Viktor Lazlo guest of CSO Ada Ankara

ANKARA

Belgian-French singer Viktor Lazlo, who has made unforgettable songs in her career, will meet music lovers for the first time in the Turkish capital Ankara on June 8 at CSO Ada Ankara with a repertoire of her most popular songs.

Lazlo is one of the names closely recognized by Turkish audiences.

Having achieved great success with “My Name is Billie Holiday,” “Begin the Beguine” and “Woman,” Lazlo’s latest album “Suds,” which is a blend of jazz, Caribbean jazz and world music, is described as an exquisite masterpiece of hybridization between different genres with its deep lyrics and Khalil Chahine’s exquisite arrangements.

Ahead of her Ankara concert, Lazlo replied to some questions in a candid interview with Hürriyet Daily News.

Your latest album “Suds” is described as a masterpiece of hybridization between different genres. What makes this album so special?

I wouldn’t say it’s a hybridization between different genres. All the opposite. It’s a Latin/Caribbean jazz album with a quiet, soft though rhythm flair. What makes it special I guess is the fact that it’s the musical reunion between two long-lost friends, Egyptian/French guitar composer Khalil Chahine and myself. It was composed during covid crisis, and the very fact that the world was going through such a tragedy made us want to release a “feel good” album you can listen to on and on and never get tired of.

You are one of the iconic names in music, and you have witnessed the development of music for many years. What do you think about today’s music? Is being popular more important than music?

I’m sorry to say that a lot of artists today seem to be used as disposable items. Music has become “free of charge,” and people do not want to pay for artistic work anymore, which leads to an impoverishment of quality, meaning and beauty. Nevertheless, some great names still emerge even if I don’t see anything drastically new out there.

How would you describe Turkish singers and Turkish music as someone who has known our country for many years?

I don’t know Turkish music very well, although I’ve been attracted by a few Turkish artists over the years, such as Tarkan, I tend to appreciate Orientalist sounds the most. And I love the deep warm voice of Barbaros!

Do you believe in luck or coincidence in life? What were the coincidences in your life when you look back on your career?

I believe luck is the gathering of perfect coincidence. Right place, right time, right people. Very often these three elements do not come together, which doesn’t mean bad luck nevertheless, but when they do, and they seldom do, great things happen. My first coincidence led to the beginning of my singing career, my second, the publishing of my first book, and another one threw me into my greatest love story.

You are also a writer. What is the difference between narrating life through music as a singer and as a writer?

I started writing short stories and poetry when I was 12 years old. I wanted to make people see through their own brains, what the words could tell, just like in a movie. I don’t think I decided to become a singer at a very early age. People’s reactions whenever I sang led me to acknowledge the fact that it could be meaningful. I liked being on stage, performing for an audience, feeling the flow of warmth and love… I started writing songs in English because I felt incapable of doing it in French. I felt “well hidden” behind English lyrics, as if the French idiom was too close to me and belonged to my literary narrative. French singer Bernard Lavilliers, who produced one of my albums, pushed me to express myself in French. That is how I started gaining self-confidence in writing my French lyrics. There is absolutely no similarity between both songwriting and prose. It’s a matter of breath.

What are your dreams or surprise projects for the future?

I dream of having one of my books adapted for a movie. I dream of singing as long as my heart beats, and I still dream of a duet song with Sting. I would have loved David Bowie as well, but he’s no longer there…

What about the Ankara concert?

I have not come to Türkiye for a long time. My last show was in Istanbul 10 years ago when I celebrated my 30 years as a singer. I wish to bring to the Turkish audience a reminder of the repertoire they loved by sharing some oldies and hits and letting them smoothly come into the atmosphere of my islands with an introduction to the album “Suds.” I can’t wait to meet them again!