The way to be(bop)
Music was already his greatest love and the fact that he had never played a guitar before did nothing to dampen his enthusiasm.
What: Contemporary jazz concert by French group Tam de Villiers Quartet.
When: Saturday, 19th November, 9 pm onwards
Where: BFlat, Indiranagarc
Tam de Villiers, frontman of the Tam de Villiers quartet, got his first opportunity to play in a band when he was 15 years old. Music was already his greatest love and the fact that he had never played a guitar before did nothing to dampen his enthusiasm. That night, he went home, picked up an old, battered guitar from the attic and threw himself into learning how to play.
“I picked up a few Nirvana tunes and some basic chords. That was my turning point. I never stopped focusing on taking my musical career as far as it would go!” And it went far. His contemporary jazz ensemble, comprising David Prez on tenor sax, Frederic Chiffoleau on double bass, Karl Jannuska on drums and Tam on the electric guitar, will perform in the city this weekend.
Born into a family of sculptors, Tam was the lone musician of his clan and began taking violin lessons when he was four years old, switching to the piano by the time he was ten. Growing up in their midst helped him understand his own art form in a whole new way.
“My background, naturally, has ingrained in me a certain sense of balance and a greater understanding of space in my music. I treat my compositions like a sculptural piece of art.” Their music, all of which is originally composed, is driven by the electric guitar, drawing inspiration from rock, pop and classical music, too.
Jazz takes a spark of inspiration, a dash of unpredictability and a whole lot of soul. Tam’s muse is living itself, his inspiration is drawn from the amid the bustle of daily life. “It is the process of creation that truly inspires me,” he said, in an interview for Deccan Chronicle.
Born in England, raised partly in South Africa, Scotland and France, the 37-year-old musician was bitten by the music bug at a very young age. He started off with the violin at the age of four and switched to the piano when he was ten. “By the time I was 15, my love for music overwhelmed everything else,” he recalled. “When a friend at school said he was starting a rock band, I was happy to join. I said yes at once, but I had no idea how to play a guitar!
The quartet will perform their compositions at their debut in India, happening here at Bengaluru’s Bflat. "We have included tracks from our album Panacea and some compositions that we’ve written just before this tour so the Bengaluru folks will be the first to hear it live!” Even if you aren’t a big jazz fan you will still have a great time, he added. “If you like music, you will like us. It will be no jazz you have heard before! And expect improvisations.” The quartet will be traveling to perform at Chennai after Bengaluru and hopes to produce another album in the coming year.