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Spanish musician Sole Parody, or Le Parody by her stage name, is an artist who blends Andalusian folklore, electronic and experimental sounds with her unique style; she is an artist who draws attention not only with her music but also with her sincere and heartfelt energy.
I had the chance to chat with her over Zoom the other day and get to know both her perspective on art and her creative world better.
Le Parody's music has a spirit that pushes boundaries, and I have great news for those who want to experience this spirit live! She will be at JJ Pub Kanyon on March 7th for her first concert in Istanbul as part of the Garanti BBVA concerts.
Here is a little look into Le Parody's world:
It's very hard to define your music with a certain music genre, and maybe it's not necessary to do so, but generally you blend the Andalusian folklore with electronic elements. So how do you find the right balance between these elements?
Well, I think it's not hard to find a balance. The folklore I like or the one that I'm using more in my songs is a very lively and danceable folklore. And I find that there's a good blend with electronics, with the kind of electronics that I use that are also like going towards techno or more like dance electronics. So when I start writing music, I usually start with the beat because it's the most enjoyable part for me to play with drums and electronic machines. And then when I add the singing and the melodic parts that are more folkloric, I always find it's easy to blend them. I don't know how to explain, but I guess the common part is the joy and the party and the deep human feelings. So the balance usually comes easily to by itself. Still, it's something that might sound weird to other people, but for me, it's kind of natural.
We see that you use more rhythmic and dance oriented approach in your latest works. So how do you think your music developed or changed through these years from your first album to the last one?
It has changed a lot. Mostly because I'm not the kind of artist that release one album a year. I take my time. So I've released, I think, like four albums in more than ten years. That makes it an album every four years or so, 3 or 4 years. So things happen between one and another album, and I'm always experimenting and trying to find new sounds and new ways to communicate my art. So the first album was more folky, I think I still play some songs of it and it's like from many years ago. Then the second one was more like ethnic because I was exploring the sound. So actually I have some sounds from Turkey because I was exploring how the sounds of flamenco came from India to Spain, like crossing all the continent. And the third one was definitely a dance. Well, more or less like techno ish. And this new album that I'm presenting now, even if I play songs of all the previous ones, it's more I think it's more pop.
And you live in Madrid. So what are the pros and cons to live in Spain as a musician?
Well, I don't live in Madrid anymore. Precisely because of the cons of living in a very big city. Because I have a kid now. So I moved to a small village near Madrid, more or less.
I grew up in the south of Spain, and then I moved to Madrid, and, well, I think living in a big city. I guess that's the same for everywhere. It's easier for an artist. There's more people than you have more chances to play and etc.
But still, I feel like living in Spain, it's a bit of a handicap for musician development because apart from flamenco that is well known worldwide and you can listen to flamenco everywhere.
I feel there's not an international projection of artists. So we get to play locally. There's a good music scene and I tour in Spain regularly, but it's very hard to get out. Only very specific bands that are either flamenco ish or either super Anglo Saxon like rock bands that are singing in English and it really looked like English or American bands and they get to get out. But for other styles, especially for sort of experimental or more weird style like mine, this is not very common. So I'm super excited to play in in Turkey.
But by the way, Spain is also turning into a music festival country because you have so many big festivals there, like Primavera or Mad Cool Festival. So there must be more chances for musicians actually.
You know the little problem with these big festivals is that they hire mostly bands from abroad.
So you see we are trapped in this situation. We don't get to play the big acts here, and we don't get to get out. I mean, it's not so bad. There are worse cases, I guess.
You spent a year in USA, right? So what did it bring to you?
I’ll go again this summer, let's see if it happens. That was well, many years ago and I also toured in South America. It was great. It's always really cool to share your music with people from a different country and especially from with a different language and see how it still communicates. It's like it's still people get what you're trying to to say, even if they don't understand the lyrics or if it's a style that is not so common. I feel like music is a very universal language and it's really nice for the artist.
You often emphasize the impact of Berlin in your music. How have your experiences in Berlin shaped your music?
Well, I always say like, my racing folk was the Andalusian folklore,sort of flamenco and stuff. And then my grown up folk, like the folk I found I belonged to, but at an older age was techno because I didn't know that much. I didn't learn about techno until I was like 25 or so.
Yeah, it’s an old age for techno 😊
It's old for techno, yeah. But when I started going to techno parties, I felt like that was the music I belonged to. I felt like a really strong connection, like it really was part of my DNA and my musical DNA. I totally understood it and I could flow into it. So since then, all my artistic research has come to this longing of putting together my two sides,.The Andalusian side is so close to Africa for me it's not Europe. And then this very European taste also like a North American music. So yeah, that's like I have strong feelings towards techno and towards my folk, and I'm always trying to put them together.
You made a song with Gizmo Varillas in 2015: “Summer Rain” and it suddenly became one of the trending songs in TikTok and Reels. Would you like to tell a little bit about that collaboration and how did it happen?
Yes. That's probably the craziest thing that has ever happened to me in my career. I met with Gizmo ten years ago now, and we worked two days in his home studio in London. I was playing there and we really had a great musical connection. We made this song really in two days. Then he was mixing it and then I took it for mastering to Spain. So it was like totally collaborative and it was like very easy thing to do and really super low budget with no pretensions, just like, let's get together and see what happens. And ten years after it becomes like worldwide viral song, I don't know how many millions of plays it has.
It's just like a magic, right?
It's totally like a magic, we don't know how it happened. There was nobody putting money for it or anything. It's just like, I don't know, people started listening to it. So yeah, it has been a big surprise. I think Gizmo is still playing it because it's more close to his style now. But I've changed a lot, my style since then.. But I'm currently working on a new version that approaches more to my electronic side now that I will be releasing live in Istanbul actually, I've never played.
Wow it’s amazing, good news for us.
Yes, i will be playing it live for the first time with the new arrangement. I like that song, but it's so weird that that's my viral song because it's like the oldest thing I have.
Anyway, and I'm always looking for collaborations. I've done a lot of collaborations, mostly with people from Spain. This year I think a few, a few collabs will see the lights. One with a really nice Portuguese artist. So let's see if they get viral too or not?
You will perform your first Istanbul gig on March 7th. So we are very excited to see you here. Do you know anything about the city or Turkish music scene?
I really don't. I know about traditional Turkish music a little bit.
I've never been to Turkey or to Istanbul. I know more about the topical things, like for tourists and stuff, you know, because of the people who have been there. And everybody loves Istanbul. When i say people around me that I'm going to Istanbul, all of them say “oh my God, it's my favorite city”. So it must be very special. I'm really looking forward. Well, I won't be there so many days. Just a few days. But I would love to get to know more of the nowadays music scene,
We have emerging artists in the electronic music scene, but also, you know, like all around the world, hip hop and rap is also trending now here. But we also have some traditional music like Turkish folklore or Anatolian rock. So we have a very rich music culture and also Turkish cuisine is delicious 😊
Oh, I've heard of that.
But you will need more than a few days, so maybe next time you can spend more time in Istanbul.
Yeah, I'd love to. I just can't this time. Well, one of my trumpet players is staying longer, so I'll tell him to bring souvenirs.
I was just going to ask that. Your live performances seems very energetic. So will there be any other musicians accompanying you on the stage in Istanbul?
We are coming with the full band right now. That is three people. So I'm playing with two trumpet players because this new album has a lot of these trumpet melodies and it's really nice to play live with them. That's really cool. So for our first time in Istanbul, I wanted to go with the best format we have.
Great. And who are you listening to these days?
I'm always listening to music, but I never know what to answer to this.
I'm listening to Daniela Pes a lot. I don't know if you have heard of her.
I haven't heard her album before and now I'm like, super into it. It's amazing. And then there's this Spanish band really amazing that blends medieval folklore, middle aged folklore with electronics. They are called Tarta Relena. They're cool. They released an album last year.
Okay. I will absolutely listen to them because it sounds really exciting.
This album is amazing and they are touring now a lot. I really want to see them live. So yeah, I'm always looking for this kind of blends. And I really like that mix.
Is there anything that you are passionate about besides music?
Well, so many I love art in all its ways. Art and culture. I love fashion, actually. And not the superficial side of it, but like the clothes and the art of the cloth making. Actually, we have a really nice stage feet by a few designers from Spain. And I love the traditional dressing and stuff, and I'm very interested in the cloth artistry. And I’m very much into food. Now that you mentioned that you have a very nice cuisine.
You'll be very happy in Istanbul about that.
I really want to spend the whole days eating everything I can.
And what are your plans for the near future?
Well, right now, I'm still presenting this new album I released last year. But I'm slowly starting to think of making a new one because I already have ideas for it. But this year I will be centering in some collaborations, and I'm also starting to produce other people like work as a producer.
I like that role. I like to produce and also to make music for others, you know, like I've made music for theatre and, and dance shows. So I'd love to keep on exploring that,collaborating with a multimedia acts and shows.
Cool.
And finally, is there anything you want to add or do you want to give some special message to the Turkish listeners?
I'm always super open to collaborations and to know new music, and especially from the East Europe and beyond. I feel like here we are very in the middle of the western area, and I don't get so much input from there. And my music is very rooted in South and more eastern sounds. So anybody who reads this and is interested in my music and wants to contact me, I'm always available in Instagram and in the mail. So please just let's make connections.
It’s a nice invitation, it’d
be great such a collaboration.
it was really great to chat with you. Thank you, and see you in Istanbul!
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