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What are the musical influences that have marked your own appreciation of music, from your beginnings until now?Everything, I don?t discriminate anything, I listen to every kind of music you can imagine, jazz, country, gospel, blues, soul, rock, folk,?everything in music. What experiences do you base your song writing on? How do your own convictions play a part in this process? It?s my life, music is my life, it is a reflection of what I go through, it?s very simple. I am one that is only interested in writing songs, whatever, just to write song, it has to be something from my life. How many and which instruments can you play? I play a lot of instruments, you know, I don?t count them, I play whatever I have to play. Then tell me the instruments you do not play. I don?t play the tuba. As a multidisciplinary musician, aren?t you worried about working with other musicians of the same kind? I guess I wouldn?t play together with someone who likes to control everything like me. I have a great time with my band and on the stage we get along well. We play in the studio to express myself. God gave me the gift to be able to play instruments and I have to play and that?s the opportunity that I get to play. What do you know about Spanish music? Would you mix your music with flamenco where the guitar is main instrument? I would like to come here and study. It is a very serious art form and I have a lot of respect for it as a foreigner. In my culture it is very similar to me, to the blues. It evokes the same passion the same feeling. It comes from the heart. But one day?It?s like a dream to come to Spain and stay for a couple of years and get somebody to teach me. When will you record a live record? I don?t know, I have been wanting to do this for years. Hopefully this tour, I have a great band right now. It?s working really well and it would be a great band to record live. How would you like to be remembered in the world of music? I have no control over that, I just need to know that I did the very best that I could do and that I was true to myself, that?s what I have to worry about. What is the biggest surprise you have ever had on stage? I mean, every night is different, you know, you never know what it?s going to be like. I remember every night, they are all great, I don?t like to compare them, you know. When you say surprise, I never had like an elephant walking across the stage while I was up there. We get up and we play. Let?s talk about ?Baptism? your latest album. Using your words: ?a revealing album that stands as a tribute to the basics in life?. What are the basics in life according to Lenny Kravitz? Why this sudden change? Change is growth. I am just growing as a person and this record reflects where I am right now. For me it has been a very spiritual and musical rebirth and that?s where I am right now, at a place where I am starting all over again, it?s almost like the first portion. It?s a sort of practice, a learning process and now I am learning to apply those things in my life in a better way. Are you going to go back to essential Rock or do you want to keep trying new styles? For me it?s just about music I don?t think about the styles. I write whatever comes out and I use whatever kind of instrumentation works for those songs, so I couldn?t tell you what I am going to do next cause I have no idea, but I am open to anything, to all changes. Would you say ?Baptism? is the result of your five previous records or does it mark a break away? It just comes as it comes, each record is a step in my life, it?s part of the journey. Those records still stand ?cause these records represent that time and this record represent this time, and the next one will carry on. It?s just a journey but definitely without those records I wouldn?t be here now, without these life experiences. Does the image of the artist also belong to his public? The image that the public gets is whatever they perceive it to be, everybody has an opinion, everybody has their own vision, so I don?t know what my public image is. I have no idea. If you ask a hundred people they all give you different answers, so I have to be me, people will interpret it as they want. How would you like your music to help change the world? I am just trying to change me, I am just trying to grow, and in some cases I am not trying to change me I am just being me, if that means change or not. I am not trying to change the world. I am just offering my gift that God gave me and if somebody is moved by it that?s beautiful, you know. I appreciate that people are moved by my music, I really do. That?s a big gift when people say to you that a song helped them or brought them to some place in their life where they needed to be. It?s a great gift. Have you ever put yourself in the shoes of your fans? Were you a fan of any artist when you were younger? Of course. I am still a fan. I am still excited by music. I am still into the people that I listened to growing up, and so I completely remember what is like to be a fan, I haven?t changed. What is the craziest thing you have done for your favorite artist as a fan? I wasn?t the kind of person that liked waiting for autographs or following them, I just liked to go to the shows, study their records, enjoy the live performances, driving many, many hours to different states to go to concerts, sit up at the top in the worst seats and have a great time. ?Where are we runnin? ?, Lenny? I don?t know, we will see when we get to the end I am trying to get closer to God, that?s what I am trying to do. Can you tell me about the movie you are involved in now? It?s a movie called ?Barbecues and Bar Mitzvahs," it?s a semiautobiographical piece. It deals with cultures, grace, love, family issues. It?s like a real life piece. I haven?t started to shoot it yet, it is still a project. We would like to thank the collaboration of: EMI Music (Virgin Records) Hotel La Florida,Barcelona www.barcelona2004.org |