Composer and cellist Matthieu Saglio has released a solo album titled El Camino de los Vientos (ACT Music, 2020). Saglio has been making exquisite music for years, introducing the cello to flamenco and collaborating with musicians from across the globe.
El Camino de los Vientos (The Path of the Winds) defies musical boundaries, incorporating a wide range of musical influences, highlighting the versatility of the cello. The album also features an impressive cast of guest musicians.
Matthieu talked to World Music Central about the new recording and his career from his home in Valencia, Spain.
What are your fondest musical memories?
International tours. With Jerez-Texas, we made many unforgettable trips to incredible places and received a lot from the audiences. I remember a concert in Haiti, the year before the earthquake, in the Place du Champ de Mars, almost in the dark, full of Haitians with a very popular audience … we gave it our all and it was a memorable concert.
What was the first song or melody you learned?
No idea the truth because I learned cello at the conservatory, with the classical method … first notes, exercises, scales …
What do you consider to be the essential elements of your music?
Generosity, openness, tolerance. I like that my cello is mixed with many styles of music, many cultures, many people of different horizons, ages, nationalities.
How did your musical ideas evolve over the years from your first album to your last recordings?
Nothing has been planned in advance. I always believe that human encounters generate creativity and each project is a new and different adventure … but in the end when you stop at a given moment and look back, it seems that the path has a kind of general logic … it is a bit the idea of this ‘Camino de los vientos’… an artistic path, determined by the changing, unpredictable, creative winds of encounters.
You were born in France, but you live in Spain. When did you move to Spain and why did you choose the city of Valencia?
I am originally from French Brittany and I came to Valencia in 2000, for love … like in the movies. I studied a degree in Agricultural Engineering and met my wife through an Erasmus exchange. Since then, I stayed to live in Valencia, I love this city and the Mediterranean atmosphere.
You are involved in many projects. Let’s start with your most recent album, El Camino de los Vientos. Tell us a little about how this project came about.
For a long time I wanted to undertake a new adventure, with new compositions focused on the cello. The idea gradually matured and materialized when I discovered the Benicasim studio where I went to record (La Seta Azul Studio)… I was immediately seduced by the energy of this site and of Juan Carlos Tomás, the engineer. Then, I was composing each song dreaming of a guest … some were emblematic names of European jazz and world [music], people who I had been listening to for two decades … Others were fellow musicians / friends from previous projects with whom I had shared so many adventures … and finally the family (one of my brothers, and my 3 children singing choirs on a song).
On the cover of El Camino de los Vientos several well-known musicians in the field of jazz and world music are listed. How did you meet these musicians?
As I mentioned before, these musicians (Nguyên Lê, Nils Petter Molvaer, Carles Benavent, Steve Shehan …) have been my idols for years … people I have seen at concerts or whose records I have listened to thousands of times. I contacted them because it was a dream (and I think dreams must always be given a chance) and it was very exciting when they confirmed that they agreed to participate … great artistic and human generosity.
Did you work in person with the musicians or was it remotely, online?
Only the musicians from Valencia and surroundings were recorded in Benicasim. The others recorded each in their studio (in Paris, Marseilles, Oslo, Brussels, etc.). I prepared all the track guides, with my cellos, and then I left spaces and gave some minimum indications … what I wanted was for each one to have space and freedom to feel good … and it worked!! They were moments of immense happiness when I was receiving the clues from the guests … at the same time surprises of how the piece changed color, and at the same time as if it were just as I had imagined it because I had really thought about the piece with the musical universe of each invited.
You have many other projects like Amura, Jerez-Texas, NES and Diouke. How do you find the time to collaborate with so many musicians?
The truth is that when I stop to think, there are many projects, many human and musical adventures. Some projects have been alive for many, many years like Jerez Texas, others no longer tour like Diouke … but the friendship is still there and the artistic grounds they left too (for this reason, for example, I was very clear that I wanted to invite Abdoulaye N’Diaye to this disk). It is a lot of work, a lot of perseverance but above all an infallible illusion for this profession of musician…. I, every morning I wake up with desire and with a deep feeling of freedom and happiness (despite the current adversity for example).
Were you the first musician to incorporate cello into flamenco?
I don’t know if I was the first one, probably not, but one of the first ones, yes. With Ricardo Esteve, the guitarist from Jerez Texas…. We started working together when I arrived in Valencia … and in fact he was responsible for me leaving me agronomy to make music. One day, I remember him saying to me: ‘music deserves a chance’ … and it was. So it was also clear that I wanted to invite him on this album.
You have several projects related to flamenco: Amura, Jerez-Texas and a duet with guitarist José ‘el Piru’. What is the difference between these groups?
Each one has its identity. Jerez Texas, with Ricardo Esteve on guitar and Jesús Gimeno on drums … many years together, 5 albums with many collaborators and many trips around the world. The duet with José ‘El Piru’ was a more intimate album, recorded over low heat… ‘Petit à petit’… we wanted to call it ‘despacito’ before we realized the song, ha ha… Amura is more recent and is the result of the fusion of the duo with José ‘El Piru’ with the singer and dancer Isabel Julve… a friend of 20 years and a historical collaborator of Jerez Texas. It was a pleasure to get back together with this project. She also appears on my new album … could not fail … and on bass with her, the great Carles Benavent!
What cello do you play today? Who made it?
I play the same cello since 1991, made by a luthier from Angers (France): François Denis. It is a love relationship … I will most likely continue with it until my last days. When I try another one, I never like it that much … it’s been so many years … we have molded each other.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected you in terms of work and livelihood?
It is a catastrophic situation … suddenly, at the moment of hope for the new album, with many dates booked for the presentation tour and many others pending … Suddenly, everything stopped. The concerts of the upcoming months have been canceled, those that were in process have remained in the air … and the worst thing is that we do not know when we can return to work normally. I live solely and exclusively from concerts … suddenly the income goes to zero … and yet the expenses remain the same and I have a family with 3 children … very worrying.
We musicians do not fit into any of the aid plans that currently exist. At the same time, I see that there is a hopeful movement of collective awareness in the Society…. everyone has realized the importance of culture in their lives in these difficult times (Can you imagine this entire period of confinement without music, without books, without movies, etc. …?). And I think that little by little, people are realizing that musicians, and artists in general, make a living from this … if nobody ever pays anything for culture…. How are we going to be able to dedicate ourselves to this?
Another topic is talking about profitability in the culture sector. Lately (since the crisis of 2008), the idea that each concert, venue or festival had to be ‘profitable’ in a direct and abrupt way… has been generalized. What goes into the box office covers the expenses of the room and the artists’ salaries. But shouldn’t we think of other benefits that never enter the equation? how well-being, happiness and also the image of a neighborhood, a city, a country … not to mention the indirect benefits that a concert generates when people go to dinner in the neighborhood or come on vacation to the city, etc.
What are you doing these days while there is an order to stay home?
I am lucky to have 3 children and to live in a house with a garden, with which confinement is a very special moment of family coexistence…. We are living memorable moments together, also enjoying having so much time available compared to many tour periods for tours. It is a pretty strong paradox between this little bubble of happiness and the very worrying health, economic, social situation, etc. Not to mention the uncertainty of our near future …I also take this opportunity to play the cello a lot.
In what ways are you promoting your music?
Right now, very exciting things are happening with the promo of the new album, thanks to the work of the ACT label: many stations from many countries (Spain, France, Canada, Greece, Czech Republic, Germany, UK, USA, Israel, Croatia, Poland , Australia, Luxembourg, Belgium, etc.) are playing songs from the album. The other day a great review came out in the Financial Times. On Spotify, the first single approaches 150,000 listeners. All these news are my daily joy in the midst of so much storm.
If you could invite additional musicians or bands to collaborate, who would it be?
Right now, I have put together a quartet to bring the repertoire of this album live with Steve Shehan on percussion, Christian Belhomme on keyboard and Léo Ullmann on violin … it is a truly a luxurious quartet with excellent musicians, a pleasure to play with. I am very excited with this new ensemble with a crazy desire to tour together.
If I could gather more musicians on an upcoming album … I have many ideas and very varied, with musicians from all over … but dreams must be kept secret until they come true.
Do you give classes or workshops?
Hardly ever. Sometimes I give some open cello technique masterclass to ‘unconventional paths’. The last one I gave was in Boston last year at a cello festival.
What advice would you give to beginners who are anxious and want to make music outside of pop and trendy music?
I think that first of all you have to do what fills you. When you do what you really feel, you are, it makes you happy … that conveys something special. I really believe in sincerity. Copying or following fashion guidelines is not something that interests me too much.
Which musicians of the new generations deserve the attention of lovers of flamenco or other types of root music in general?
There are a lot of good and interesting musicians out there and the networks allow you to discover many things. I do gymnastics every morning, at dawn, listening to music with headphones … I see a lot of YouTube live shows and discover many interesting things.
In addition to the release of El Camino de los Vientos, do you have any additional future projects to share with us?
Right now, all the energy is put into this release…. It is time to focus on something that has to take off after many, many months of work and energy.
Discography:
Solo albums
Cello Solo (2009) [solo cello]
Live Corral de Comedias de Alcala de Henares (2013) [solo cello]
El Camino de los vientos (ACT Music, 2020)
Jerez-Texas
Saó (Nocturne, 2005)
Live au Satellit Café (JT Prod, 2006)
Patchwork (Resistencia, 2007)
Sun (Resistencia, 2009)
Viento y Marea (Resistencia, 2013)
Clar de Lluna, live (JT Prod, 2017)
Other projects:
Danza del Sacromonte, with Ben Yakoub (2009)
Diouke (2012)
Résonance (2016)
Petit à petit, with El Piru (2017)
Ahlam, with NES (ACT Music, 2018)
DVDs
Cello Solo Live (2009)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.