Public Republic

An interview with the guitarist and music composer Yoni Vidal by Dessislava Berndt

Yoni, what is the meaning of music for you?

For me music is a mixture of different sounds respecting the harmony and the color of each other that, when put together, become a powerful creation that can create emotions and memories to us, humans.

Photo: Diana Verburg

You have Spanish parents, you worked for five years in Asia and now you are living in Belgium. How did these various environments affect you and your music?

My parents are Spanish and we have always been very close to our culture. When I was 9 months old, my father had a very bad car accident. My mother had to work and to take care of me while my dad was at the hospital for months. It was too much for her, so my parents sent me to my grandmother in Spain.


Photo: Diana Verburg

Then, they joined me in Spain. We spent a few years in Galicia, then in Barcelona. Finally we all came back to Belgium.

All my trips helped to develop my interest and attraction for other cultures. In our modern world we often forget that we’re not alone in this world.

Photo: Diana Verburg

Traveling makes me realize how small I am and makes me curious and interested. Discovering how other people live their lives and thinking about their philosophy makes me grow. If we transpose that to music, it’s like a painter who suddenly one day gets a whole new set of colors that he had never imagined…

The project “Spice Road” was realized in Singapore and Europe. Which was for you the most surprising experience working between these two different ways of life?

The most surprising experience working between these two different ways of life is that even if we all have different cultures, we’re all very proud of it and we love to show our own traditions, music, food, art, history.

Photo: Diana Verburg

Finally, we’re all the same. When the light is off no one looks any different, especially when it comes to talking about the love of your land.

What was also interesting was to see how easy it was to mix our different sounds to make music…It was like baking bread. One helped offer flour and salt, the other water and the yeast…

Photo: Diana Verburg

You are a guitar player, composer, singer and arranger. Where do you feel better: on stage, or in the studio?

On stage of course! The recording and the creation progress is exciting because of the freedom you take, but also painful, because of the decisions you’ve got to make. Spending hours in front of one microphone, alone, for an invisible virtual public. That’s not easy.

On stage the energy and the feedback of the audience is direct. In a studio, you undress your feelings and break walls, pushing your limits and deciding what’s good or not…Once a CD is done, its done! No returns. On stage, you can change some arrangements, sounds.

At the moment you are working in Belgium and the Netherlands; do you have connections and contacts in Spain? Do you miss anything Spanish there?

Yes, I have a lot of contacts and connections there, family and friends. Today being in touch is easy: the phone, the internet, Facebook…What I miss from Spain is the sun, the food and sometimes, the Latin way of life.

But I must say that I’m feeling happy living in Belgium. We’re in the center of Europe and there are a lot of different cultures and musicians living together in this small country. We’re very close to Germany, Holland, France, England…

Spice Road Band

What is the source of your inspiration?

Everything can inspire me. Not only a feeling, but a situation, a sound, a conversation, an object, a location, a person. There’s really no explanation to inspiration. I just listen inside me…

Spice Road Querer

Could please you tell us something about your current and future projects?

I’m working now on the recording of my second CD, “Chill Out my Wave,” and on its concert. I already did few shows. This CD is also a “blending” between Spanish guitar and world music but also electronic “lounge” sounds.

It’s been a long time that I’ve wanted to create this project and today it’s almost done. I’m trying to add the final touches, and it should be finished in a couple of months. Then I will promote “Chill Out My Wave”.

Spice Road Wuppertal

With this music, I don’t need a massive infrastructure to make gigs so I’ll do the concerts as much and as far as I can. For now, in Europe and Asia and, if it’s possible, around the world.

What are your dreams?

A good question, which is the next step of the last one! Traveling and recording with all types of musicians from around the world and mixing my music to their music! That could be the third CD!

Yoni Vidal in Bali

What is the greatest satisfaction for you as an artist and your biggest challenge?

The greatest satisfaction is to live the way I like and to do what I want. I consider myself a lucky person for being able to do this job. I’m also very satisfied to see that people like the music that I do. Music is a shared emotion, or moment.

It’s a piece of time, a piece of magic…

The biggest challenge is keeping on.

What is the most important thing you would like people to know about you?

That I put all that I have in my music. There are no commercial considerations in it, just the desire to be authentic. So it doesn’t matter if it’s “Spice Road” or “Chill Out my Wave”. Listen with the ears, but also with your heart.

Yoni Vidal in Hong Kong

YONI VIDAL VAZ
– born on May 28, 1968 in LIEGE, Belgium.

– Study:

Académie de musique Gretry:
– Diplôme d’excellence en solfège ainsi qu’un an de perfectionnement
– Guitare classique: 5 ans (Ph Lemaigre et D Romagnoli)
– Art lyrique: 2 ans (J Legrand)
– Chant classique: 5 ans (Mady Urbain, Jacques Legrand)
– Diction déclamation: 3 ans (Mawhay)

Académie de musique d’ Amay:
– Harmonie jazz: 2 ans (Zustrassen P).
– Cour d’ensemble: 2 ans (Erwin Van)
– Guitare jazz: 1 an (Pirotton J)

Conservatoire royal de Liège:
– Classe d’improvisation de Garett Liest.

Conservatoire de musique de Luxembourg:
– Histoire du jazz (Cabay G)
– Analyse du jazz (Cabay G)
– Harmonie jazz (Defoort G)
– Guitare jazz (Pirotton J)
– Jazz ensemble: 2 ans (Cabay G)

Shows & amp; Concerts

– MILLENIUM with the Singapore philharmonic orchestra at Chymes, SINGAPORE
– HILTON HOTEL 10 anniversary, Colombo SRI LANKA
– HILTON RESORT Grand opening, MALDIVES
– GUCCI Grand opening building in Taipei, TAIWAN
– FRANK MULLER watches party, Hong Kong, CHINA
– FRANK MULLER watches party, SINGAPORE
– DÜSSELDORF AIRPORT Grand opening of hall4, GERMANY
– PALAZZO IN PARK, Bremen GERMANY
– DANCE EXHIBITION, Libreville, GABON
– MAURITIUS BROADCASTING CORPORATION fête de la musique, MAURITIUS
– LYONS CLUB, MAURITIUS
– WORLD CHEF CONTEST, Westin Stanford, 2001, SINGAPORE
– FABRICE’S WORLD MUSIC BAR: MALAYSIA, INDONESIA, SINGAPORE
– NFL EUROP (American football) WORLD BOWL XV, FRANKFURT, GERMANY
– VRIENDEN VAN AMSTEEL (Belle Perez), Ahoy, ROTTERDAM HOLLAND
– ANNIVERSARY OF SPORTPALEIS (Belle Perez) ANTWERPEN, BELGIUM
– SPICE ROAD show
– Chill Out My Wave show
– Gypsy, Diez and Latino mundial shows with Belle Perez & Band.

Shows / Concerts for or with some of the following artists:

– Vania Nazare: Brazilian singer1989
– Orchestre Evasion 1989 ( Nicole Croisille, David Lynks)
– Panache Culture: reggae band 1993-2003
– Big Band Evasion: 1988-1993
– Sunset boulevard: 1989
– 98% maximum soul funk 1996-2009
– Matador: Spanish band gipsy kings influences 1994-2000
– Nevada: Spanish band 1991-1992
– Fin Mc Cool band: blues 1991
– Asia Beat, Lewis Pragasam (Malaysia )world music 1997
– Prezident Brown (Jamaica) reggae 1999/2001
– Chantal Eden (France) 2001/2009
– Claude Michel ( Belgium) 2001
– Frank Michael (France) 2001
– Sonora Real (Spain) 2004
– Simon (Corse) 2003
– Brenda Boykin (USA) 2003/2006
– Rafael de Alcala (Spanish band) 2000
– Fizz Diamond (USA) 2001
– Mad Professor (England) 2001
– Ulrish Rasch (lounge, jazz band) 2001/2009
– Fragrance: lounge 2003
– Alec Mansion (pop) 2002/2004
– Palazzo im Park (Bremen) cabaret show 2003-2004
– Sonora real (Spain) 2004
– Spice Road show 2003-2007
– Belle Perez DIEZ GIPSY 2008
– Petrucelli (pop band) 2002-10
– Estrellas (Spanish band) 1993-2009
– Miguel Fernandez 2009
– Yoni Vidal duo 2009
– Belle Perez DIEZ 2009
– Chill Out My Wave the concert 2010
– Latino Mundial Belle Perez 2010.

RECORDINGS

– 1988 OLE MOLINO from the Moulin plaisir theatre soundtrack
– 1988 CORRESPONDANCE soundtrack from Dominique Wittorsky’s film
– 1989 for “COMMUNAUTE FRANCAISE” bi-centenary of the French révolution
– 1989 LOS MISMOS (secretos&consejo) Soundtrack studio, Belgium
– 1989 RECUERDO (hace tanta calor) Rony Wouters studio Tongeren, Belgium
– 1994 PANACHE CULTURE: Travel in a dream LP
– 1997 ASIA BEAT including my tune “Libertad de Maria”LP
– 1997 NICKY MALEMPRE secrets sucrés
– 2000 MARINA XAVIER (Paris, Singapore)
– 2000 CAMALEON (PINO MARCCESE) Klugger productions. E viva Kalinka
– 2000 MAD PROFESSOR (London) LP
– 2001 PANACHE CULTURE: Roots experience LP
– 2001 FRANK MICHAEL Olympia 2001 LP
– 2001 CLAUDE MICHEL Live at Spy LP
– 2001 CHANTAL EDEN: – Live Pepinster LP
– 2001 CHANTAL EDEN: – La vigne de mon père, Singapore version
– 2001 PARADISIO (Patrick Samoy) several productions
– 2002 TEN TO ONE (RUNN RECORDS) Spanish vibe
– 2002 VINCENT BARRACATTO mi amor de mis amore
– 2003 ESPERANZA (Patrick Samoy) several productions
– 2003 PHILIPPE D’AVILLA (producer Stephano Paganelli) LP
– 2003 PRESURE (runn records) six strings groove
– 2003 RTBF conviviale poursuite, several TV shows(Ph.Longtin)
– 2004 PANACHE CULTURE: Le discour LP
– 2002 FIZZ DIAMOND LP
– 2003 CHANTAL EDEN, JACQUES SALOME: Rencontre
– 2003 ALEC MANSION pop show LP
– 2003 START ME UP movie soundtrack (Strike productions)
– 2004 YONI VIDAL Ten to one album:Reggae
– 2004 YONI VIDAL Pressure album: Reggae
– 2003 YONI VIDAL Spice Road LP
– 2003 SAGA: VICTOR LAZLO (producer Stephano Paganelli).
– 2003 IMADA: (producer Stephano Paganelli).
– 2004 CHANTAL EDEN: – Aussi pour les enfants LP
– 2004 RTBF Jingles for «Vivacité radio » (Belgium)
– 2005 RTBF All Jingles Vivavité program “Liège midi” with Joëlle Saive
– 2005 R.T.B.F. several compositions for background music in T.V.and radio
– 2005 Miguel Angel Fernandez Garcia & Patrick Samoy several productions
– 2007 VAYA CON DIOS remix “pauvre diable” (Gary Richmond).
– 2008 CHICAGO for Patrick Balzat
– 2008 CHILL OUT MY WAVE vol 1 my second cd part one.
– 2008 GIPSY’s BELLE PEREZ’s new CD.
– 2008 DIEZ DVD for Belle Perez.
– 2009 CHILL OUT MY WAVE (part 2).
– 2009 C’EST LE PRINTEMPS: Alec Mansion, Philippe Lafontaine.
– 2009 THEATER MUSIC (Toronto, Canada) for Patrick Pennefather.
– 2010 CHILL OUT MY WAVE (part 3).