Interview Violinist Ara Malikian Eva Rancho La Provincia 14 March 2014
Polyglot, charismatic, innovative, didactic, shy indoors and a whirlwind on the stage. Tonight at the Cicca in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Ara Malikian, a lebanese violinist based in Madrid, will blend classic music, jazz and tango at his gig Con los ojos cerrados ( With my eyes closed). 46-year-old world citizen seizes the day and his virtuous hands dare to play flamenco, pop and rock. Through his latest project, La Orquesta en el Tejado (Orchestra on the roof), Malikian makes classical music popular among children and adults.
Ara Malikian
Violinist
“Paganini was the first rock star in music history”
Eva Rancho
LA PROVINCIA / LAS PALMAS DE GRAN CANARIA, 14 March 2014
Since you were a child, you have been influenced by the art and discipline of your father, who is also a violinist. How do you remember your childhood, framed by the civil war in Libano?
We were civilians. A child thinks that what he is living is what everybody is living. And you actually wake up when you leave. I don’t think that war has affected me. On the contrary, we have witnessed tough events, and I do think that thanks to that, my sisters and I have learnt to be happy anywhere around the world. We were lucky to be able to get out of the country.
If you had not become a musician, which path would you have chosen?
To be a violinist was not in my plans. I just played the violin and thanks to that, I got out of Libano, because I got a grant to study in Germany. This instrument always keeps me company.
Today you return to Cicca with the project Con los ojos cerrados [With my eyes closed], that blends classic music with jazz and tango. How did the duet with Argentinian guitarist Fernando Egozcue come?
We have a 15-year career together and we have learnt and played so many gigs together. Few years ago we built up a quintet, we have recorded two albums. His music has been influenced by Latin-American roots, jazz, tango, classic and rock. I am lucky to have an extraordinary composer like Fernando, he does know what I want to do with the violin. It’s a privilege.
Could you reveal something about what the audience will find tonight?
This style of music hits home, because people get excited, it is rhythmic and wild. We have been playing these hits for so long and we know that they strike a chord, so it’s gonna be an energetic concert. Nowadays it is very easy to blend anything, but it must be thoroughly done in a personal way. It’s not just a fusion. We believe in that. The only thing we know it’s that we get excited and we try to pass it on to the audience too.
Are you more into tango composer Roberto Goyeneche, El Polaco, or into bandoneonist Aníbal Troilo, aka Pichuco, and Astor Piazzolla?
All of them are great musicians and artists. Perhaps Fernando’s music is closer to Piazzolla. I feel more identified with his music, but I wouldn’t ignore any of them, because all of them have contributed to music history.
And in jazz, do you prefer John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald or Django Reinhardt?
All of them are amazing. They have done their utmost to jazz history, they complement each other.
After living for 15 years in Spain, you were denied the Spanish nationality because government affirmed that you “had applied for it too soon”. How is this process going now?
It’s nearly sorted.
Last year budget cuts stopped your arrival to Canary Islands Music Festival. How was your first reaction?
I think these things happen. Lately we are used to recycle ourselves because of all the festival setbacks have to face.
What do you think about the cultural budget cuts of Rajoy’s Administration?
As an artist, I’m very concerned about all the cuts culture suffers and the VAT rising of the gigs, because I feel directly affected, but what I do is just playing and get my artistic message across the audience and make them get excited. I have to fight despite difficulties.
Do we need educational programmes on public television that show music to children, as El Conciertazo did between 2000 and 2009, hosted by Fernando Argenta, who already passed away? Did you ever meet him?
Certainly. Yes, I worked with him. He was a pioneer in what he did, he teached music to several generations, so people will always remember his work.
You also played that didactic role on TV. In 2010 you hosted a programme for children and youngsters: El club del Pizzicato on TVE 2, a place to convey classic music to the youngest members of the family. How do you remember that period of your life?
With so much joy! I had never worked on television and it was fantastic to have that space. After that, I played gigs for children, which is something I love and I will keep on doing it.
“Tonight audience will listen to wild music and it will be a very energetic gig”
“Thanks to the civil war in Libano, my family and I have learnt to be happy anywhere around the world”
What distinguishes Niccolò Paganini from others?
Everyone has his/her own features, strengths, but Paganini is unique, he was the first rock star in music history. People didn’t just want to listen to him, but they also wanted to see him because it was a show. He changed music history.
Your virtuous hands have played on many stages worldwide and with orchestras such as Tokio Shymphonic, Madrid, Portugal, and you have recorded an endless list of covers. What else do you have to do?
A lot of things. I like composing music with friends, traveling and knowing other cultures and trying to grow as an artist, and above all, always have hope and never lose it.
What was the most rewarding and challenging thing of having worked with Pedro Almodóvar for the soundtracks of Hable con ella [Talk to her] (2002) and La mala educación [Bad education] (2004).
It was an honor and a joy to contribute to films of great filmmakers like Almodóvar. I get excited when I work at a recording studio, but what makes me go mad is live gigs!
Next call after Las Palmas de Gran Canaria?
The most recent one is La Orquesta en el Tejado [Orchestra on the roof], a new string orchestra of 15 youngsters. We play music in a different way.
You once said that it was to remove that “elitist image” of the own classic musicians.
Not just that, but also to play orchestral music in other dimension: we play upright, we memorize a repertoire that ranges from Bach to Paco de Lucía and Led Zeppelin. It is a long-term project. Moreover I’m preparing a gig to honor the victims of Armenian genocide, whose 100th anniversary will be held next year.
Did you ever meet and work with Paco de Lucía?
I never worked with him, but I met him. He is a unique artist, who will be always on our minds along with other names such as Bach, Mozart and Beethoven.