Daniel Lavoie in London

By Marina Delmonaco and Alma Mulalic (webmaster)
29th July 2000 -London

NOTRE DAME DE PARIS

You did Notre-Dame in French and then you chose to come to London, do you prefer NDP in French or English?
Daniel Lavoie: I think I prefer Notre Dame in French, it was written in French and I find that Luc Plamondon’s libretto evoked Notre Dame more than the English translation. That’s normal, the adaptation is never the same standard as the original.

What do you think about the English audiences?
Daniel Lavoie: The English audiences are quite warm. They don’t know Notre Dame and they come in complete ignorance to each show, so we can’t expect a reaction like in France where everyone knew all the songs. It’s true that in France we had warmer reactions but having said that, the English audiences are very very warm.

What did you think on the day of the première when the critics tore the show to shreds?
Daniel Lavoie: The way that the critics tore it apart was so unrealistic and Francophobic that I felt great disappointment with the English press. I thought that they were being stupid. But I’ve seen the reaction of the public and I’ve found that the English audiences aren’t stupid like the critics and furthermore, time has proved that. It’s getting better and better.

Which is your favourite moment in the show?
Daniel Lavoie: My Goodness... I have many favourite moments. One of the moments, I love very very very much and I've always loved is "Florence", the song "Florence": it's a very peaceful song, it's a song that speaks of history and brings Notre-Dame into another dimension, not just the boy-girl story.

Have you read the book by Victor Hugo?
Daniel Lavoie: Well I've read a summary of it. I have not had the patience to read it all. I should. I know that Luc Plamondon adapted the show in his own way and I made my Frollo of what Luc had written more than Hugo has written.

And so, after "Florence"?
Daniel Lavoie: Well, "Florence", and then I guess the scene around the cage is a very nice scene, but it's a very difficult scene for me to do: it's not a scene that is fun to do, it's a scene that's tough to do, it's very hard.

What do you think just two seconds before singing "I loooove!"?
Daniel Lavoie: It's technic, you know, I have to think of my breathing!

What do you do backstage, while the other singers are singing?
Daniel Lavoie: I listen, I talk, I sing and I harmonise. I have the habit of doing that now after 445 shows.

In which way playing the role of Frollo changed your way of singing?
Daniel Lavoie: I don't sing the same when I sing Frollo as when I sing my own songs. It's more angry, it's more technic, it's more operatic, because he has to be harder, he has to be tougher and in my own songs I sing a softer voice. It's just different, it's another technique.

Whom do you get on with best in the cast?
Daniel Lavoie: I get on well with everyone. It’s with the original cast that I have great friends. I don’t have favourites. I have my good friends, Garou, Luck and Bruno.

DANIEL LAVOIE AND HIS OWN CAREER

Have you started writing songs for your next album?
Daniel Lavoie: I’ve already started and I have several songs written by I haven’t started recording yet. I don’t really have the concept and I don’t know. I don’t like talking about an upcoming album before it’s finished. It diffuses the energy, it’s not good. I am superstitious.

You performed many solo concerts in France in 1987. Are you going to do that again because you’re always in Québec?
Daniel Lavoie: I’ll probably tour in France in 2001. Maybe not a bit tour but a little one.

Do you have a method to compose songs, or if you begin with words, or just with music, or you are more impulsive...
Daniel Lavoie: Never the same : there's no rule, sometimes music, sometimes words... the more it goes... more I like to work too with words, because words impose music and I think that's good. I work on the piano, on the keyboards, computers.

You’ve made some videos for certain songs, are there videos of other concerts?
Daniel Lavoie: No, I’ve never thought about that. I don’t really like the idea. But there’s the 1987 show which is on laser disc.

Which kind of music influenced more you when you were young and made you wish to be a singer, a musician...
Daniel Lavoie: All kinds of music : I've always listened to all kinds of music, more classical when I was young and then "chansons".

Do you like something like fusion, acid jazz or classical jazz?
Daniel Lavoie: I'm not crazy about fusion jazz. I like very classic jazz.

You listen to Bach’s cantatas, which interpretation do you prefer?
Daniel Lavoie: Yes, I listen to them very much, every day! I don’t have a favourite interpretation.

Which is your favourite cantata?
Daniel Lavoie : Number 142, which I find very beautiful. I adore “St. Matthew’s Passion”, I think perhaps that’s the one I like the most. I like all of Bach’s cantatas. I’m not mad for Bach on the harpsichord.

Do you have a category of music you really hate? Techno, rap, boy bands?
Daniel Lavoie: No, I support them a little less but it’s not that I hate them. Let’s say that I never listen to boy bands. But that doesn’t meant that I hate them, it means that I avoid them, which isn’t the same thing.

Are your songs autobiographical?
Daniel Lavoie: No, just parts, never entirely. The songs are of worlds, it’s a mixture. They’re partly my experiences, and those of others.

And “Popcorn”, in Bébé Dragon?
Daniel Lavoie : Yes, that one’s very autobiographical. But that’s the only one. I’m not a popcorn fanatic, but yes, I like popcorn.

Have you seen other musicals here in London?
Daniel Lavoie: I have, but I've not seen anything I like yet. I would like to go maybe see... I heard "Chicago" is very well, so I will go see "Chicago". But the other ones I find not so good anymore. I don't care what the critics say: I think that Notre Dame is a step above everyone right now! It's different, it's very modern, it's not that old stuff which is boring now.

You play many instruments, piano, sax, flute and guitar, which is your favourite?
Daniel Lavoie: I’m working with synthesisers now so I play all instruments on the synthesisers: violins, string orchestras, big organs.

You like the violin?
Daniel Lavoie: Yes, very much.

Have you ever had a moment when you were sick of the piano and wanted to change instruments?
Daniel Lavoie: No, I’ve never been sick of the piano but I’m jealous of guitarists. I play the guitar but I’d like the patience to play well. I play badly. To play chords on the guitar and to play well on the guitar are two completely different things.

Is there a song that you would have liked to write, a song of another composer?
Daniel Lavoie : There's a lots, I mean, I'd like to have written all of Bach.

Do you a adore New York, after your song “Je voudrais voir New York”?
Daniel Lavoie: I like the city of New York, but I’d never seen New York when I wrote the song. The song dates back 15 year, but now I’ve seen New York and I like the city.

Would you agree to chat with your fans on the internet one day?
Daniel Lavoie: I type very slowly, but why not, one day I’ll do it.

Do you respond to fan mail?
Daniel Lavoie: I respond to all my letters, but at times very slowly because sometimes it builds up and I have lots of work. My replies aren’t long or in full but at least I reply to the letters.

Are you annoyed when we scream during the show?
Daniel Lavoie: I love it when you scream. It’s true, I like it. We love it when the audience screams and yells. We love it, don’t stop. Everyone likes it. It invigorates me.

Are there people who call you “Danny”, your family?
Daniel Lavoie: No, not my family, they call me Daniel. The dancers call me Danny.

But it isn’t your real name, since you were baptised Gerald, why did you decide to change?
Daniel Lavoie: Yes, but it’s 30 years ago now I’ve been calling myself Daniel. I changed because in Québec, Gerald becomes Gerry. I didn’t want to call myself Gerry and so I took on the name of Daniel.

What’s your favourite film?
Daniel Lavoie: My favourite film, I think it’s “Bladerunner”.