Fresh from some year-end performances in New York in support of his new Masada DVD with Shawn Colvin and Jackson Browne, and after a short hop over to Punta Del Este, Uruguay for a concert, David Broza will jet back to Chicago to join Flashpoint Academy students and faculty for a recording session, performance and Q & A at our new facilities and then return to his tour for a huge concert in Seville, Spain at the end of January. This is an amazing opportunity for all of us and it couldn't be more exciting. Some background on David and his thoughts on inspiration and details on those musicians he feels influenced him appear below.
David Broza
For more than a decade, singer/songwriter David Broza has been steadily gaining reputation throughout the world. A superstar in his homeland of Israel, he is a modern troubadour of urban folk-rock. With 19 albums to his name, many of which became gold, platinum, and multi-platinum, his popularity achieved new heights with the enormous success of his quadruple platinum album “The Woman By My Side”.
Critics, moved by Broza’s flamenco-tinged, folk-rock melodies, his keen talent for breathing musical life into sensual snippets of poetry, and his dark and sultry good looks, have been quick to label him as “a post-modern Leonard Cohen,” the “Stevie Ray Vaughn” of folk rock, and even “the Mel Gibson of Rock n’ roll.”
But while honored by the comparisons, Broza forges his own road through the music scene all over the world. His American debut album, "“Away From Home"” was praised by the New York Times as one of the best pop albums of the year. ”Time of Trains”, his second American release, gained him recognition as one of the most important artists on the music scene all over the world. Broza has made a mission of studying the work of American writers for the past several years, haunting libraries and bookstores, "“always reading with a melody in my head.”
The worldliness in Broza’s songs sets them apart from many others in the genre, and sophisticated listeners will also recognize a diversity of cultural influences in his music. The son of an Israeli/British businessman and a folk singer, he was born in Haifa, Israel (where his grandfather founded an Arab-Israeli settlement), and was raised and educated in England and Spain. Broza originally planned to become a graphic artist, and by age 17, was selling his paintings in the Rastro, Madrid’s famous Sunday flea market. However, after high school graduation, he was drafted into a three-year term in the Israeli military. Stationed away from family and friends, he began playing guitar in cafes to earn extra money, and was eventually offered a record deal. Since he still hoped to attend the Rhode Island School of Design, he declined. He later recorded a tape to promote his live shows. “Somehow, one of the songs became a #1 hit in Israel,” he explains. At age 21, he was a star, and by age 27 he was being mobbed by fans in the street as his recordings went triple platinum.
At the height of all that popularity, Broza has started forming yet another base for himself in the United States, building a strong legion of fans, and maintaining a hectic touring schedule. Now an artist-in-residence at Bennington College in Vermont, he’s also gained a wealth of respect in American literary circles and often guest lectures in college writing classes.
An activist, who is committed to several humanitarian causes, Broza was appointed a goodwill ambassador for the UNICEF. His song “Together” (co-written with Ramsey Mclean) was the theme song for the UNICEF 50th anniversary celebration in more than 148 countries.
Meanwhile, the singer/songwriter continues to record albums in Hebrew for his Israeli fans, and travels frequently all over the world. A 1994 and 1999 live concerts recorded at the top of Massada resulted in platinum albums. His latest Spanish language release, “Isla Mujeres” was released this year in Spain, and is gaining superstar recognition in Spain.
David creates a unique style of multi-cultural musical blend, sung in poetic rhythms of three languages. Broza is a captivating, compelling performer who masters his guitar into submission. He is the creator of a classical suite, which has been performed with various orchestras all over the world. His latest concert tours include Belgium, Spain, Argentina, Germany, Venezuela, Mexico, Brazil and the United States.
Most of all, Broza remains buoyed by the self-fulfillment of living his dream. “I’m just happy to be a singer/songwriter and to be making a living from it, “ he notes. “You have to be in it for the fun or you might as well sell shoes.”
David’s new collection CD, “Painter Postcard” was released on Rounder Records. His new Hebrew recording“All or Nothing” was released this year and went gold witin one week, as well as its Spanish version, "Todo o Nada".
David Broza’s sound and stage presence goes beyond any fashion. To hear David Broza’s music is to be moved. To see Broza in concert is to be mesmerized.
Inspiration
I am uninspired! Nothing comes to mind...
I am sitting in a spacious stark office overlooking 3rd Ave. in Manhattan, my guitar is in NJ, my mind in Madrid, my soul wants to be in Tel-Aviv and tomorrow I will be playing in Austin TX. I am asking myself how did I get so far? I have been writing songs since 1977. Until the day when I set my mind to write or compose my first song I had no illusions of becoming a musician.
Sure I played the guitar, I figured out chords for Dylan songs, John Denna, Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, the band Jackson Brown, Otis Redding, James Tylor, Juan Manuel Serrat, Paco Ibanez, Cecilia, Lole and Manuel, Shalom Hanoch, Mati Kaspi, and many others.
Never had I even contemplated becoming a professional muscian or song writer, so here I am twenty four years later, with over two hundred published songs and I am thinking to myself how has this happened?
I was always artistic, from the age of 10 I remember myself drawing and painting. I was always drawn to the solitary environment of the artist. I loved putting myself in front of blank paper and creating my own world of color and images.
I would lose sense of time and place even when my friends would call out to me from the street on which I lived in a small neighborhood in Tel-Aviv. I just loved being in my own world.
When I was almost twelve years old my parents moved to Madrid, Spain-- this was a big change I think during that first year in Madrid I became connected with a deeper sense of myself.
I was in a new country having to learn two new languages simultaneously, Spanish and English, no friends to hang out with, and I was confined to my room for most of the hours of the afternoon and then many hours on weekends. But my father bought me an easel and new paints and I just loved creating with them. As a diversion from painting I would play a daily game of chess which I found in our Israeli newspaper "H'aaretz" that was delivered to us daily.
This lonely environment taught me how to connect when I sit down with songs. When I try to think what inspires me I tend to refer more to "how I get inspired" and from the "how" I go to "what". The time in my life when I was still premature, becoming a person, this is because the feelings and emotions inside of me today are the same basic ones as in those days. I always feel them they never leave me -- then I write music and then perform it. Those feelings evoke my passion, I think sadness at an early age has a very lasting effect in a person's life.
Musicians
JAMES TAYLOR
After I got over the first round of rock music, I began to settle down a little into the folk-rock mode. One of the first artists I listened to was J.T. Even today as I have developed my own style I very often find that his light fingerpicking style sneaks in midst the Spanish flare.
PACO IBANEZ
Paco Ibanez was very influential during the 70's. Paco dedicated his career to writing music to contemporary Spanish poetry much of which was written by poets who symbolized an anti-Franco message. Rafael Alberti, Leon Felipe, Federico Garcia Lorca, etc.
BOB DYLAN
I would dare say that he is the most influential personality in rock music. Bob Dylan's commitment to the narrative in song and to the continuous melody with the constant flow of Appalachian as well as the blues, soul, gospel, folk and jazz influences makes his music a never-ending source of inspiration. I first heard Bob Dylan when I was 14 and a friend of mine in Madrid, Anthony Friend, who later became the drummer in my first band, played a recording.
JONI MITCHELL
Listening to Joni Mitchell around the time when I was just beginning to formulate the sound of the guitar in my mind, gave me a very unique way of thinking. I got to know the magic of open tuning on the guitar. Ever since then it seems that I always position my fingers on the fret board trying to get the most open sound. Of course reading her poetry has made me ever so much more attracted to her writing. However, Joni Mitchell's singing is one thing that I never get tired of even today.
MANZANITA
Manzanita is one of the pioneers in the flamenco pop world. His very melodic songs with southern poetry and romance is very compelling. He has a very simplified way of singing flamenco.
ARIC EINSTEIN
The most important singer of all time in Israel. Aric has invented his own sound in Hebrew pop music. I remember his voice always in the back of my head during the years that I lived o voice is a reference to Hebrew singing.
JIMI HENDRIX
I don't think anyone has affected me more than Jimi Hendrix. Since the day that I first heard his music, something deep inside clicked. It wasn't until I was 22 years old that I considered myself as an artist i.e. a painter. So I would listen to music as I sat in front of my drawing table and would get inspired by music. A lot of the music was jazz, and then there was a lot of rock and folk rock etc. Jimi Hendrix evoked feelings so deep in me that I must say in all honesty that a lot of the times when I play live shows, that sound of his comes to mind and drives me to the energy that I deliver on stage.
JUAN MANUEL SERRATE
During the 70's Juan Manuel Serrate was the real leader of the Spanish singer songwriters. His origins are from Catalonia, and many of his albums were recorded in the native language, Catalan. He dedicated a few albums to poets such as Antonio Machado or Miguel Hernandez. These recordings had an immense impact on me. I thought it was bold and brave that at a time when censorship Prevailed, after all it was during the Franco era, and it was a statement against the dictatorship. Then there was the music. Juan Manuel Serrate wrote the most melodic songs with very lavish arrangements, and that gave the music its pop sound. Ever since I listened to these recordings I always thought that for me poetry could be the key to my song writing.
TOWNS VAN ZANDT
I was introduced to Towns Van Zandt in Houston, TX when I was invited to share the stage with him during a series that was dedicated to singer-songwriters at the Writers in the Round Circle. It was a most magical night. We took turns in singing our songs. David Amram was another giant artist that was sharing the stage that night. The evening lasted over three hours of non stop singing and I walked out of there feeling as if I had just met the keeper of the true American traditional songwriter. This is what I had come to America for. My time in the U.S. was a time that I wanted to get close to the source of the music that had influenced me so much. This was IT. We had a couple more times that we collaborated on stage, but then unfortunately, Towns passed away.
MATTHEW GRAHAM
Matthew Graham was the first American poet that I set to music. I had been living in the U.S. for about a year and was writing with different writers when it occurred to me that I should be looking for a poet to work with. I had no references as to where to start looking when I came across the New York Times Book Review. Matthew Graham's first book was being reviewed and I happened to find it extremely appealing to what I needed. I was able to locate him in the Mid-West and we set up a meeting and things started to happen. I began writing music to his poems and started accumulating songs. The relationship grew and through Matthew I got to know other poets. In 1989 I released my first American CD, which contained several collaborations with Matthew. His openness to my ideas has been a tremendous source of inspiration to me. His writing sparks a truth that I can identify with and which draws on my musical creativity. Since that first production we have recorded many more songs together.
LIAM RECTOR
I met Liam Rector at the first meeting that I had with Matthew Graham. We met in Baltimore, MD where Liam was living. I had to get Matthew excited about letting me work on his poetry and as I was explaining myself Liam got excited and handed me a book of his poetry. I was going through the poems, when my eyes fell on a haunting poem "IN SNOW". I felt that I found a masterpiece. It took me eight years to figure out the music for it, but when it finally came, it was a masterpiece. I recorded the song in 1994 on the CD- Second Street. Throughout the years I had many meetings with Liam. He invited me to his home to come and stay and talk about poetry and music. These meetings were the essence of my creative research. Liam has always directed me towards poets that he thought should be interesting for my work. And so he introduced me to Theodore Rothke, Alberto Rios, Heather McHugh and many more. In a sense, Liam Rector has been a mentor over the years.
TERRY COX
Terry Cox and I started our collaboration in the early 90's .We were drawn to each other as writers through our mutual passion for poetry. Although Terry was more of a songwriter I found that her deep understanding of literature and the American culture enabled me to write songs from scratch, which had a very poetic depth. Our writing, a lot of times would start from conversations about thing that either Terry or I was going through, or as one song we wrote on the run "When a Man Holds a Woman", which I actually got Terry to write as I was driving to the studio and by the time I got there the song was written, my music clicked right on and about an hour later it was recorded. Terry is so deeply intense and good that it is very satisfying to share the writing with her.
RAMSEY MCLEAN
I met Ramsey at the time when I was playing on a regular basis at the LONESTAR ROADHOUSE in NYC. We were introduced to each other by the manager of the club. This relationship produced many songs together. My immediate fascination with Ramsey was his sense of humor and love of Jazz. Also I was very happy that he wasn't afraid of my mixing pop music with poetry. Ramsey taught me a lot about the South and especially about his hometown, New Orleans, LA. He really writes Jazz. His way of making a song is by virtually composing words that have sounds "... I wasn't out popping a cork or drawing a weekend down, I was waiting for you, watching the world, whirl around..." This is from " Watching the World" from the CD Time of Trains.
YEHONATAN GEFFEN
If not for Yehonatan I don't think I would have gone into the music world. Until I met with him I was always sure that I would be dealing with art. I thought that I would become a designer of some sort. But life has its ways, and just before my release from the army in Israel, I got a phone call from Yehonatan's office, asking if I would be interested in performing in his show. At the time Yehonatan's show was the hottest thing in the Israeli market. I was very flattered. Still I had no intentions in developing my career in that direction. A couple of weeks went by and I was getting into the show, and Yehonatan asked me if I would collaborate on writing a song with him. I obliged and thus wrote my first song, "Yihye' Tov ". My life was transformed and I haven't looked back since then. Yehonantan remains my closest Friend and mentor in the creative world.
MEIR ARIEL
Meir Ariel was ONE OF A KIND. I have never met anyone who was SO inspiring. I could be thousands of miles from home ie. Israel and I would close my eyes and mumble to myself a couple of lines from one of his songs and I would be home. Meir had the most distinct way of writing Hebrew. He would combine modern words with biblical phrases and anecdotes. His sense of humor was charged with romance, playful, and flirtatious love affairs. Since I have always had a fascination with Hebrew, Meir filled me with endless inspiration. The magic of Meir started being around him. His philosophy of life, his endless quest for research of the language from the bible on. His home and his family were and are the root of his art. Meir Ariel passed away suddenly on the summer of 1999. He has left behind him a huge amount of scripture, which will continue to enrich our life.