Spanish singer Silvia Perez to perform in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

Spanish singer Silvia Perez Cruz, who recorded her first solo album “11 Novembre” in 2012 and won the International Terenci Moix Award, will be the guest of Istanbul’s İş Sanat on Feb. 20. 

Also a holder of the Goya Award, Cruz will meet her fans with her recent album “Vestida de Nit.” 

Before her performance in Istanbul, she answered questions from Hürriyet Daily News. 

There are also musicians in your family like your father. Let’s talk about your childhood at home.

Both music and arts in general have been two very important languages at home. My father played guitar and sang, and my mother sang and had an arts school as well. I studied music since I was three, but I learned music as something very familiar and I believe this is the most important thing my parents taught me: To live spontaneously with music as a way of expression.

Your latest album “Vestida de Nit” was released in 2017. How do you compare it with your previous album?

The name of the album comes from a song my parents did, which is as old as I am. The music is from my father and the lyrics are from my mother. In order to be as free as possible, I needed to pick songs I was very familiar with. Some of them are covers and some others are originals. I usually do one album of my own compositions and then one with covers. The ones with my own music and lyrics are more based on the arrangements and the aesthetics of music itself as a way of showing my artistic moment, whereas in the covers, I like to defend the art of interpretation as another way of creation.

You perform in different genres. Which genre is closest to you?

I feel like a musician and this itself is a language. The style is not something in my head. I can say I have studied classic, jazz and flamenco. I have learned music from the Iberian Peninsula, South American, Habaneras and Cuba. This of course is something that affects me. It is part of me, but I also think I have learned more from musicians than from styles. When someone asks me about the music I do, I say I sing songs and emotions. This is my filter in choosing a repertoire, songs, melodies and harmonies I like; I don’t mind where they come from. I always like to face new styles. If I fall in love with something, I go for it. I would love to go deeper into electronic music and sing the blues when I get old, have a rock or punk band. I don’t mind; genres are not my filter.

You have seen many different countries and different cultures. Which one has impressed you the most?

Two of the things I like the most are traveling and singing. I cannot complain about how much I get to travel and share music with people in different places. Even if I like to see the things we share, how people from different places feel the same, I also like to see the differences. This is even more interesting for me. The atmosphere and weather have an effect on the arts. It is said that music is a universal language, but I think the emotion is the universal language. I had an experience, which I think is the one I have felt most lost in. We had been in Brazil with the Iberian percussion band “Coetus” and we had shared the stage with a Korean band. Even if the energy had been amazing, we had not understood each other but it had been incredible because music is a very natural way of communication.

You had a part in the film “Cerca de tu Casa.” What is it like to be an actress?

I am not an actress. I have only done three songs (one original and two covers) and had a very small acting role in a new movie, a Spanish-Uruguayan co-production by Uruguayan director Álvaro Brechner. As for my experience in “Cerca de tu Casa,” I had been very convinced about making the music for the movie but the director, Eduard Cortés, had asked me to play the main role as well. It had been an amazing experience. I had the opportunity of interacting with many other artistic disciplines, such as acting and dancing.

What is your message to the Turkish audience?

It is only my second time in Turkey after many years. I would love for people to come because I believe very much in what we do, in the musicians I play with. We are like a family. It is an emotional trip but there is also a sense of humor and happiness, as well as sorrow.