Esther Galil - Interview (in English) - Part I
Exclusive interview of Esther Galil by Christophe C - translated from French
(la version originale française peut être lue dans la partie membres du fan-club)
1) Christophe C (CC): What spark guided the first steps of young Esther in the choice of singing?
Esther Galil (EG): I sang because I was inspired by Negro Spirituals songs, by Mahalia Jackson, religious songs, this is what inspired me most at the beginning.
2) CC: Although you were born in Morocco, you started your career in Israel. Can you tell us a bit more about this first adventure?
EG: My family emigrated from Morocco to Israel. In Israel, every youngster goes to the kibbutz to learn and I found myself fruit-picking half of the day and as I was picking, I was singing, this is how my friends discovered me.
3) CC: In 1966, you co-wrote and recorded in France your first single. Did you come especially for this occasion or did the opportunity arise to you?
EG: Yes, I participated in the writing of this single, Monde Melody, Mister Benita wanted me to record this single. I was passing by Paris to visit my sister in London, so it was very, very short, I did not stay long. I therefore recorded this single and went back to Israel.
4) CC: Like many artists, you do not mention this first performance. However, at 19, didn’t it represent everything you could dream for as a teenager?
EG: I don’t think that I ever liked this single. It passed unnoticed I think.
5) CC: in 1971, we discover or re-discover Esther Galil with a very powerful interpretation of “J’attends l’homme” as well as “Pour gagner” which will be your first succès d’estime. Were you imposed this style or was it your own wish?
EG: It was a succès d’estime, it was on the radio, it wasn’t a hit, but it was a good introduction, a good visiting card as they said in those days. Yes, it was more or less my style, a little bit rock and bluesy.
6) CC: As well as the sadly missed Marie or Gerard Lenorman or Palaprat, you become the prizewinner of the “Rose d’Or” with “Le Jour se lève”. Was this reward a deciding factor to pursue your career in France and what do you remember of it?
EG: it was a great reward. It really helped me with my career. I think that it helped all the prizewinners of the “Rose d’Or” at the time.
7) CC: “Le Jour se lève” of which more than 2 millions copies were sold, establishes all the unbelievable hopes of a young artist. How do you live this sudden euphoria and what are the reactions of those who participated in this brilliant success?
EG: I remember that the fist person to congratulate me was Mike Brant. He said, “whoa, this is a hit” and he was very happy and I was very happy too, as well as all the people who were near me. I received telegrams from all over the world. I did not quite understand what was happening to me. It was marvelous. It was a very, very happy time of my life. I was not credited as author for this song. I did not write the lyrics, I mainly did a part of the music; the whole finish where I scream, Esther sings “Il est bientôt 5 heures, le matin va venir, il est…” All of this was composed by me and I even have proofs of this; Friends I was living with at the time, because it was at the very beginning, and who were there, saw how every day I was improving the melody. People around me never wanted to give me my due. We should have been 3 to be credited for this song but they never wanted to give me what I deserved. I tried to make them understand that they should do it, but they told me: “We will give you a 12th of the arrangement…”. Francois Bernheim, because he wanted me to sing another song, told me one day: “You really ought to have a 12th as an arranger because you did this part”, but they never wanted to amend the registration in the SACEM. It was a real rip-off.
8) CC: This song was sung in 7 different languages, reaching beyond all boundaries, what are your greatest stage memories?
EG: I really liked to tour with Johnny Halliday. I loved Japan with Johnny, it was terrific, we always had a wild time on the stage. I also liked big concerts, with 120000 or 150000 people in Brazil, it was grandiose, in the Maracana, the huge football stadium, it was a fantastic souvenir. I like to sing for peace, this is also a key scene; I love to sing for great causes.
9) CC: Since then, hits link up "Oh Lord, Les fusils, Amour ma délivrance, Delta Queen, Shalom dis-moi shalom, Cherche l’amour… ". They all bear the stamp of a suffering towards love, war…; an atmosphere of supplication hangs over. Do these feelings personally touch you so deeply?
EG: Yes, of course, every suffering of love, of war, these feelings truly touch me. It is a reason why one sings. We somehow sing for suffering. It does not just come out like this, if there is nothing reel, that’s the way it is.
10) CC: In Germany at the time, all your hits were released on a LP in French language. Surprisingly, not in France, is there an explanation for it?
EG: I was not very often in France as I sang wherever my records were in the top ten, I therefore did not pay attention to all the releases of my records and artistic directors did what they wanted, they released records whenever they felt like it; that’s how it goes when you are not always around.
11) CC: In France, you are known as “La petite princesse en blue jeans” (The little princess in jeans) of sadly missed William Sailly, more precisely: our little princess of French-style blues. Are you touched by it?(as a matter of interest, you are not wearing dresses very often)
EG: I don’t know the song, of William Sailly, I’m really sorry not to know it. Yes, I feel much more self-assured in trousers, but I like to wear dresses as well. On stage, I feel much more free wearing trousers, I don’t know why.
12) CC: In 1976 the LP “Z-Land” is released in France, Canada and Germany to which you greatly contributed as far as music and lyrics are concerned. Was this LP closer to your wishes than the previously recorded songs?
EG: I very much liked this album; I wanted to come back to my roots. It was nice because I did it in England, with British musicians and there was a great atmosphere. No I do not regret making this record, I really liked it. Moreover, I was very surprised, a week ago, I saw something on the web called “Sing with Barbra” or “Barbra sing” when you google “Esther Galil” and they talked about “The French resurrection” that’s how they call it, French resurrection and they talk about me. I was therefore very surprised, I don’t know what it is exactly, but they talk about one of Z-land songs, on the web.
13) CC: With the song “Route number infini”, your contract with Barclay came to an end; did you get a proposal to renew this contract? If not, did you somehow regret it?
EG: We all agreed to end our contract. I wasn’t at all happy about the promotion they were doing with regard to foreign countries; They had not done a proper job and it was time to leave Barclay.
14) CC: As of 1978, the disco craze turns up and the harm is affecting many artists. You are recording “Lover for ever” and “All or nothing” en 1979 because you felt like doing it or was it to follow the new wave?
EG: No, I don’t think so. “Lover for ever” and “Let’s go” were a little bit rock and “All or nothing” was little bit reggae, it wasn’t very much disco, not totally disco. The disco days, yes it must have hurt everyone at the time, it’s obvious.
15) CC: You are back with a final single in 1981 “En dehors du blues” and “Rêve de départ”, two songs more or less premonitory. Some sort of a last good-bye before your departure? We got the feeling you really wanted to move on with other matters, was it the case?
EG: Yes, really, it was the case. I felt like leaving, I wanted something different, I wanted to study. It was after that and even during that time that I made this record. I was already at the ICAP school in Paris where I studied bass and writing. I was in a completely different trip, of studies, which really did me good. And of course, everyone was telling me: “…but wait, you cannot play jazz, you cannot earn your living by playing jazz”, but what mattered most to me was to study.
... Part II to come soon
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03 Juillet 2007 à 19:00 dans
- Exclusive Interview
