We were lucky to catch up with Gui Duvignau recently and have shared our conversation below.

Gui, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

All my albums as a bandleader have been meaningful to me in different ways. However, my last album Baden stands out on a few levels. This was a tribute album to the musical universe of legendary Brazilian guitarist/composer Baden Powell. My previous albums had been comprised mostly, or entirely, of my original compositions, but this was not the case with Baden. Not having my original work as the core material allowed me to step back from the process as a whole and made for a different experience overall. It certainly freed me up in some of my artistic/production decision-making. On the other hand, I did feel a self-imposed pressure of doing right by Mr. Baden Powell’s memory and musical legacy. His music and playing have been a strong influence on me and I have always felt that he deserves more attention for having been such an important contributor to the evolution of Brazilian music. I felt this album had the potential to bring his music to a different audience and reveal it under a different light. His own compositions are oftentimes overlooked, but his playing of them has always moved me in a strong way. His is a deeply spiritual music, and one that reveals emotions and an aesthetic that stretches far beyond the stereotypical, and often reductive, “joyful” and “carnival” music that many associate with Brazil and samba. So making a tribute album to him was extremely meaningful to me. Because I felt I was doing work that was more extrovert than introvert and serving a greater purpose, so to speak, I had the confidence (or maybe the audacity) to ask two of my heroes to be a part of the album. To my great fortune and joy, both Mr. Ron Carter and Mr. Bill Frisell liked the idea and agreed to participate in this endeavour to help spread the music of Baden (as he is familiarly known in Brazil). Needless to say, to have the experience of performing with my mentor, a jazz legend and undeniably one of the most influential bassists in music, was a unique and truly emotional and spiritual experience for me. In a similar way, to be able to perform with Mr. Frisell, who is one of my favorite musicians and one of the most influential guitarists alive was an incredible and wonderful experience. I was also very fortunate to have three special musicians whom I deeply admire be a part of the whole album. With Billy Drewes, Lawrence Fields, and Jeff Hirshfield in my corner, I was in the best company possible. Making the album Baden was a truly meaningful experience from start to finish and on pretty much all levels.

Gui, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was born in France and raised in Brazil, the country I call home. I began playing music when I was about 13 years old. At the time, I was mainly interested in playing Rock and Roll, but soon fell in love with Jazz and Brazilian music as well as other forms of music from around the world. I soon developed an interest in writing music in addition to being a performer. This led me to attend Berklee College of Music, with the intent of studying composition. From then on, my musical influences and interests broadened even more. One thing I am proud of in the music I have made so far, is that it is a sincere and personal manifestation of how I experience music at any given moment in my career. I consider myself a jazz musician in essence, but not only. I have also been heavily influenced by a lot of the music from Brazil, as well as other musical sources, and have had experience performing a variety of music. In a way, this always made me feel like I never truly belonged to any particular group or category as I was never satisfied with just one particular way of doing things, or writing/playing music. I always preferred a confluence of ideas and approaches. I like to believe that my musical output as a bandleader successfully embraces all of my influences and is in that sense, personal and unique. I hope that gets across to listeners and that it might be a way to bridge gaps between people’s musical tastes and/or prejudices. I would like my music to simply be music to those who listen to it, regardless of style, genres, or categories.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I feel that society might be better equipped to support creative musicians if it understands that the brunt of the cost of making creative music independently has been falling increasingly, and often solely, on the shoulder of those creating the music. This is the case with both live and recorded music, and it seems to me that the majority of people do not realise it; not only are musicians making very little or no money from their creative pursuits, but most of the time they are actually losing money. I would say that for 99% of independent/creative musicians, there is no financial incentive (or return) to making one’s own music, which needless to say, is not sustainable and takes a toll on even the strongest of wills eventually. In my own creative pursuits and experiences as a bandleader, I have most often had to invest money rather than make money with performances, and when it comes to making records, it is always a financial losing game. So understanding that, can hopefully encourage people to support creative and independent musicians directly whenever possible. To me, that seems to be the most immediate solution, one that can help dilute the cost of creative endeavours, a sort of grassroots, support-your-local-creatives approach. Buy music and art straight from musicians via their websites or platforms that allow for that (Bandcamp is an example). Understand that even though you pay for a subscription to a streaming platform, the percentage of revenue from those streams that actually reaches independent artists is often insignificant, especially when compared to what an artist makes if someone buys their music, rather than stream it. Support live music and tip generously- unfortunately, sometimes that is the only payment musicians receive from a venue. (For context: I have played in places in the past that actually charged a music fee at the door but only paid musicians with whatever was in the tip jar) I think those are some simple and immediate solutions while we look for better and long-lasting ones to help artists in our society on a daily basis.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

To me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative musician, without a doubt, has been the connections that I have made with fellow musicians and creatives over the years. To be able to meet, collaborate, and create with such wonderful artists who dedicate their lives to their crafts and who contribute to a healthier world with their endlessly creative spirits is truly something to behold, and it always sparks deep gratitude in me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.guiduvignau.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guiduvignau
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gduvignau

Image Credits
All photographs by Tatiana Kahvegian: https://tatiana-kahvegian.com/