GIBONNI
Generic Interview (vom Management zur Verfügung gestellt)
Interviewpartner: Gibonni
Homepage:
gibonni.com
...about the album
For newbies of your music: describe the kind of music you are doing and yourself as a person.
I think my music is in a progress all the time. I did not did not get frozen in just one music style. But I can say my music is some kind of cross over between very organic basic rock music with some Mediterranean influence coming from my ethnic roots.
Can you describe your fan-base?
May career was a struggle for every single fan. People who recognize my work all have a very clear perception what they want. Our relationship does not depend from the fact whether I am present on charts or not. They only expect that I follow myself.
How did you come up with the idea about an English record?
I think English language is a mother tongue of rock music and there is only one way to spread my music across the national border.
You have performed with some established musicians, for example Tony Levin, is there a difference to the musicians you normally perform with?
Yes, I played with amazing guys like Tony Levin, Manu Katche or Pino Palladino... They've played on several of my albums. They inspired us with their work. It is similar to football players. They all play different if you have Franz Beckenbauer present on a training. Those are people who have written history of rock music. It is always interesting to acknowledge how do they see my ideas and what can they bring in to enrich my work.
Did all the lyrics, including the musical relization, emerged from you or do you work in a team with other professional musicians and songwriters?
I am the only author on my albums, but the realization I do with my band and a producer. That appeared to be my winning combination. I have to point out my violin player Marko. He is my right hand and a key man that dominates in the final sound.
Where do the ideas for your lyrics come from?
It comes from my life and from lives of people who are close to me. Imagination can never be that creative like a real life. Therefore I just take notes of the real life with all those crazy circumstances.
How do you handle comparisons with other artists and has there been made a similarity with the music-legend ZUCCHERO?
It is a big compliment for me if they compare me to Zucchero. I agree that we have some things in common as we both from Mediterranean. But I also think I am more in rock music than him.
...about the tour
Where do you find the incentive to play in western Europe, where you have to start from bottom up?
I find Germany and Austria as a spin of rock music in Europe. I can't imagine any European tour without Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Cologne, Stuttgart or Vienna. Don't forget that The Beatles were first accepted in Hamburg. So, Germany is a cradle for everyone of us.
After all you are filling arenas with euphoric fans in your home country. In that context: how do you feel about playing on smaller stages again, with an club-atmosphere?
I feel great! Like I am 20 once again. I played over 1,500 solo concerts in my life. Therefore, playing a concert for me is a lifestyle. I honestly enjoy playing in small clubs. I do it with the same energy as I do open air concerts.
Do you approach to your audience or do you prefer the distance?
I have very familiar relation with my fans. They've made me. I feel I owe that such relation.
How do I, as a newbie, who has never seen your shows, image a gig by you?
I am I type of a musician that police squad is needed to remove me from the stage. For example when I played in Paris last time I had a contract to play for one hour, but the gig lasted for 2 hours and 20 minutes, because I couldn't stop when seeing the audience was enjoying it.
Will you perform Croatian songs on your tour aswell?
I think that I'll play several songs that deserve to be played. Those a bilingual. Verses are in Croatian and choruses in English. Doesn't matter where the person comes from to still be able understanding the song.
...about the EU accession
Do you see yourself as political engaged, or do you srictly split you job as an artist from the political happenings?
I have to be honest saying that I met a lot of ambassadors and politicians in my life but I can't stay serious for more than ten minutes. I remember when Croatia joined NATO I was asked by Croatian president to be one of hosts for American delegation. There was a so called family photo with George Bush and his wife together with Croatian president and his wife, so I said: hey guys, you look like Abba. And everybody, including presidents, were laughing. Sometimes I risk to much just to make a joke.
...Sonstige Fragen
Who would like to work together one day?
I would like to work with Chad Smith. He is the best drummer.
Do you still have contact to Germany and do you see your former band colleges from Osmi Putnik from time to time?
I played in Berlin band V2 in late 1980s. I was also friends with the band Rage and I sang back vocals to them. I like to see on YouTube what they do, but I've lost contact.
Tell us about your hard rock and metal history.
In hard rock music I always like the fact they were building bridges with their fans instead on making a distance. For example my friend was a physical worker at Iron Maiden concert in Zagreb in 1986 and he got a chance to meet Nico McBrian, the drummer. My friend was only 16 or 17 and told to McBrian I also play drums and he presented him a complete set of cymbals. Of course that entire my company suddenly became fans of Iron Maiden for the rest of our lives.
Your civil name is Zlatan Stipišić, how did you came up with GIBONNI?
When I came to Berlin on 1989 no one could pronounce Stipisic. Everyone started to call me Sljivovica that was famous Balkan schnaps. And then I used my nickname. Gibon is a monkey who was the first in evolution to come down from the tree, but still has the ugliest bum and face, ha, ha...
Not only you are an official UNICEF ambassador, you also helped with the restaging of HAMLET the eathquake and tsunami victims. Are there any more projects you are working on?
There are always projects similar to those ones. The last project were ramps for disabled persons to easily access some points in Croatia.
Do you want to give something to take along for your German fans?
I don't want to convince them to attend my concerts, but I want to thank in advance to all those that will come to listen to my music. I believe the situation will be the same as in my country. My fans will be those not affected by propaganda nor by trends. I remember at that time 18-year-old German pilot Mathias Rust who was flying below the radars to reach Red Square in Moscow. Me and my band do the same and we will reach our fans on our way.