Exclusive interview of Noël Delfin by Marie: English translation!

"Better late than never!"... : here is the English translation of Marie's exclusive interview of Noël Delfin we announced and published in its original version on the 22d of December!

Noël Delfin. Interview by Marie (translation by Kelma).
As we wanted to know those people who share the stage experience with Rachid, I asked Noël Delfin - who accompanies Rachid on guitar – whether he would like to answer some of my questions.
Here is the recent interview he very gently accepted to get involved into.

Blog: How have you discovered Rachid ?N.D: I discovered Rachid Taha thanks to my brother (François Delfin) who used to accompany him on guitar! As my brother could not play with both Florent Pagny and Rachid Taha at the same time, he asked me to substitute him. At the beginning I did just a few isolated concerts, but now I have been with the band for almost 3 years!

Blog: How was it when you met?N.D: It was fine because, thanks to my brother, I already knew some members of the band. So I was accepted well by Rachid and by the other members of the band.

Blog: Do you have any experience of your own on stage ?N.D: Yes, I do know the stage well, I mean the public. I used to be a guitarist in dance halls. I also made up my own band called Kdn, or Kokin de nom (ndt: “Naughty name!”), which resisted for 7 years!!! ... with female singers: I did not use to sing myself at that time! When I understood it was very hard to find singers – either males or females – who could express my thoughts, I told myself: “Come on, boy: it’s your turn now!"(laughs). But I love to go on stage and play any kind of composition: other people’s compositions, but also mine !!!However, it is true that from the moment I began to accompany Rachid, I played on important stages in front of large audiences… This for me has been a novelty, a « première ». And I guess every time I will have to get onto a stage, and every time I will find myself playing on stage, it will remain one!!!

Blog: Let’s speak of the music you play with Rachid :N.D: If I had to define the music we and the musicians play together , as everybody say... it’s a mix of rock and traditional music and so on... but Rachid has been, is and will always be a pioneer, a precursor, some kind of ...Leonardo da Vinci ... with his ears always tuned on all that is happening on the planet, its history, its future ...All this from the human, the musical and the philosophical points of view. He knows how to read in people’s hearts… His music is what he himself is!!! One unique vibe!!!

Blog: Is your passion for guitar recent ? Do you play any other instrument ?N.D: Oh no, it is not recent !!! In some way, I « felt in it when I was a child"(ndt : a quote from Asterix and Obelix comics) (laughs). My father was a guitarist specialized in classical music : his stuff was about giving guitar lessons with all his passion ! My mother too played guitar! I also play saz, a Turkish string instrument, a little, but that’s for my own fun, at home !

Blog: What are the musical and human inputs that touring with Rachid give you?N.D: Of course, touring with Rachid gave me the opportunity to make a decent living with my music… but it also made me more mature on stage : I learned how to move close to the artist, how to feel him, how to approach him, how to step back, or how to insert myself into his show…because Rachid is someone who lets his musicians evolve with him. To be part of his show on stage, that’s « the thing » with Rachid; it’s about making it possible for his musicians, his public and himself to be one! Of course, tours show you the world differently: you learn to love people, to respect them, to appreciate their habits, their gestures… in one word: difference!

Blog: Would you like to carry on having this experience?N.D: Yes, I’d love to carry on having this experience with Rachid, sure I would !!!! Because I think I still have much to learn from him, from his music… and I do think that he is able to take the best out of his musicians! All that makes up one « dream team » (ndt : in French in the original interview), « the finest flower of the flora », as the singer Philippe Forcioli (Hakim accompanied among other ones) said.

Blog: Nevertheless, don’t you have any separate project of your own?N.D: Yes, I do have a musical project : a trio (voice and guitar, bass and chorus, drums and samples). It’s called "Jus d'Orange" (Orange juice). Every thing rotates around our 5 senses (on the CD and on stage)…in order to attract the listener, the public, so that they pay attention to the French lyrics. The lyrics go well beyond exposing the issues of our century : we already are in the « acceptance of your neighbour, of other people » via our 5 senses : you can easily imagine both the CD - a 5 albums concept - and the stage: smell (orange smell), sight (with orange smokes and lights....!!!), touch (with 3D objects on stage... and a CD cover in orange latex skin)...

Blog: The many fans who met you generally say you are a very kind and nice person… Do you think an artist should give much importance to the relationships with their public ?N.D: Whaa!!! I let you answer, you who were so nice to ask me some questions… But yes, I think that artists who want to share their vision must, in some way, give much importance to the relationships with their public… At one moment, there must be some kind of communion...

In conclusion, this short « Chinese portrait » quiz, Noël gently took part in:
Blog: If you were an animal :
N.D: ........................... I would be a cat
Blog: If you were a song :
N.D: ....................... I would be « Stairway to Heaven »
Blog: If you were a colour :
N.D: ........................ I would be the « orange» colour!!!!!