24/7 VALENCIA: Can you tell us something about your musical upbringing and education?
CARLOS SANCHIS: Let me quote Mark Twain: I never let school interfere with my education. I studied piano, among other things. I would say that musically I am self-taught, but I am not: I have learned by listening and, as far as possible, playing with the musicians I admire.
Could you tell us something about the accordion as an instrument? It is a relatively young instrument, very versatile and endowed with wide expressive possibilities. It arose in Europe at a time of great migratory movements, which favours its expansion and assimilation by very diverse musical cultures.
Tell us about the concept of your new album, ‘Acordeonismos’
Acordeonismos was born with the aim of paying a small tribute to the instrument, giving it the singing voice to show some of its main registers through a collection of original compositions.
Hermético is an exploration of the sounds of the Brazilian Northeast in homage to the legend of Hermeto Pascoal.
Cachorro is a more jazzy track over a rumba rhythm.
Abide with me is an adaptation for solo accordion of the well-known Anglican hymn covered, among others, by Thelonius Monk.
Calle perdida is an original tango that borrows its title from the classic Naranjo en flor, popularised by Roberto Goyeneche. Performed as a duo with pianist Baptiste Bailly.
Danubio azul oscuro casi negro is a composition that delves into the black sounds of Eastern Europe, where the Danube plays a role similar to that of the Mississippi in the USA. It features the virtuoso Catalan clarinettist Óscar Antolí.
Lascia la spina is a circus version of Handel’s aria, where the soprano’s role is played by a musical saw, in homage to the now defunct Gran Fele circus.
Risueña is a theme influenced by Latin jazz with the participation of the great Valencian saxophonist Kiko Berenguer.
Gitanerías is a Balkan-inspired theme in the style of Eastern European fanfares with the collaboration of the Slovenian trumpeter Timotej Kotnik.
Wiegenlied für Noe is a lullaby for solo accordion that explores the more intimate side of the instrument.
Baiao apaixonado is a tribute to the popular Brazilian style featuring Rafael Barros on bandolim and cavaquinho.
Ola is a bossanova in which the chromatic harmonica replaces the accordion for a moment to dialogue with the cello of Matthieu Saglio, an old musical companion of mine.
Waltz of the last things is the closing track of the album. It is the only non-instrumental and reflects quietly on the pandemic of capitalism of recent times.
Could you describe a little bit about your other recent release, ‘El País Mejor’? It’s a collection of songs that I recorded in 2018 and moved mainly from hand to hand until it was recently released on digital platforms. It was never performed live, nor conceived for it
Tell us something about your musical collaborators.I am accompanied on this project by some exceptional musicians, with whom I had already worked with before on other projects, who have given the songs a surprising amount of depth and nuance. They include Baptiste Bailly on piano, Ales Cesarini on double bass and David Gadea on percussion, and they are well known for their quality in the (not only) local scene.
What are your influences, musical or otherwise? Jazz, classical music, flamenco… in general any music that, as Lorca said, has black sounds. Also cinema, literature and travel.
Will we be able to see you playing live in Valencia soon? On Sunday 8th December in the ‘Matisee Club’ there will be a concert-presentation of the album.
TICKETS: https://www.matisseclub.com/espectaculo/1/carlos-sanchis-presenta-acordeonismos.html
Report by ‘24/7 Valencia’ team
Article copyright ‘24/7 Valencia’
Carlos Sanchis presents new album, ‘Acordeonismos’ live
8 December
20h
Matisse Club
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