The best thing about Natalia Clavier’s music is that it simply feels like it is good for you.
ESL’s newest solo artist (and a collaborator and compatriot and wife of Federico Aubele) plays music equivalent of velvet earmuffs: all airy vocals and wistful lyrics. And in a time when it is all about flourishes and elaborate arrangements, how can you not enjoy a little simplicity? As long as it is well done.
Her album “Nectar”, which I have been using and abusing for weeks now, is out on ESL records officially tomorrow and to celebrate, we sat down across a continent and language barrier or two and let Natalia introduce herself. Get prepared to be charmed.
PLEASE EXCUSE MY ENGLISH. I SPEAK MUCH BETTER THAN I WRITE! ;)
How does it feel to be back in Buenos Aires after all the touring?
SWEET AND UNEXPECTED. SWEET BECAUSE I GET TO SEE MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND
UNEXPECTED BECAUSE WITH THIS COUNTRY YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT! THERE IS
ALWAYS SOMETHING SERIOUS GOING ON, ALTHOUGH I DON´T READ THE PAPPER OR WATCH
THE NEWS, MY FAMILY AND FRIEND WILL GIVE ME THE UPDATE AS SOON AS I GET BACK!
What do you miss the most about Argentina now that you have a inter-continental existence? (places, food, anything)
FRIENDS AND FAMILY. ARGENTINE-ITALIAN FOOD. THE FACTURAS, A DELICIOUS TYPICAL ARGENTINE PASTRY.
Lets talk a little about how you started getting into music. I read somewhere that you were initially planning to become an actress? How did the change of plans occur?
I WAS REHEARSING FOR A THEATER PLAY AND I STARTED TO GET GIGS WITH THE FIRST BAND I
JOINED “COSMICJAJA” AND I KINDA HAD TO DECIDE ON WICH PROJECT I WANTED TO FOCUS, BECAUSE BOTH WERE DEMANDING A LOT OF TIME AND I WENT FOR THE MUSIC. SOON AFTER THAT, I MOVED TO BARCELONA AND STARTED TO INTRODUCE MY SELF AS A SINGER, BECAUSE NOBODY KNEW ME THERE. I´VE NEVER INTRODUCED MYSELF AS A SINGER IN Buenos Aires. ALMOST NOBODY KNEW THAT I WAS ABLE TO SING. WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD I DECIDES THAT I WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH AS A SINGER. WHEN I WAS 15 I STARTED TO TAKE DRAMA CLASES. I WAS A VERY SHY TEENAGER. I STARTED TO SING AGAIN WHEN I WAS 22, WITHOUT PLANING IT AT ALL!
What kind of music did you listen to growing up, and how have these tastes evolved into what you make musically now?
ALL KINDS! I CAN GO ON AND ON WITH THE LIST! JAZZ, CLASSIC, ARGENTINE FOLKLORE,
BRAZILIAN, BLUES, POP, ELECTRONIC, EXPERIMENTAL, CHOIR, TANGO, BOLERO, HOUSE,
INDIAN, SPANISH, FOLK, RANCHERAS, REGGAE, ETC…
I THINK THAT ALMOST EVERYTHING IS DONE. FROM THIS CONCEPT I CAN ONLY SAY THAT
EVERYTHING THAI I LIKE AND I LISTEN AND I ´VE LISTENED TO, DID AND WILL AFFECT MY MUSIC.
What are some of your favorite acts/artists to listen to these days?
CAT POWER, GILBERTO GIL, GOLDFRAPP, MERCEDES SOSA, THOM YORKE, DUBMATIX, DEAD
CAN DANCE, CINEPLEXX, ELIS REGINA, HECTOR BUITRAGO, SEU JORGE.
I saw you and Federico play both at ESL lounge and opening for Morcheeba and I remember thinking: I hope they are in love. Only to discover that you two are, and got married this year. I know you’re both from Argentina, but did not meet there? How did you stumble upon each other?
WE MET IN BARCELONA. FEDE WAS LOOKING FOR A FEMALE SINGER TO TOUR EUROPE AND
NORTH AMERICA. A FRIEND OF BOTH, ALBERT SALMERON, WHO WAS BOOKING FEDE´S SHOWS
IN SPAIN, GAVE HIM MY PHONE # AND HE CALLED ME.
And how did you decide to work together? Did friendship/love come first or collaborations?
WE MET IN A BAR. WE TALKED FOR HOURS ABOUT ALMOST EVERYTHING AND BECAME FRIENDS
INSTANT! I GAVE HIM A CD WITH SONGS, NON OF THEM IN SPANISH, BECAUSE I HATED TO
SING IN SPANISH, AS A MATTER OF FACT, TOURING WITH HIM WAS THE FIRST TIME
SINGING IN SPANISH AS A PROFESSIONAL SINGER FOR ME. HE HIRED ME RIGHT AWAY.
WORK AND FRIEDNSHIP CAME FIRST. WE STARTED TO DATE MORE THAN TWO YEARS AFTER WE
STARTED TO WORK TOGHETHER.
You both perform together and keep separate careers, do you have any plans to just merge that together as well?
NOT FOR NOW.
You’re on ESL, which is DC based. You’re far away from home…how did it come about that you picked this label for your US Release?
THEY PICKED ME! ERIC HILTON HEARED MY MUSIC ON MY MYSPACE PAGE WHILE I WAS IN DC FOR THE RECORDING SESSIONS OF “PANAMERICANA”, AUBELE´S SECOND ALBUM AND HE TOLD ME HE
WANTED TO SIGN ME AND PRODUCE MY FIRST ALBUM AS WELL. THAT´S WHAT I CALL GOOD
LUCK AND OR RIGHT TIME AND PLACE! HEHE
You’ve been to DC a number of times now, what are some of your favorite memories, places, people you met….
GANA CAFE ON 18TH STREET. THE LOUNGE, OF COURSE. THE ESL HOUSE AND STUDIO.
EVERYONE AT ESL MUSIC, SPECIALLY “MOJITO” THE CAT! HEHE, FAITH GREEN,
A GREAT HEALER AND A GREAT FRIEND, TRYST, MARVIN ON 14TH AND U, SHARNA FABIANO
AND ISAAC OBOKA,NAT SCHIFINI, ROBIN BELL, PATRICIA AND ICIAR, KALANI,ET
How hard do you think it is to break into the US market with a non-English language album?
I FEEL LUCKY BECAUSE THE FEEDBACK I´VE BEEN GETING LATELY FROM FANS, FRIENDS
AND REVIWES IS VERY ENCOURAGING. THEY SAY THINGS LIKE “I DON´T UNDERSTAND
A WORD BUT I LOVE IT”. PLUS THE LATIN POPULATION IN THE US IS QUITE BIG,
SO I AM NOT Worried ABOUT IT. I WILL INCLUDE SOME SONGS IN ENGLISH FOR THE NEXT
RECORD ANY WAYS!
What are the main differences between US and Argentinean audiences?
I HAVEN´T PLAY IN ARGENTINA SINCE 1999. ARGENTINE CROWDS ARE FAMOUS FOR BEING
VERY WARM WITH THE ARTISTS AND US CROWDS FEEL THE SAME FOR ME.
If you could pick and ideal place and time and situation for someone to first hear Nectar, what would it be?
AT HOME, IN A SUNNY AUTUMN OR SPRING AFTERNOON,IN FRONT OF A WIDE GLASS WINDOW, WITH A GLASS OF YOUR FAVORITE DRINK AND WITH THE ONE YOU LOVE, OF COURSE!
We like to ask all the artists to pick a few songs they especially love from the record and tell us why they’re their favorites… So, pick some…
AY DE MI: I LIKE WHAT I SEE IN MY HEAD WHEN I LISTEN TO IT: AN EMPTY STREET IN
AN OLD BARRIO OF Buenos Aires, THE WIND BLOWS AS I AM WALKING ALONE WITH NO
DIRECTION.
EL ARBOL: LOVE THE MELODY AND TALKS ABOUT THE UNIVERSAL LOVE AND IT REMINDS ME
OF WHAT I FEEL FOR MY HUSBAND.
CONFUSION: IS THE FIRST ARGENTINE SAMBA I WROTE AND I LIKE THE LYRICS.
And finally, tell our readers why you think they will like Nectar?
MAYBE BECAUSE IT´S SIMPLE, HONEST, COMES FROM THE HEART AND WE´VE PUTED A LOT OF
Sounds just about right.
