ANDREAS SCHAERER AND DANIEL GARCÍA DIEGO: “WE WEAVE FANTASTIC STORIES AND INVITE THE AUDIENCE TO JOIN US”
Swiss vocalist Andreas Schaerer and Spanish pianist Daniel García Diego will perform on 22 October at 9 pm at the Amerikana venue of the Belgrade Youth Centre, as part of the 42nd Belgrade Jazz Festival. In their duo, the voice becomes much more than a melody: Schaerer combines beatboxing, sound imitation, scat singing and operetta-style coloraturas, transforming his voice into an entire orchestra, while García Diego “responds” at the piano, building on Schaerer’s ideas with his own musical creations and opening up new directions for their shared improvisation.
Drawing on jazz, classical music, flamenco and other musical traditions, the two musicians cross genre boundaries and create space for a free, unpredictable dialogue. Their strong musical connection, finely tuned sense of rhythm and willingness to take unexpected turns at any moment allow their performance to unfold like a spontaneous story, without predetermined rules. In this interview ahead of their Belgrade concert, they discuss the creative chemistry of their duo, the freedom of improvisation and music that transcends stylistic boundaries.
The concert is supported by the Cervantes Institute in Belgrade.
Tickets are available at all eFinity outlets and online.
Andreas, you have developed a highly individual approach to the voice, using techniques ranging from sprechgesang and sound imitation to beatboxing, scatting and operatic coloratura. How does this approach translate into the intimacy and spontaneity of a duo setting?
Andreas Schaerer: I don’t think of my instrument in terms of categories. My ambition is to blend various vocal techniques in such a way that a single, holistic instrument emerges. This allows me, in the intimate setting of a duo, to shift seamlessly from the more “traditional” role of a solo singer to a more accompanying role — for example, providing percussive accompaniment for Daniel or blending the sound of my voice with the piano. This also allows me to expand the energetic and dynamic range of my voice, giving me more options when interacting spontaneously with Daniel.
Andreas, you have worked in many different formats, from your own ensembles to collaborations with musicians such as Bobby McFerrin. What makes working with Daniel as a duo particularly interesting for you?
Andreas Schaerer: First and foremost, it’s the chemistry between us, which just feels so right in our duo. Daniel is an incredible musician, but above all, he’s a fantastic listener. To me, it feels as though we’re making up stories live on stage, in the moment, with protagonists and plots that haven’t been decided before the concert. And that’s what feels magical to me. Out of my friendship with Daniel, we weave fantastic stories and invite the audience to join us.
To put it in more technical terms, alongside this wonderful musical friendship, I enjoy the moments when we really get into the rhythm together, bounce musical ideas off each other and play little tricks on one another. I love the childlike joy of playing that is inherent in this duo.
Daniel, your music draws on jazz as well as classical music, flamenco and other traditions you encountered growing up. How do these influences come into play in the music you create with Andreas?
Daniel García Diego: Both of us come from quite different backgrounds, but I would say that we share a common love of rhythm, which was our first point of connection. What has been a great surprise, and still is, is discovering that we share many other aspects of music, not necessarily linked to specific styles, but rather to the ways we experience music and try to create something that goes beyond music itself. In that sense, I think we both maintain a strong individual voice while also finding a huge playground between us where we can feel free.
Daniel, you have developed your own projects as a pianist, composer and producer, including Beata Viscera, which brings Renaissance vocal music together with a jazz trio. What kind of musical dialogue are you looking for when working with a vocalist like Andreas?
Daniel García Diego: This is related to what I said before. My goal is to find a way of creating something with Andreas that goes beyond our own styles and influences. Andreas is a wild musician, in the best sense of the word. He is able to explore many different musical territories and is not afraid to try new things. I feel the same way. I love trying different things and stepping out of my comfort zone. So, this is a great opportunity for us to investigate what musical dialogue can be. Believe me, we are not thinking about styles or influences when we make music. Music is just music, and we try to channel it as freely as possible, without prejudice.
A duo leaves very little space between two musicians, making listening and responding especially important. How do you build the music together in performance, and how much of it is shaped in the moment?
Andreas Schaerer: In fact, I don’t feel that there is little space left in a duo setting; for me, the opposite is true. For example, we have neither a bass nor a drum kit, so that space remains unoccupied and we can move freely within it.
When we play live, we perform pieces that we’ve both written for this duo, but there’s plenty of space for improvisation and musical dialogue. These moments arise spontaneously and can develop and sound quite differently at every concert.
Daniel García Diego: I totally agree with Andreas. The space between us is huge, and that is one of the beauties of the duo setting when approached with an open mind. Every concert is full of opportunities and space to create new things.
For both of you: You are coming to Belgrade as highly active figures on the contemporary European jazz scene. What can the audience at the Belgrade Jazz Festival expect from your duo performance?
Andreas Schaerer: A vibrant musical dialogue. We are looking forward to getting to know the Belgrade audience and celebrating life, music and community together. We are delighted to have been invited to the Belgrade Jazz Festival.
Daniel García Diego: We have seen the audience’s reaction to our duo concerts many times already, and I believe people will experience this concert as something different, something greater than a concert. Hopefully, it will be something that makes the audience feel alive and forget about this crazy world we live in for a while. We are delighted to bring our music to Belgrade.
The 42nd Belgrade Jazz Festival takes place from 21 to 24 October at the Belgrade Youth Center, presenting 13 concerts by leading international and Serbian artists, followed by a closing jam session. This year, 12 ensembles are making their Belgrade Jazz Festival debut, spanning a wide range of styles, from blues, bebop and post-punk to hip-hop, R&B, neo-soul, flamenco, Latin, funk, mainstream jazz and avant-garde.
The festival is organized by the Belgrade Youth Center. Patrons of the 42nd Belgrade Jazz Festival are the City of Belgrade – City Administration – Secretariat for Culture and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia. Friends of the festival are SOKOJ and DPC Networks. The festival is supported by the Italian Cultural Institute in Belgrade, Instituto Cervantes, the Embassy of Portugal and Instituto Camões, Zbigniew Seifert Foundation and Mid Atlantic Arts. The festival’s creative concept and visual identity are by McCann Belgrade.
