Ara Malikian – one of the most colorful and magnificent violinists of our generation, has strong fingers and friendly words. Read cautiously. 🙂
anna: Hello from DJambore.com – the independent Bulgarian media for music! I love your crazy style and vibes and it will be an honor for me to see them “alive” on 28th of February, here in Sofia! Tell me, please, do you have any precognitions about the concert in Bulgaria? Is it gonna be special and why? 🙂
Ara Malikian: Well, I’m very excited to come to Sofia and Bulgaria. First of all because it will be my first time there, secondly because I have many, many Bulgarian friends, many fantastic musicians. For me it is very special to share my music with all my friends and with Bulgarian audience. So I am very excited to come to Sofia.
The concert is a part of “The incredible tour of Violin“. What is your violin favorite place on Earth to be?
Any place and at any time in the world – from baroque to modern pop.
Imagine that your violin is one of the five elements of nature. Which one would it be and why?
Well, I think violin and music in generally is all five elements in one! They have a lot of power.
Who was the composer that you enjoyed to play the most when you were a kid? And now?
Then and now, and always Niccolo Paganini!
You’ve come a long way in your career to become one of the best violinists alive. What has changed since your first album Le quattro stagioni (1995)… in your personal and professional live?
First of all, I don’t consider myself as one of the best violinists alive! I consider myself as musician and violinist which is in love with what I do. Frankly, my intentions are not to be famous or recognizable. Simply I like what I’m doing and I like to do it as long as possible to be on stage. On the stage, I’m the happiest person! So, I wish I keep on playing on stage for the rest of my life.
Could you describe the four cities you have lived, each one with a famous melody – Beirut, Hanover, London, Madrid?
It is difficult to say! In Beirut I used to listen a lot of traditional Lebanese music, because my father used to play with great Lebanese folk-music singer, which was called Fairuz. While I was living in Hanover I started to have interest in gypsy and folk music. In London I discover more rock and pop music, as well as symphonic repertoires. In Madrid I discover flamenco! I was really impressed of Paco de Lucia, but flamenco in generally. They really inspired me!
Tell us some new Lebanese artists that you think are worth following?
I’m not really informed about Lebanese new artists. I’m sure there are a lot of new artists, singers, musicians… I know some of them which I really admire. One of them is a great oud player, which is called Rabih Abou-Khalil, but he is not very young. He is my age. But I’m sure there are a lot of new ones.
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