Sometimes, beautiful things unfold when you go forth in pursuit of something with no expectations, but open arms. Such was Stellar Om Source aka Christelle Gualdi – during her recent India Tour (across Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru) with Red Bull Music.
From the experiences to recording for her next summer EP and a new tracks that’s slated for launch this week; Christelle gets chatty with her candid best.
“I barely prepared for the trip. I got my set ready and got on a plane, and arrived here. Anything and everything that happens will happen beyond any references I might have had, or any expectations. For me, the cultural shock or the cultural differences are so big that I could walk around with my jaw on the floor about the way people live or the way they drive. What was very surprising during my set in Mumbai was that when the lights went off and I was playing, the reactions I received were similar to what I would get in Barcelona, Manchester or Hamburg,” shares Christelle.
When she was small, her father (a guitar player) would play all the synthesizer sounds like trumpets. It would crack her and her siblings up. But, in a way, opened doors for her to pursue music.
“I went to music school when I was young, and it has always been a natural thing for me to do. Somehow even if I quit music, I could never leave music.” Glad her profession is in sync with her interests, she adds,”performing music, meeting up people – that’s my idea of a holiday! I like travelling, meeting new people, eating different kinds of food and music lets me do all of that! Every single time I find myself at an airport, even if it’s for a one-hour flight, I always feel so grateful.”
Speaking about her first flight experience, “I flew for the first time at 23, when I went to Japan.
She adds, “Growing up, we couldn’t really afford holidays. I love throwing dinner parties for friends.” Her wide-eyed approach to life and love for travel is implicit in her music. Speaking of which, she says, “I start with sounds, and I get excited. I will be searching and looking around, and suddenly I will hear this one sound that sticks out, and I will have a strong emotional reaction to it. When you see a good movie, and something touches you, sounds do that for me. That’s why I make music, I want people to be touched. This strong emotional connect, that’s what I am looking for when I make music. If it doesn’t fit that criteria, it doesn’t make the cut.”
Speaking of what’s next, she signs off stating, “ I have been creating a new live set over the past six months, and those tracks are going to become more and more refined as I keep performing live. I am going to record an EP this summer, there’s also a new track coming out next week. And more shows, I guess, taking me everywhere from Brazil to India to Europe. I would love to travel to North India, and since I am an architect, I would love to go to Chandigarh and palaces in Rajasthan. I hope I continue to be so fortunate to travel to places with my music.”
