The (shamefully) non-Francophone GEARED interviews the New Caledonia-residing GYPSY SWING QUINTET guitarist MICHEL TRABELSI with the kind translation help of friend and French Gypsy Jazz Inc president GERARD PERRET.

GEARED: Firstly Michel, are you looking forward to bringing the Gypsy jazz music to Brisbane?

MICHEL TRABELSI: The Gypsy Jazz Festival Association and I are really looking forward to this first edition of the festival in Brisbane. This year commemorates the centenary of Django Reinhardt’s birth, the guitar genius and creator – with Stéphane Grappelli – of the French jazz, more commonly referred to as “Jazz Manouche”. I think it’s an important date for the first edition.

G: How old were you when you discovered the Gypsy jazz and how did you discover it?

MT: I was 27 and I'd just arrived in New Caledonia. It was a friend of mine Jean Max Dahan, a passionate guitarist, who taught me how to appreciate jazz by showing me Wes Montgomery, Charlie Parker, Armstrong, Barney Kessel and many others, including Django Reinhardt, there. It was an immediate “click” for this music, which moved me deeply in my soul.

G: How did the Gypsy Jazz Festival initially kick off in New Caledonia?

MT: It’s a long story. We had an idea with my wife to create the first edition of the Gypsy Jazz Festival de Nouvelle Calédonie in 2003 with the assistance of public and private institutions, after a series of concerts in Noumea where we had invited Raphaël Fays and Jeremy Cohen. The response from the audience was great, so we said to ourselves “let’s do a Gypsy Jazz festival.” After that, the festival has evolved to its current format – a festival open to different aspects of Gypsy music: Jazz Manouche or French jazz, traditional gypsy music, Balkan music, electro swing...

G: What are your favourite contemporary Gypsy jazz artists?

MT: Oh! There are many of them ... but of course, Biréli Lagrène, The Rosenberg Trio, Fapy Lafertin, Angélo Debarre, the violinist Florin Nicolescu and the new wave of talented guitarists: Adrien Moignard, Sébastien Giniaux, Rocky Gresset, Les Doigts de l’Homme, Ritary, etc.

G: How many/what guitars do you normally use when you perform live?

MT: I have two guitars: a 1957 Gibson ES-175 and a 1946 Manouche guitar from Spanish luthier Carbonel, which I will play at the Brisbane Powerhouse concert on the opening day of the festival.

G: Out of the countries that you've toured, which ones do you think have the best Gypsy jazz crowds (apart from France)?

MT: This music always receives a very warm welcome regardless of the country and the place. It’s a music meant to be shared, a music initially made of a mixture of different cultures that gypsies listened to during their travels. You cannot be insensible to Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli’s music ... that’s French jazz; it swings, it’s joyful, it’s sad ... c’est la vie!

G: As a guitarist, which players apart from Django Reinhardt have influenced you the most?

MT: I love Carlos Santana, David Gilmour, Mark Knopfler, Baden Powell, Marcel Dadi, Chet Atkins, Pat Metheny ... their influence has always been a source of inspiration for me and they form a part of my life. I have listened to them for so long...

G: When did your collaboration with (festival co-organiser/Swing Manouche member) Ewan MacKenzie start?

MT: With Ewan it’s also a long story. We met on the Internet where he told me that he was playing a festival in New Zealand, so I went there and it was the beginning of a long friendship. He came in Noumea to attend to the second edition of the Gypsy Jazz Festival de Nouvelle Calédonie and was back in 2007 to play with his band (note from the translator: Mystery Pacific). I was invited to play a few times in Brisbane by Ewan (note from the translator: at an event called Ozmanouche organised by Ewan). Our common friendship with Gerard Perret (French Gypsy Jazz Inc) and our passion for this music lead us today to join during the opening night of the Festival's first edition.

G: What are Zaiti Trio (who are also playing at the Brisbane Gypsy Jazz Festival) like?

MT: We know Zaiti Trio very well because they were performing for us last year in Noumea. It’s the new generation of guitar masters... they are fabulous and bring to Django’s music and jazz in general these new tones and new harmonic “colours” without parting from the Master’s influence.

G: Thanks very much Michel – I'm going to look forward to the festival!

MT: Thanks to you as well.

Featuring THE GYPSY SWING QUINTET, Swing Manouche, Zaiti Trio and Ziveli Orkestar with Susana Djordjevic, the BRISBANE GYPSY JAZZ FESTIVAL takes place Aug 26–28 at The Powerhouse. For more info and ticketing head to www.brisbanepowerhouse.org/events/view/brisbane-gypsy-jazz-festival-2010.

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