Vents Interviews: Jean Pierre Covini

How did you get started with all this??

Well first of all, thanks to Vents Magazine for the interview and Hello to the Dominican readers. It all began when I was a child and discover that there was something called "Music" on this planet and the fact was I like it !!! Then buying my first guitar and playing with Rock'n'Roll bands at school, discovering new experiences: musics for radios and for tvs during years and now producing my own music... A long and rich trip... Composing and producing songs really begins in 2005 when I met Vincent Trecan, a fine saxophone player who present me Eloisia from Brazil: the first song was born and called "Frio Silencio". I was working at that time with Bertrand Taussac, we were composing musics for radio stations in France, he is a tasty break-beat, drums'n bass and trip-hop producer, so we produced "SlowTime" with Eloisa and Martina from Sweden and also "Mobile" with Marina from Bielarussia. Next step was when I met Liu Xiaoyan from China, a very delicate singer, we are working together now and composing songs talking about Paris... it's a really exciting experience.

What's the message to transmit with your music??

I think it could be a message about "dreams" and at the same time about "human beings" I like to work with foreign languages because it creates a "distance", and then I am totally free to say what I want, I mean that you are not trap into your own language: in "Shangaï Express", the idea is to see (or to dream) a chinese girl arriving in town by a night-train and thinking: "Shangaï, you will see who am I" Musically, I will say: "Let's have fun and play good music... so fantastic..."

What's your method at the time of writting a song??

First of all, have an idea or a concept: the lyrics, the title... Then find a "style": Hard Rock or Bossa Nova or...? And then, find the good musicians and the good sound to play the stuff... Last thing is that you have to really enjoyed yourself the track... If not, you must forget it...

Which is your music influences??

It's not so easy to answer that question !!! My experience as a professional composer is that you have to explore every kind of musics... from classical to techno.... from Debussy to The Clash.... as you want... but everything.... My favourites but really not exhaustive: The Divine Comedy (I'm jealous), The Clash, Jimmy Page, Mick Jagger, Johnny Rivers (lots of fun), Camille (the most incredible french singer...), Brian Eno, Basement Jaxx, ACDC (no !!!) Boy George, Bryan Ferry, Lou Reed, Stan Ridgway, Prince, John Grant, Chizh (from Russia), Cibelle, Alex Cuba (from Vancouver... special dedicace..... that guy's great and the only one that makes me think about Carlos Santana...), BB.King, Hound Dog Taylor, Yothu Yindi, Lila Downs, Masao, Fela Kuti, Micky Green, Alain Bashung, Serge Gainsbourg, Burning Spear, Leo Ferré.....

Well, a bit confused !! but good musics.....

What plans do you have for the future??

Plans are: produce and perform songs with Liu Xiaoyan, have a tour in China and.... Have Fun.......

Which has been the funniest prank you have been or took part while on tour or after a show??

You mean when I was dreamin I was on stage but my guitar got no strings... no... that was not fun...:):)

If you were stranded in the middle of nowhere after a show or while on tour. The help is 65 miles away from where you and your band (If any) are, ¿Who would you send to look for help? And if while the rest wait, there's no food and the only way to feed yourself is by eating each other, ¿Who would you eat first?

Well, Bertrand is the most pragmatic and accurate man I've ever seen, so, he will be sent to see what's goin' on...

No food: well, we've got two bassman:

Yndi is too young, we'll have to keep him for the future....

So, Carlos, you'd better run away right now.......

Which country you would love to play?

China of course, but also Saint Domingue !!! (Santo Domingo in French)....

With which bands you would love to share stage??

One more time, it's not easy to answer, but I think if I could play my guitar on stage with "Neil Young & Crazy Horse"

It could be a must....

Are you OK, with the direction the band is going actually?

Yes, yes, yes... totally..... thanks to Carlos, Xiaoyan, Vincent, Eloisia, Yndi, Martina, Bertrand & Marina....

Links for those beautiful musicians: