The band was formed in 1996 and although originally there was no room for a female vocalist, the voice and personality of Sandra Tavares helped to cement the sound of the gift. A course that skied rocked and culminated with the new album Explode. A feeling full of color, an emergency to be happy that wants to conquer the international market.
You made their debut in 1999 in Madera how were the experience?
Sandra Tavares: Since our first album recorded we have come to the island. It was in the Wasps club, I remember that we came up with a troupe of 14 people on stage, were many and the space was small and was very funny, so much that we came back three times. We travel around and remember that every time we debut an album we always come to Madeira and this is no exception.
I remember when you started it was difficult to impose the gift because you sang in English.
ST: It was so. In the beginning when we sang in English, people were not used to. I remember that when we released the single "ok! Do you want something simple? "That's where we hit the public, the radios and everyone started to know the gift. From time to time we were in the best festivals in the country, went to the festival Paredes de Coura and we closed the Southwest. There was an adjustment period. We say that our music is first strange and then gut up. Happened.
After all this success, five albums later, appeared Amalia Today. What was the concept of this project?
ST: The concept stems from Amalia today was an invitation from the Valentim de Carvalho, the current direction of the institution, rather a lady called Paula Homem who proposed to Nuno Gonçalves, the composer of the Gift, rearrange themes of Amália as a pop version. Then he made me an invitation to participate and to our colleague, Paul, as well as to Fernando Ribeiro of Moonspell and sprung forward in our studio of Alcobaça. We are pleased with the disc. We never imagined we were on the road with this record. But after being triple-platinum people demanded it and it made sense that we make a digression.
You sung some of the more iconic discography of Amalia, were you afraid?
ST: No, I did not. Because when Nuno invited me, we already knew each other for 20 years and working together many others years. Then he did not wanted someone to sing fado, because if it was for that he would not have chosen me. I was going to sing what I can sing which is pop and working together with him I was not afraid of anything at all, obviously. But it was above all a responsibility to give a new voice of Amalia fados. More than fear.
And pressure at the time? Because there are purists who argue that fado should be sang in a certain way and not with a pop sound.
ST: Amalia should not be construed as a fado singer. She was a pop artist, because she was touring the world as I, and like Madonna. She sang with the best artists, one of these examples is Frank Sinatra. He sang songs that were not fado, jazz standards like "summertime." Amalia more than a fado singer was a diva, was iconic as an interpreter. It was a woman who taught many things to many people and that is why I accepted the challenge.
This new album seems more introspective. India were in a kind of way a spiritual retreat, why the departure, was a flight?
ST: No. We above all wanted this album to be an explosion of color, feelings and joy. We went to India to take photographs, because we knew that there was a festival in early spring, all over the territory, where during this week there is a burst of color. It is a religious carnival, where people shoot pigments to each other, like streamers and in this period people forget all the problems and thanks to the gods everything, which basically is nothing. The great lesson that we took from there is that they live far worse that we do, but try to be happier. What made us unconcerned about all the petty things and was a great lesson. We capture this feeling, this happiness that exists in India.
But you could not find it in Portugal?
ST: This way no. And speaking in a more typographic way, we wanted to capture photos, these images, the colors, the joy in people's eyes, the expressions, a little trance, this is a religious festival. We had investigated what was the event itself. We knew what was going on all year and we capture the color and a feeling that more could not be seen anywhere in the world.
This investigation arose because you had some songs on the album?
ST: It was the opposite. We had a concept that this was a joy, especially color. We then went to India and only last a year we went back to the studio and the songs start coming.
Why after a year, you needed to assimilate it all?
ST: Also. We have a concept in mind and put it into practice takes time. As regards the music is always much slower process, the ideas are there, but then do not really know whether they do or do not make much sense. The recording process takes too long. And, Nuno was father. We went to Madrid to record this album, because he lives in this city with his wife and daughter. All this takes time.
How is singing on stage at the festival, which it's different, taking into account the space and people?
ST: The difference between a festival and for example a theater, the stage is that although smaller, are both fantastic in terms insight and intimacy with people. In the theater, you can get closer and talk to people. In a festival, there is the joy and the euphoria of seeing thousands of people ahead of public and reciprocity of joining the party.
http://www.thegift.pt/
