A slice of jazz!

Jazz enthusiasts in the city are in for a treat. Coming all the way from France is Erik Truffaz who is a French jazz trumpeter known to re-create an enigmatic mix elements of hip-hop, rock and roll and dance music in his compositions. The music maverick, who is armed with decades of expertise, will be performing in the city along with contemporary urban musicians like electronic composer Riatsu, along with percussionist Anand Bhagat and multi-instrumentalist Neil Gomes for a multi-city tour through India. In a candid chat with him, he talks about his music, what we can expect from his performance and more...

This trumpeter's career began singing in the church. Speaking about what inspired him to become a musician, he says, “My father played the saxophone. He has been my main inspiration. As a kid, I used to sing in church as well. So, in a way, music has always been a part of my life.”  With the drive to rustle up something unique every time he begins, Erik's music has elements of pop rock and jazz instrumental. And, this is something he enjoys playing.

Given how the city has become a melting pot for aspiring as well as international artistes, Erik is stoked about performing in the IT hub. “I love Indian musicians, and I think that they are really good and very sophisticated. I think that Bengaluru as a city is a very important place for music as the crowd has been excellent and very well behaved," he adds.

The trumpeter will be mixing Indian and Jazz music during his performance in the city. “We will be performing Indian music with Indian musicians and it will have a little bit of rock and jazz with a lot of contrast,” Eric adds. Aside of music, Erik's other interests lie in literature, nature and love. On asking him about who he would like to collaborate with, Erik signs off by stating, “I would be really happy to collaborate with Indian Bansuri maestro Hariprasad Chaurasia.” Speaking about what’s next, writing a repertoire and playing trumpet for the church  are on the cards. “I’d also love to write music for cinemas,” he concludes.

— Erik will be performing   live on December 13, 7 pm at the Alliance Francaise.