlad Popescu (drums) he set forth on an exploration of his new musical concept ‘The Afro/Brazilian, Afro/Cuban Project’, which he performed at Clubul Taranului, GreenHours (both in Bucharest) and also Brasov, before his return home to NY.
Live, the show was a mesmerising display of sound and technique, a flume of energising musical passion. Brazilian, Cuban and Jazz wouldn’t be what you’d normally hear moulded together in one evening under the same roof, anywhere on this planet. With Alex Harding & Friends at the helm I was definitely sailing through an evening full of unchartered waters and in their capable hands the adventure was a good one.
Catching up with Alex one lunch time during the last leg of his tour in Bucharest was sheer joy. His chilled out personality and sense of humour was infectious. It was one of those occasions when time just vanished. Before realising it, a couple of hours had wandered by without us noticing!
LC – You’ve come to Romania quite regularly since 2005.
AH – Yeah, definitely once a year sometimes twice.
LC – When you travel with your music do you notice differences in audiences?
AH – Yeah I think there’s a real openness. One thing I like about Europe is that people you’ll find going to see a heavy metal concert or a rock concert would be interested to still see what’s going on with what we’re doin’. So you get this kinda cross, music taste... that’s a good thing. A lot more open mindedness.
LC – Is that less so in America?
AH – Yeah, I will have to say yes unfortunately, because I think it’s the programming.... it’s like, ok well, you have to be put in a certain box.
LC – A box? In commerciality terms?
AH – Exactly. The whole commercial aspect of it is... ok, ‘put this in this box’ and you’re not supposed to go over to that box, so stay in your box now. It’s not really encouraged to seek out and check out other aspects...
LC – So you see it as a kind of marketing safety valve rather than an artistic exploration of different genres?
AH – Yeah. I’m sure. When people do hear my music and I tell them about things I’m doing, they hear it, they say ‘whoa, that was pretty cool’, but you know it just never occurred to them to go. They’ve been kinda shuttled around almost like sheep in a way...
LC – Has that caused you great frustration with your projects?
AH – Well in a way but you know you just can’t get frustrated. Just play the music.... sincere and true.
LC – How did you come up with the conceptions of your past recordings? Do they represent different phases of your life, personally and artistically?
AH – Of course yeah. Nothing is separate... it’s all connected. So with this ‘Afro/Cuban, Afro Brazilian Project’, I didn’t know what to do and I said well, I want to come there (Bucharest), cos I was on tour with another band and I thought once I finish that part of the tour I’ll go over to Romania and hang out with some friends and play some music and stuff and I said ‘ what do I wanna do?’ and I really, really enjoy music of south America and Cuba and stuff.
LC - ... have you been there?
AH – I have. I haven’t been to Cuba. I’ve been throughout the Caribbean. I’ve been to Brazil, to Bahia which is like the Mecca of where that music comes from.
LC – Did you make alliances there with musicians and get to play?
AH – Unfortunately not cos I wasn’t there long enough to do so...
LC – You were long enough though to absorb it....
AH – Yeah, yeah definitely and plus I had an opportunity in the late ‘80’s, say ’88, to work with a gentleman who contributed to several of the compositions to this project. He had explored African music around the world so that meant all of South America, Caribbean and Africa itself and in America. It was very good, Francisco Mora was his name, so once I started playing with him, ‘wow, this is beautiful, wonderful’. Music you know - brought by the people of Africa, it’s all connected . From that point on I had a real thirst and desire to emulate this sound...
LC – So, with ‘The Afro/Brazilian, Afro/Cuban Project’, you were stimulated by a sound with its cultural content and moved it to your own style ?
AH – Yes, because I’m not from Brazil or Cuba, but you know, the wanting and desire to deal with the music and learn about it and bring my experiences from the States, Detroit to it - an interesting mix. It’s all from the same tree... it’s all coming from Africa.
LC – Tell us a little about yourself, your beginnings and where you’re from...
AH – I’m from Detroit, Michigan, born and raised. The home of Motown...
LC – A really good music foundation...
AH – I didn’t know before I was born, learning was going on when I was in my mother’s stomach I was getting on with all this beautiful music. We always had music on...
LC – Have you siblings?
AH – I’ve four sisters...
LC – And you’re the youngest?
AH – Yeah...
LC – I bet you were so spoilt!
AH – Haha, yes, but my father didn’t allow that to go on. My father said, ‘enough, enough of this’!!!
LC – Are you a close knit family?
AH – Yeah, yeah. Very close.
LC – Wow, you’re mother must be a strong woman... Your family’s still in the States?
AH – She is a real strong woman. Yeah, they’re all in the States. All in Detroit except one’s in Colorado.
LC – Are your family artistic/creative?
AH – One of my sisters Vicky played clarinet and they all played music they liked to listen to...
LC – That must have been to your advantage, because you were listening to all this at home.
AH - Yes, I had all of this stuff going on, which was really good. I guess you could say Vicky was influential, you know, with the instrument. I was like a natural. My first instrument was drums, at 9 or ten yrs.
LC – Why drums? Did you just say to your parents one day, ‘I wanna play drums’?
AH – Yeah, it was just natural... I could just play it! I just knew how to do it. I figured out I must have been a drummer in my past! I must have been cos I didn’t have any lessons up ‘til a certain point and then I did that for about 2 years and then I listened to Grover Washington Jr the saxophone player and I said ‘Man, saxophone, I like this’!!! I was like 11 or so and then that Christmas I had a saxophone.
LC – As a child you had obvious potential and you were encouraged.
AH – Yes I was. Anything that was positive and kept you out of trouble and kept you doing something good.
LC – Is Detroit a difficult city to be brought up in?
AH – I didn’t seem to think so. A lot of families, kids...
LC – With this powerful want and need to express yourself in music, how did you take that further? Did you have formal music education?
AH – Yes, I started saxophone and I started playing in a school band, and you know doing by hand little music notes and then as I got better and my parents saw it they said ‘OK’, then they provided me with lessons. But I had good teachers, which was good. It really nurtures you, because you have such a passion from the teacher just instilled in you.
LC – Who are the most significant artists that put you on your way to become a performer yourself?
AH – Well, of course, Harry Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ellington...
LC – When you approach a new project or write new material, what gets things started?
AH – It depends. I try to be very intuitive with it, to allow it to manifest itself. Same with this project (A/B,A/C project). I believe that music is alive. Music is part of the Universe as we are, so you just have to trust and step to the side a little, let it do what it’s gonna do.
LC – Can you remember the first album or single you bought?
AH – I most certainly can. It was Charlie Parker, Live at Storyville and then I bought John Coltrane’s Countdown album. I was in my mid teens...
LC - From Detroit, why the move to New York?
AH – It was a matter of being around a wider pool of musicians and to have more opportunity. I’ve been there now 16 years.
LC – Did you find the transition easy?
AH – It was difficult, cos at first I hated it. It’s expensive, you know, fast paced crap but what I didn’t realise was, as I stayed there longer and started to get myself introduced to other musicians the networking came into play, then it became ‘oh wow, this is not so bad’. Then I decided after another couple of years, it’s ok. Now I could never go back to Detroit. I go back to visit my folks, but to live, nah. In all honesty there’s only one place in the States to live and that’ll be New York. If and when I get tired of NY I’ll have to leave and probably come to Europe or something.
LC – Is there a place in NY off the beaten track that you’ve discovered that you’d recommend going to see, a less obvious place?
AH – The park is nice, you know Central Park, but I don’t go there that often. There’s another large park in Brooklyn near me, Prospect Park - peaceful there, with a lake... I miss that, you know, my father and I when I was little he had me out hunting, fishing... and I really miss that. I was just talking to a friend of mine who I was on tour with last and he said ‘Man, you need to go fishing with your father’, cos, you know, you can’t get that time back once it’s gone, it’s gone. I was lamenting about how we used to go on these fishing trips once a year, I’d come home and then we’d go up in Canada with some of his friends and neighbours... I was just thinking about that.
LC – Where would be the place of choice for you to go and play... a place you’ve never been before?
AH – I’ve never been to Asia in terms of China, that whole region, India, Africa. I’ve been to Australia, New Zealand I’ve never been to. Canada... I’ve been there but it’s so infrequent, let’s see now, when was the last time I played in Canada? It must have been the Montreal Jazz festival, 9 years ago. (Laughs) I’m due a visit. I’m due a tour, a good strong two week tour of Canada! Yes, yes, it would be delightful...
LC – If you were transported to an unknown planet somewhere in the Universe and you could only take a few belongings with you, what would be the top 2 albums you would bring for your pleasure?
AH – Oh that’s difficult. Ummm... ok, ‘A Love Supreme’ by John Coltrane. (Takes a moment to think, then laughs). Shit...
LC – You know, you’re not being disloyal to any particular artist cos you haven’t chosen their album!
AH – Oh man, there’s a myriad of albums... there’s Ellington, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye... (begins to reel off names of artists)...
LC – OK, OK... how about the first 500 albums you can bring!!!! Then would it be easy?
AH – It would be EASIER...!!!
LC – For a young person who aspires to become a musician of any kind, what would be your main advice to them?
AH – (Laughs) become a lawyer. Go to law school... or become an architect. I mean this shit is... you pay for this. You know, you pay for your freedom to be able to chose; to go and hang out, to do whatever, to tour and shit, cos for the most part as musicians...
LC – ... There’s a sacrifice?
AH - Always. I mean you have to love it like there’s no other choice. I have no choice.
LC – What would be the most prominent sacrifice in your life?
AH – Relationships. It makes relationships difficult because you don’t have what’s deemed as a normal 9 to 5 gig. You’re in town, then out of town. Just because you’re gone doesn’t mean you don’t care about them or not wanna be with them. Professional touring is what being a musician’s about.
LC – Will we expect to see you in Bucharest again?
AH – Absolutely yes. Possibly this summer or early fall.
Alex may be returning to Romania later this year to continue his ‘Afro/Brazilian, Afro/Cuban Project’. There are also possibilities to perform at festivals with his project ‘OrgaNation’. For details of when he’ll next be hitting the limelight here in Bucharest, please log on to www.alexharding.net
Additional sites of interest, http://www.defunktmusic.com & http://joebowie.org
Interview by Lu Cozma / May, ’09.
Coffee n’ conversation, Lu Cozma interviews Alex Harding.
Bari Sax is not a name of a person! Well there might be someone out there, somewhere by that name but in this instance Baritone Saxophone is, as I’ve only recently discovered, the most amazingly beautiful sounding instrument. And in the hands of NY’s adopted son, the most highly esteemed and talented, Alex Harding, ‘bari sax’ is at its most magnificent.
A recent tour with the New York, cult, underground funk band ‘DEFUNKT’ brought Alex to Europe where he first played Prague, Germany and then the Netherlands, from April 19th. Bucharest brought some much needed ‘down time’ from his busy schedule - by hanging out and performing concerts with his musician friends in the city. With the likes of Cristian Soleanu (alto sax) and Vlad Popescu (drums) he set forth on an exploration of his new musical concept ‘The Afro/Brazilian, Afro/Cuban Project’, which he performed at Clubul Taranului, GreenHours (both in Bucharest) and also Brasov, before his return home to NY.
Live, the show was a mesmerising display of sound and technique, a flume of energising musical passion. Brazilian, Cuban and Jazz wouldn’t be what you’d normally hear moulded together in one evening under the same roof, anywhere on this planet. With Alex Harding & Friends at the helm I was definitely sailing through an evening full of unchartered waters and in their capable hands the adventure was a good one.
Catching up with Alex one lunch time during the last leg of his tour in Bucharest was sheer joy. His chilled out personality and sense of humour was infectious. It was one of those occasions when time just vanished. Before realising it, a couple of hours had wandered by without us noticing!
LC – You’ve come to Romania quite regularly since 2005.
AH – Yeah, definitely once a year sometimes twice.
LC – When you travel with your music do you notice differences in audiences?
AH – Yeah I think there’s a real openness. One thing I like about Europe is that people you’ll find going to see a heavy metal concert or a rock concert would be interested to still see what’s going on with what we’re doin’. So you get this kinda cross, music taste... that’s a good thing. A lot more open mindedness.
LC – Is that less so in America?
AH – Yeah, I will have to say yes unfortunately, because I think it’s the programming.... it’s like, ok well, you have to be put in a certain box.
LC – A box? In commerciality terms?
AH – Exactly. The whole commercial aspect of it is... ok, ‘put this in this box’ and you’re not supposed to go over to that box, so stay in your box now. It’s not really encouraged to seek out and check out other aspects...
LC – So you see it as a kind of marketing safety valve rather than an artistic exploration of different genres?
AH – Yeah. I’m sure. When people do hear my music and I tell them about things I’m doing, they hear it, they say ‘whoa, that was pretty cool’, but you know it just never occurred to them to go. They’ve been kinda shuttled around almost like sheep in a way...
LC – Has that caused you great frustration with your projects?
AH – Well in a way but you know you just can’t get frustrated. Just play the music.... sincere and true.
LC – How did you come up with the conceptions of your past recordings? Do they represent different phases of your life, personally and artistically?
AH – Of course yeah. Nothing is separate... it’s all connected. So with this ‘Afro/Cuban, Afro Brazilian Project’, I didn’t know what to do and I said well, I want to come there (Bucharest), cos I was on tour with another band and I thought once I finish that part of the tour I’ll go over to Romania and hang out with some friends and play some music and stuff and I said ‘ what do I wanna do?’ and I really, really enjoy music of south America and Cuba and stuff.
LC - ... have you been there?
AH – I have. I haven’t been to Cuba. I’ve been throughout the Caribbean. I’ve been to Brazil, to Bahia which is like the Mecca of where that music comes from.
LC – Did you make alliances there with musicians and get to play?
AH – Unfortunately not cos I wasn’t there long enough to do so...
LC – You were long enough though to absorb it....
AH – Yeah, yeah definitely and plus I had an opportunity in the late ‘80’s, say ’88, to work with a gentleman who contributed to several of the compositions to this project. He had explored African music around the world so that meant all of South America, Caribbean and Africa itself and in America. It was very good, Francisco Mora was his name, so once I started playing with him, ‘wow, this is beautiful, wonderful’. Music you know - brought by the people of Africa, it’s all connected . From that point on I had a real thirst and desire to emulate this sound...
LC – So, with ‘The Afro/Brazilian, Afro/Cuban Project’, you were stimulated by a sound with its cultural content and moved it to your own style ?
AH – Yes, because I’m not from Brazil or Cuba, but you know, the wanting and desire to deal with the music and learn about it and bring my experiences from the States, Detroit to it - an interesting mix. It’s all from the same tree... it’s all coming from Africa.
LC – Tell us a little about yourself, your beginnings and where you’re from...
AH – I’m from Detroit, Michigan, born and raised. The home of Motown...
LC – A really good music foundation...
AH – I didn’t know before I was born, learning was going on when I was in my mother’s stomach I was getting on with all this beautiful music. We always had music on...
LC – Have you siblings?
AH – I’ve four sisters...
LC – And you’re the youngest?
AH – Yeah...
LC – I bet you were so spoilt!
AH – Haha, yes, but my father didn’t allow that to go on. My father said, ‘enough, enough of this’!!!
LC – Are you a close knit family?
AH – Yeah, yeah. Very close.
LC – Wow, you’re mother must be a strong woman... Your family’s still in the States?
AH – She is a real strong woman. Yeah, they’re all in the States. All in Detroit except one’s in Colorado.
LC – Are your family artistic/creative?
AH – One of my sisters Vicky played clarinet and they all played music they liked to listen to...
LC – That must have been to your advantage, because you were listening to all this at home.
AH - Yes, I had all of this stuff going on, which was really good. I guess you could say Vicky was influential, you know, with the instrument. I was like a natural. My first instrument was drums, at 9 or ten yrs.
LC – Why drums? Did you just say to your parents one day, ‘I wanna play drums’?
AH – Yeah, it was just natural... I could just play it! I just knew how to do it. I figured out I must have been a drummer in my past! I must have been cos I didn’t have any lessons up ‘til a certain point and then I did that for about 2 years and then I listened to Grover Washington Jr the saxophone player and I said ‘Man, saxophone, I like this’!!! I was like 11 or so and then that Christmas I had a saxophone.
LC – As a child you had obvious potential and you were encouraged.
AH – Yes I was. Anything that was positive and kept you out of trouble and kept you doing something good.
LC – Is Detroit a difficult city to be brought up in?
AH – I didn’t seem to think so. A lot of families, kids...
LC – With this powerful want and need to express yourself in music, how did you take that further? Did you have formal music education?
AH – Yes, I started saxophone and I started playing in a school band, and you know doing by hand little music notes and then as I got better and my parents saw it they said ‘OK’, then they provided me with lessons. But I had good teachers, which was good. It really nurtures you, because you have such a passion from the teacher just instilled in you.
LC – Who are the most significant artists that put you on your way to become a performer yourself?
AH – Well, of course, Harry Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ellington...
LC – When you approach a new project or write new material, what gets things started?
AH – It depends. I try to be very intuitive with it, to allow it to manifest itself. Same with this project (A/B,A/C project). I believe that music is alive. Music is part of the Universe as we are, so you just have to trust and step to the side a little, let it do what it’s gonna do.
LC – Can you remember the first album or single you bought?
AH – I most certainly can. It was Charlie Parker, Live at Storyville and then I bought John Coltrane’s Countdown album. I was in my mid teens...
LC - From Detroit, why the move to New York?
AH – It was a matter of being around a wider pool of musicians and to have more opportunity. I’ve been there now 16 years.
LC – Did you find the transition easy?
AH – It was difficult, cos at first I hated it. It’s expensive, you know, fast paced crap but what I didn’t realise was, as I stayed there longer and started to get myself introduced to other musicians the networking came into play, then it became ‘oh wow, this is not so bad’. Then I decided after another couple of years, it’s ok. Now I could never go back to Detroit. I go back to visit my folks, but to live, nah. In all honesty there’s only one place in the States to live and that’ll be New York. If and when I get tired of NY I’ll have to leave and probably come to Europe or something.
LC – Is there a place in NY off the beaten track that you’ve discovered that you’d recommend going to see, a less obvious place?
AH – The park is nice, you know Central Park, but I don’t go there that often. There’s another large park in Brooklyn near me, Prospect Park - peaceful there, with a lake... I miss that, you know, my father and I when I was little he had me out hunting, fishing... and I really miss that. I was just talking to a friend of mine who I was on tour with last and he said ‘Man, you need to go fishing with your father’, cos, you know, you can’t get that time back once it’s gone, it’s gone. I was lamenting about how we used to go on these fishing trips once a year, I’d come home and then we’d go up in Canada with some of his friends and neighbours... I was just thinking about that.
LC – Where would be the place of choice for you to go and play... a place you’ve never been before?
AH – I’ve never been to Asia in terms of China, that whole region, India, Africa. I’ve been to Australia, New Zealand I’ve never been to. Canada... I’ve been there but it’s so infrequent, let’s see now, when was the last time I played in Canada? It must have been the Montreal Jazz festival, 9 years ago. (Laughs) I’m due a visit. I’m due a tour, a good strong two week tour of Canada! Yes, yes, it would be delightful...
LC – If you were transported to an unknown planet somewhere in the Universe and you could only take a few belongings with you, what would be the top 2 albums you would bring for your pleasure?
AH – Oh that’s difficult. Ummm... ok, ‘A Love Supreme’ by John Coltrane. (Takes a moment to think, then laughs). Shit...
LC – You know, you’re not being disloyal to any particular artist cos you haven’t chosen their album!
AH – Oh man, there’s a myriad of albums... there’s Ellington, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye... (begins to reel off names of artists)...
LC – OK, OK... how about the first 500 albums you can bring!!!! Then would it be easy?
AH – It would be EASIER...!!!
LC – For a young person who aspires to become a musician of any kind, what would be your main advice to them?
AH – (Laughs) become a lawyer. Go to law school... or become an architect. I mean this shit is... you pay for this. You know, you pay for your freedom to be able to chose; to go and hang out, to do whatever, to tour and shit, cos for the most part as musicians...
LC – ... There’s a sacrifice?
AH - Always. I mean you have to love it like there’s no other choice. I have no choice.
LC – What would be the most prominent sacrifice in your life?
AH – Relationships. It makes relationships difficult because you don’t have what’s deemed as a normal 9 to 5 gig. You’re in town, then out of town. Just because you’re gone doesn’t mean you don’t care about them or not wanna be with them. Professional touring is what being a musician’s about.
LC – Will we expect to see you in Bucharest again?
AH – Absolutely yes. Possibly this summer or early fall.
Alex may be returning to Romania later this year to continue his ‘Afro/Brazilian, Afro/Cuban Project’. There are also possibilities to perform at festivals with his project ‘OrgaNation’. For details of when he’ll next be hitting the limelight here in Bucharest, please log on to www.alexharding.net
Additional sites of interest, http://www.defunktmusic.com & http://joebowie.org
Interview by Lu Cozma / May, ’09.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Hanno Hoefer Interview...
“ I wouldn’t change it for anything”.
Grabbing a coffee at his usual watering hole somewhere in the deep depths of the city, I soon realised whilst chatting and losing track of time, how enigmatic Hanno Hoefer really is. Romania knows him as front man of ‘The Nightlosers’ a band that concocts a combustible recipe of blues & country with traditional Romanian sound. Immense success also as a founder member of Mobra Films, with Christian Mungiu and Oleg Mutu won them the Palm d’Or and FIPRESCI award at Cannes in 2007, with the critically acclaimed film ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days’.
I found myself at a unique vantage point to ask the less obvious, to delve into his past student life, musical beginnings as a performer and the start of his life behind the camera.
LC - You studied in Berlin?
HH – For awhile, yes
LC – What was it you studied?
HH – I studied Eastern European history and social anthropology,
LC – And you were in Berlin for how long?
HH – Let me see... for about 3 years.
LC – Why Berlin?
HH – Because I left Romania in ’88 and went to Germany as an immigrant actually. I have a German background and from Romania I went there. I didn’t feel good in western Germany. I studied a year in Bavaria and didn’t like it at all. Then I moved to Berlin because I visited Berlin and somehow I felt very at home. I still had my Romanian passport and I was able to travel to East Berlin whenever I wanted, without paying, so you know... I even lived in East Berlin, studied in West Berlin... for me having those 2 passports the German one and the Romanian one...
LC – There wasn’t so much of a cultural difference then?
HH – Yes and no. In West Berlin there was a cultural difference but in East Berlin where I knew a lot of people there wasn’t. I knew people there because lot’s of East Germans came to Romania during the summer to go to the Black Sea. And I made a lot of friends. Actually I knew lots of East Berliners and it was easier for me to see what was going on there and with their help.
LC – Why study those specific subjects?
HH – Well, I finished High School with the focus on history in Bucharest and then I went to Germany, thought, ‘what should I study’?’ Where could I have a good position’? I mean, not every University took you and the Institute for Eastern European History had one big condition, you had to know one of those languages, so, as I knew Romanian they took me immediately, so that was one of the reasons. And of course another reason was because it was interesting and basically it was very good there. Unfortunately I didn’t finish those studies, because I switched to film directing. But it was useful anyway...
LC – When you came back here to Romania you studied cinematography, to begin a career in filming? Had you made a conscious decision then for that type of career?
HH – No, not at all. It was much simpler than that. I had a girlfriend in Cluj, in Transylvania...
LC – Ahhh, so it was all about a woman...
HH – No... (smiling), well, more or less. No, I organised from Berlin, I managed to get a scholarship to study Eastern European history in Cluj for one year, so there I studied. Then some good friends of mine tried to get into the Film School in Bucharest and they told me about the exams... I got interested and then I said ‘I’m gonna try this too’, out of fun. And there were 3 exams in a period of, I don’t know, 10 days or something like that. They were eliminatory exams, so if you missed one, failed, you’re out. I took the first 2 and it got serious, I mean, I realised I had chances to be admitted. I think the reason why I got admitted into the school was because I didn’t want to...
LC – ... because you were relaxed? And you had nothing to lose?
HH – Exactly. That’s it. And that’s how I switched to film. I quit studying history and switched to film...
LC – So really by chance...
HH – More or less.
LC – You’ve done some acting too.
HH – Yeah, on the side.
LC – Have you a desire to act?
HH – No, I don’t have a desire. I don’t go to castings, only if I’m forced to do it, no, it was an accident! I worked in a theatre before ’89 in Romania, as an actor, for about 2 years, but that was it, then I took a break for about 10 years, but when I was in film school they started to give me small parts, some of them obviously went good and they called me from time to time, but it’s not my job and I’m not an actor, to be clear (smiles).
LC – When you were studying, were you involved with music?
HH – Yes. In Cluj I formed this band.
LC – The Nightlosers?
HH – No I had another small band, the 3 of us. Some guys in Cluj they were music producers and organised regular parties. They needed a jam session band and they took me from my band and my colleagues who were popular musicians in Cluj. We met one day at a club without knowing what to play and of course blues is the best... when you don’t know what to play you play blues! We didn’t even have a name and we played for about ½ year for free beer, out of fun and slowly, slowly. We stayed together. The name wasn’t our choice it was given to us by the audience, by some guys, I don’t know who it was! I didn’t even like it in the beginning...
LC – But the name stuck and you were destined to have it...
HH - Yeah, we tried to change it about 10 years ago.
LC – You have a very loyal and strong following.
HH – Actually yes. We built the following. I recognise the people when we go to a different city. We’ve been playing for 15 years. It’s time they got familiar with what we’re doing!
LC – When you look at new film projects, do they come to you, or do you get the creative flow going yourself, do you collaborate... how does it work?
HH – It’s kind of from outside. I don’t sit down and say ‘let’s write a script’, no, something has to happen. You never know where you go from there, it can be a discussion sitting at a table, can be from anything. I have to admit I’m not good at sitting down and writing out of fantasy, like some people do.
LC – Tell me about your film ‘The International Phone Call’ (Telefon In Stainatate).
HH – You know that film? You surprise me...
LC – The photography is quite exceptional and the little details in the first minute when nothing is spoken. I was taken aback by the wonderful detail you’d captured. Your observations on the everyday, streets, stray dogs... spot on and identifiable.
HH – That was a school film, it was made in school. I think we shot it in 3 days and to prepare another 2 or 3 days, maybe 2 weeks. We edited in one night. And we edited on film on an editing table, not a computer. At Film School we had an editing table from the 1940’s, really, really, and they were still working and we were editing with the film...
LC – That’s a creative process in itself...
HH – It’s a very creative process and I’m very sorry it disappeared because everything is now on software... I learned to keep everything in order, you know, because you were surrounded by hundreds of metres of film and if you lose your orientation ‘where did I put that metre of film’? It’s a disaster... I had to be very careful with it. Everything was done physically, by cutting the film...
LC – Do you think it’s better now?
HH – It’s easier now but definitely there’s something lost. It was complicated, it’s much easier now and you can focus more on the creative process, but on the other hand it helped me, I liked it. I get lost on a computer. I liked editing at that time.
LC – Did you use professional actors in the film?
HC – No and the main character wasn’t an actor.
LC – I think that’s what’s so appealing about it, because it’s so normal and natural. Are you going to make another film like that again?
HH – Yeah the one I’m going to do in July or August is more or less the same approach. It’ll need a lot more preparation because now I have to take care of everything.
LC – Where can we find out info on your Nightloser gigs?
HH – On our Myspace page.
LC – Are there plans for a new album?
HH – We definitely plan on this, in the summer. If everything goes well, we’ll start recording in April.
LC – Any videos?
HH – Yeah, we have to do some videos.
LC – Is it going to be a covers album or original?
HH – Maybe three or four original songs but mostly blues standards because that’s part of what we do.
We played in Toronto Canada in November (2008). One of the best compliments, I ever got was from a 60 year old carpenter. After the show he came over to us and said ‘I like the way you fuck around with those songs’... Yeah, that’s actually what we do!
LC – At different points of your life, you’ve had significant projects, but basically you’re a free man to work on things that you really want to do.
HH – yeah, I’ve been lucky. The financial part of course cannot be neglected, sometimes it was hard, sometimes it was good, at times a little insecure, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Since interviewing Hanno Hoefer, Mobra Films have now been confirmed as a contender for this year’s Cannes Film Festival with ‘Tales from the Golden Age’. All the very best with the film guys. Romania’s standing proud!
‘The Nightlosers’ gig listings, info, video’s and samples of music on the band can be found on www.myspace.com/nightlosers
For Mobra Films and info on ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’ -
http://www.mobrafilms.ro/
http://www.4months3weeksand2days.com/blog/index.php
Lu Cozma
www.myspace.com/cozmalu
http://www.expatromania.com/
Grabbing a coffee at his usual watering hole somewhere in the deep depths of the city, I soon realised whilst chatting and losing track of time, how enigmatic Hanno Hoefer really is. Romania knows him as front man of ‘The Nightlosers’ a band that concocts a combustible recipe of blues & country with traditional Romanian sound. Immense success also as a founder member of Mobra Films, with Christian Mungiu and Oleg Mutu won them the Palm d’Or and FIPRESCI award at Cannes in 2007, with the critically acclaimed film ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days’.
I found myself at a unique vantage point to ask the less obvious, to delve into his past student life, musical beginnings as a performer and the start of his life behind the camera.
LC - You studied in Berlin?
HH – For awhile, yes
LC – What was it you studied?
HH – I studied Eastern European history and social anthropology,
LC – And you were in Berlin for how long?
HH – Let me see... for about 3 years.
LC – Why Berlin?
HH – Because I left Romania in ’88 and went to Germany as an immigrant actually. I have a German background and from Romania I went there. I didn’t feel good in western Germany. I studied a year in Bavaria and didn’t like it at all. Then I moved to Berlin because I visited Berlin and somehow I felt very at home. I still had my Romanian passport and I was able to travel to East Berlin whenever I wanted, without paying, so you know... I even lived in East Berlin, studied in West Berlin... for me having those 2 passports the German one and the Romanian one...
LC – There wasn’t so much of a cultural difference then?
HH – Yes and no. In West Berlin there was a cultural difference but in East Berlin where I knew a lot of people there wasn’t. I knew people there because lot’s of East Germans came to Romania during the summer to go to the Black Sea. And I made a lot of friends. Actually I knew lots of East Berliners and it was easier for me to see what was going on there and with their help.
LC – Why study those specific subjects?
HH – Well, I finished High School with the focus on history in Bucharest and then I went to Germany, thought, ‘what should I study’?’ Where could I have a good position’? I mean, not every University took you and the Institute for Eastern European History had one big condition, you had to know one of those languages, so, as I knew Romanian they took me immediately, so that was one of the reasons. And of course another reason was because it was interesting and basically it was very good there. Unfortunately I didn’t finish those studies, because I switched to film directing. But it was useful anyway...
LC – When you came back here to Romania you studied cinematography, to begin a career in filming? Had you made a conscious decision then for that type of career?
HH – No, not at all. It was much simpler than that. I had a girlfriend in Cluj, in Transylvania...
LC – Ahhh, so it was all about a woman...
HH – No... (smiling), well, more or less. No, I organised from Berlin, I managed to get a scholarship to study Eastern European history in Cluj for one year, so there I studied. Then some good friends of mine tried to get into the Film School in Bucharest and they told me about the exams... I got interested and then I said ‘I’m gonna try this too’, out of fun. And there were 3 exams in a period of, I don’t know, 10 days or something like that. They were eliminatory exams, so if you missed one, failed, you’re out. I took the first 2 and it got serious, I mean, I realised I had chances to be admitted. I think the reason why I got admitted into the school was because I didn’t want to...
LC – ... because you were relaxed? And you had nothing to lose?
HH – Exactly. That’s it. And that’s how I switched to film. I quit studying history and switched to film...
LC – So really by chance...
HH – More or less.
LC – You’ve done some acting too.
HH – Yeah, on the side.
LC – Have you a desire to act?
HH – No, I don’t have a desire. I don’t go to castings, only if I’m forced to do it, no, it was an accident! I worked in a theatre before ’89 in Romania, as an actor, for about 2 years, but that was it, then I took a break for about 10 years, but when I was in film school they started to give me small parts, some of them obviously went good and they called me from time to time, but it’s not my job and I’m not an actor, to be clear (smiles).
LC – When you were studying, were you involved with music?
HH – Yes. In Cluj I formed this band.
LC – The Nightlosers?
HH – No I had another small band, the 3 of us. Some guys in Cluj they were music producers and organised regular parties. They needed a jam session band and they took me from my band and my colleagues who were popular musicians in Cluj. We met one day at a club without knowing what to play and of course blues is the best... when you don’t know what to play you play blues! We didn’t even have a name and we played for about ½ year for free beer, out of fun and slowly, slowly. We stayed together. The name wasn’t our choice it was given to us by the audience, by some guys, I don’t know who it was! I didn’t even like it in the beginning...
LC – But the name stuck and you were destined to have it...
HH - Yeah, we tried to change it about 10 years ago.
LC – You have a very loyal and strong following.
HH – Actually yes. We built the following. I recognise the people when we go to a different city. We’ve been playing for 15 years. It’s time they got familiar with what we’re doing!
LC – When you look at new film projects, do they come to you, or do you get the creative flow going yourself, do you collaborate... how does it work?
HH – It’s kind of from outside. I don’t sit down and say ‘let’s write a script’, no, something has to happen. You never know where you go from there, it can be a discussion sitting at a table, can be from anything. I have to admit I’m not good at sitting down and writing out of fantasy, like some people do.
LC – Tell me about your film ‘The International Phone Call’ (Telefon In Stainatate).
HH – You know that film? You surprise me...
LC – The photography is quite exceptional and the little details in the first minute when nothing is spoken. I was taken aback by the wonderful detail you’d captured. Your observations on the everyday, streets, stray dogs... spot on and identifiable.
HH – That was a school film, it was made in school. I think we shot it in 3 days and to prepare another 2 or 3 days, maybe 2 weeks. We edited in one night. And we edited on film on an editing table, not a computer. At Film School we had an editing table from the 1940’s, really, really, and they were still working and we were editing with the film...
LC – That’s a creative process in itself...
HH – It’s a very creative process and I’m very sorry it disappeared because everything is now on software... I learned to keep everything in order, you know, because you were surrounded by hundreds of metres of film and if you lose your orientation ‘where did I put that metre of film’? It’s a disaster... I had to be very careful with it. Everything was done physically, by cutting the film...
LC – Do you think it’s better now?
HH – It’s easier now but definitely there’s something lost. It was complicated, it’s much easier now and you can focus more on the creative process, but on the other hand it helped me, I liked it. I get lost on a computer. I liked editing at that time.
LC – Did you use professional actors in the film?
HC – No and the main character wasn’t an actor.
LC – I think that’s what’s so appealing about it, because it’s so normal and natural. Are you going to make another film like that again?
HH – Yeah the one I’m going to do in July or August is more or less the same approach. It’ll need a lot more preparation because now I have to take care of everything.
LC – Where can we find out info on your Nightloser gigs?
HH – On our Myspace page.
LC – Are there plans for a new album?
HH – We definitely plan on this, in the summer. If everything goes well, we’ll start recording in April.
LC – Any videos?
HH – Yeah, we have to do some videos.
LC – Is it going to be a covers album or original?
HH – Maybe three or four original songs but mostly blues standards because that’s part of what we do.
We played in Toronto Canada in November (2008). One of the best compliments, I ever got was from a 60 year old carpenter. After the show he came over to us and said ‘I like the way you fuck around with those songs’... Yeah, that’s actually what we do!
LC – At different points of your life, you’ve had significant projects, but basically you’re a free man to work on things that you really want to do.
HH – yeah, I’ve been lucky. The financial part of course cannot be neglected, sometimes it was hard, sometimes it was good, at times a little insecure, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Since interviewing Hanno Hoefer, Mobra Films have now been confirmed as a contender for this year’s Cannes Film Festival with ‘Tales from the Golden Age’. All the very best with the film guys. Romania’s standing proud!
‘The Nightlosers’ gig listings, info, video’s and samples of music on the band can be found on www.myspace.com/nightlosers
For Mobra Films and info on ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’ -
http://www.mobrafilms.ro/
http://www.4months3weeksand2days.com/blog/index.php
Lu Cozma
www.myspace.com/cozmalu
http://www.expatromania.com/
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Peter Smith, Art Exhibition, London
" I am currently interested in the way a record of a fleeting everyday shadow often stills a particular moment or event" - Peter Smith
Peters exhibition of some of his new work is now showing at the Art & Architecture Gallery, Richmond Upon Thames, until 14th June.
His captivating book 'The Way I See It', will be available at the exhibition, " The pages of this book turn very slowly" - Edwina Ellis, UK Engraver & Printer.
These days there aren't many opportunities to view such originality and depth of perception in art as in Peter Smiths work. Highly recommended.
To find out more about Peters, art, photography, etchings, paintings and his book, please log onto http://www.peterssmith.weebly.com/
The A&A Gallery is situated in the Art & Architecture shop, 129 Kew Road, TW9 2PN, http://www.aandagallery.com/
Lu
Peters exhibition of some of his new work is now showing at the Art & Architecture Gallery, Richmond Upon Thames, until 14th June.
His captivating book 'The Way I See It', will be available at the exhibition, " The pages of this book turn very slowly" - Edwina Ellis, UK Engraver & Printer.
These days there aren't many opportunities to view such originality and depth of perception in art as in Peter Smiths work. Highly recommended.
To find out more about Peters, art, photography, etchings, paintings and his book, please log onto http://www.peterssmith.weebly.com/
The A&A Gallery is situated in the Art & Architecture shop, 129 Kew Road, TW9 2PN, http://www.aandagallery.com/
Lu
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Lacramioara Brecea, 'One Woman Show'.
Bucharest's new and highly talented actress Lacramioara Brecea will be starring in her one woman show "Evadare din multimea vida".
Always engaging and charismatic, Lacramioara's show is set to storm Club A, 11th April. Show starts at 7:00PM.
For ticket bookings and info please contact CLUB A, Strada Blanari 14, Bucharest. Tel / 021 313 55 92
More info on Lacramioara can be found on http://tiny.cc/qKNV1
Lu
www.myspace.com/cozmalu / www.expatromania.ro
Always engaging and charismatic, Lacramioara's show is set to storm Club A, 11th April. Show starts at 7:00PM.
For ticket bookings and info please contact CLUB A, Strada Blanari 14, Bucharest. Tel / 021 313 55 92
More info on Lacramioara can be found on http://tiny.cc/qKNV1
Lu
www.myspace.com/cozmalu / www.expatromania.ro
DRUM-UP @ Spice Club
For a truly unique and interactive experience get yourselves down to Spice Club to see the 'tornado trio' in DRUM-UP'.
Orlando Petriceanu, Adrian Noir and Mihai Axinte provide an evening of energetic theatre and musical entertainment where the audience are part of the show...
For more info and ticket bookings please contact -Spice Club: Adresa, Calea Victoriei 21-23, mezanin. Telefon (Rezervari): 021 312 01 36 or http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnNwaWNlY2x1Yi5ybw== Email: office@spiceclub.ro
For Drum-Up reviews please check out Ziua Verde on http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vdGlueS5jYy5kR1RGVA== and http://www.drum-up.blogspot.com/
Lu
www.myspace.com/cozmalu / www.expatromania.ro
Orlando Petriceanu, Adrian Noir and Mihai Axinte provide an evening of energetic theatre and musical entertainment where the audience are part of the show...
For more info and ticket bookings please contact -Spice Club: Adresa, Calea Victoriei 21-23, mezanin. Telefon (Rezervari): 021 312 01 36 or http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnNwaWNlY2x1Yi5ybw== Email: office@spiceclub.ro
For Drum-Up reviews please check out Ziua Verde on http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vdGlueS5jYy5kR1RGVA== and http://www.drum-up.blogspot.com/
Lu
www.myspace.com/cozmalu / www.expatromania.ro
Friday, April 3, 2009
ARTS & cULTURE... NEWSFLASH
GIG NEWSFLASH... Confirmed music artists performing in Romania and events in April, May & June.
Alexandrina Hristov @ Silver Church, 9th April.
Art Exhibition @ Carturesti Bookstore, Bucharest, 17th April.
Alex Harding, on tour, 26th April - 6th May, venues tba.
Byron, 21st May @ Silver Church.
Asleep In The Park, Clubul Taranului, 29th & 30th May, Groove Garden, Brasov, 31st May.
Al Jawala on tour from the 3rd May, Silver Church, Clubul Taranului, fatzaDa festival, Prato and Groove Garden confirmed gigs.
fatzaDa Festival, bands confirmed, Byron, Aria, Urbana, The Amsterdams, Les Elephant Bizares, 4th/5th/6th June...
These bands are well worth seeing. Don't delay, get your tickets now to avoid disappointment.
For more info, log on to http://www.depouldearturbana.ro/, http://www.teatruljoint.ro/ , http://www.fatzada.ro/ . For box office/tickets please contact Dan Oprea dan@oprea.net
Updates, posts, reviews, interviews will follow...
Lu
www.myspace.com/cozmalu
http://www.expatromania.ro/
Alexandrina Hristov @ Silver Church, 9th April.
Art Exhibition @ Carturesti Bookstore, Bucharest, 17th April.
Alex Harding, on tour, 26th April - 6th May, venues tba.
Byron, 21st May @ Silver Church.
Asleep In The Park, Clubul Taranului, 29th & 30th May, Groove Garden, Brasov, 31st May.
Al Jawala on tour from the 3rd May, Silver Church, Clubul Taranului, fatzaDa festival, Prato and Groove Garden confirmed gigs.
fatzaDa Festival, bands confirmed, Byron, Aria, Urbana, The Amsterdams, Les Elephant Bizares, 4th/5th/6th June...
These bands are well worth seeing. Don't delay, get your tickets now to avoid disappointment.
For more info, log on to http://www.depouldearturbana.ro/, http://www.teatruljoint.ro/ , http://www.fatzada.ro/ . For box office/tickets please contact Dan Oprea dan@oprea.net
Updates, posts, reviews, interviews will follow...
Lu
www.myspace.com/cozmalu
http://www.expatromania.ro/
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