Tales from a travelling troubadour
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Israeli musician David Broza once sold art in Spanish flea markets. He tells Ektaa Malik, about his gipsy tendencies.
He strides casually into the atrium of The Imperial, wearing a nondescript black t-shirt, black jeans and a baseball cap.
Photo: Johnette Iris Stubbs/ Iris Photos
Many of David Broza’s albums have gone on to be platinum sellers.
The singer-songwriter guitarist from Israel, is on his first visit to India.
David registers the successes of his albums with a wry smile.
“Yes it’s good that they sell. But I am a performing artist. A gipsy. I go to places and take my music with me. I have been on the road for 35 years. Nothing can beat the stage.”
David never wanted to be a rockstar or musician.
“I was a painter. I began painting at the age of six. I would paint in my room; listen to jazz play in the background.
“While doing other things at school, that one is supposed to do; sports etc, I picked up the guitar. It helped; hanging out with the guys; be part of the gang.”
oung David harboured dreams of making it to the Rhode Island School of Design.
His paintings were being sold in flea markets of Madrid, Spain, where he spent a part of his childhood. “I travelled a lot. At 15-16 I began hitch-hiking. I did military service for three years — its compulsory in Israel. I performed at cafes etc, to earn extra money. I came back and needed a job. Yehonatan Geffen is versatile at everything he does — writes poems for children, writes columns for papers. I collaborated with him, and composed music for his poems.”
He continues, “I wanted to do this for a year. Make some money and study. But then I wrote my first song. It was a hit. Its been 35 years. I still work with Geffen”.
He adds, “I need to go the places and see for myself how the music evolved. I don’t believe in buying the album and commenting on it. I prefer to trace a musician’s roots.
“When I arrived in New York, I made sure I travelled. As that could affect the music I make. I went to Buddy Holly birthplace — a town in Texas. One needs to know where the culture originates.”
David has always been interested in pursuing the essence of music genre he plays. Blues, Rock, Jazz and Folk. “I am not in it for fame and glamour. I only want to translate the basic tenets that keeps music together. When I started using flamenco, it was the result of travelling in Spain’s interiors. I was like a hillbilly. Walking everywhere, performing wherever I could. A troubadour.”
David sings in three languages — English, Hebrew and Spanish.
He is not a Jewish artist, but an artist who happens to be Jewish.
“One needs to break away from certain barriers. I am one of the first to work on this music project with Palestinian artists. Its called David in the Lions Den. We need to initiate this agenda. When there is a social cause, the public need to initiate it. Later it will become politics. Look at the night Rabin was assassinated — 50000 people were out there to support him. That’s the kind of action we need.”
David has been a lecturer at Bennington college in Vermont, where he lectured on how language is used like music. “When you use a comma while writing — its like a pause in the playing of music. The comma, full stop and exclamation mark, are all musical.
“I lectured there for 10 years. I am currently working on this new project where we equate the heartbeat with the way that music is read. The thump of the heart, in tune with the beat of the tabla, for example,” he grins.