Bertignac will be accompanied by internationally famous drummer, Felix Sabal –Lecco, one time part of Sting’s band, and the talented French bass guitarist Cyril Denis. Nepal’s internationally acclaimed rock sitar player, Bijaya Vaidya along with his group, Rock Sitar, will provide additional color to the show.
“During the first concert here at Nepal in 1993, I did some crazy guitar stuff on the stage and it swung away from my hand. After the concert a man walks up to me and says that my guitar hit him on the head but that he did not want my apology. In fact, he said he was grateful for the souvenir.” That man was Vaidya. Bertignac shares his interesting first meeting that paved the way for his wonderful friendship with Bijaya Vaidya.
After that, like most music lovers naturally tend to do, they jammed together and winded up playing fusion tunes on the guitar and sitar for hours at Vaidya’s place. Since then, their friendship has been one of the many reasons that Bertignac fell in love with this place and visits here as often as he can.
Bertignac, who famously dated French First Lady Carla Bruni, had also arranged and played guitar on Bruni’s first debut album. In turn, Bruni contributed lyrics to 10 of the 12 songs for Bertignac’s first solo album in nine years, aptly titled “Longtemps”( A Long Time).
That album was released on February 2005, while he was recovering from health problems after contracting Hepatitis C. He was actually in Nepal during his recovery period and also recorded and arranged music for the album with the constant support of and in collaboration with Vaidya and their mutual friends.
Speaking at the conference, Vaidya told us, “We recently had Jazz and Blues floating over the Kathmandu waves, with events such as Jazzmandu; Kathmandu was lacking rock.”
He then added, “We have Louis, one of the greatest rockers and Felix, whom I first saw performing through Youtube, and I wondered if he was a magician or musician, and then we have our good humored talented Cyril. This definitely will be a serious doze of rock for Kathmanduites.”
For Felix, who plays a worldly blend of Afro, funk, fusion and jazz , it’s his first time in Nepal, and he says, “ Louis actually prepared us for a family trip to a nice country, and I am very relaxed and at the same time excited to play for a new audience.”
Denis, the joker of the group, shares, “Every time Bijaya and Louis talked about Nepal when we were in France, I always wondered what it would be like to play in Nepal, and well, now it’s so good to be here. That’s it.”
Talking about their musical influences, Louis mentions the Rolling Stones, the WHO, Led Zeppelin and the Beatles. Felix is more into jazz and afro music, and likes to work with a mixture of many rhythms. Denis says his influences are the likes of Louis. To that, Louis adds with a smirk, “I am one of his influences too.”
All three of the trio, shared their appreciation of Vaidya’s music, which they say has been the most recent influence on their music. They are eager to watch his performance, and adds Louis, with a subtle smile, “We even have some people coming from France to see him perform with us.”
Louis further adds that when they performed earlier in Nepal, people did not know much about rock. “Now, I hear the youngsters are crazy about rock and I am expecting a great time here.” Rock for him is different because when you play rock, you not only play like a musician, you play like a child.
So we can expect the childlike fervor and passion of rock to emanate from him while he plays his songs and covers of the Rolling Stones, Hendrix, the Beatles and the like at Rock Kathmandu 2. They will even play at the request of the audience after their routine of the first 7songs, as they did recently in New Delhi.
You will also be able to catch them up close and personal on 24th of May at the workshop of Alliance Francaise, where the trio will be busy demonstrating their musical skills.
The event has been specially organized on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of Nepal & French diplomatic relations, by SAC Music, the French Embassy & Alliance Francaise.
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