There were two big highlights of the 2016 UEFA European Championship, Europe’s biggest football tournament. One was Portugal emerging as the unlikely winner. And the other was the headlining act at the closing ceremony of the championship: a performance by the world-renowned DJ and producer David Guetta. It was one of the biggest concerts in Paris, seen live by an audience of around 80,000, and worldwide by TV viewers numbering in millions.
For someone like Guetta, however, a concert on such grand scale is nothing out of the ordinary. The Frenchman is one of the most sought-after DJs globally, and he has played sold-out shows in nearly all the major capitals of the world. On Sunday, he’s scheduled to play a sold-out gig at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
For Guetta, 2016 was a remarkable year. His collaborations with the British band Disciples for the song entitled “No Worries”, or with Cedric Gervais & Chris Willis for “Would I Lie To You”, proved to be hugely successful — both these singles topped the charts.
Known for his fusion of pop and EDM hits, Guetta has successfully established himself as a force to reckon with in the world of music, and his musical career now spans more than two decades. And it’s not just DJing that Guetta has been up to in all these years. He has earned great acclaim for his work as a producer, remixer and songwriter.
Before he became this big, though, he passed through the inevitable struggling-musician phase, playing small clubs in Paris, and so on. House music remains a genre close to his heart. When he started his musical career at the age of 17, Guetta was inspired by Farley’s “Jackmaster”, a funk song that he’d heard on a French radio station. That experience changed everything. And from that time on, there was no looking back for Guetta, who, according to Forbes magazine, was the highest paid DJ in the world in 2015. In the interview following below, we asked Guetta about some of his early experiences in the music industry and about his artistic collaborations with popstars like Nicki Minaj. Some excerpts.
Q. You started DJing at the age of 17. Could you tell us about your experiences as a musical prodigy in Paris? And did you ever expect that you’d attain the level of success and fame that you have?
A. My early days were really interesting. I played in a lot of small clubs and venues. But the main thing was that I already loved making music as much as I do now, so to be able to do what I loved was already really great. I would have never expected back then for my career to explode as it did.
Q. The EDM scene is taking the world by storm. The genre has become one of the most popular forms of music, with the biggest pop- and rock-stars open to experimenting with it. How do you view this change? And do you see yourself as part of the global EDM scene?
A. The EDM scene is still growing immensely. I am amazed by it each time I think about it. New and talented artists are continuously popping up, better technologies are being developed, new sounds. It’s a crazy scene. I really love working in it. It never gets boring.
Q. Musicians like Calvin Harris, the Chainsmokers, Martin Garrix and many others are in the spotlight for their exceptional and very original output. How do you manage to maintain your creative streak in such a competitive environment?
A. I think that there is a lot that can be learned from new and emerging artists. Sometimes, their styles and sounds can be very inspirational and can actually get you inspired and boost your creativity. I love to keep evolving my sound and stay relevant in an industry with so many great artists.
Q. Does success have any impact on a musician’s creativity? And did you ever expect your single “Hey Mama”, with Nicki Minaj, to become a global dance anthem overnight?
A. Success is not something you should ever expect, in my opinion. You should always hope for the best result, of course, but the success of a release should never be expected or taken for granted. Of course on “Hey Mama” we worked with some incredibly talented artists, so we definitely hoped great things for it. And I must say, every time I work with Nicki, she just kills it [laughs]. She is an amazing artist!
“The EDM scene is still growing immensely. I am amazed by it each time I think about it. New and talented artists are continuously popping up, better technologies are being developed, new sounds. It’s a crazy scene. I really love working in it. It never gets boring.”
Q. How much of your musical output is autobiographical? To what extent does your personal life, and its ups and downs, get reflected in the music you create?
A. Of course, if you put emotion into your music it will always be influenced by an emotion you felt at one point. But it’s not as if my albums are autobiographical. Though I really love emotional music. I always try to aim for that when I’m creating new tracks.
Q. As a musician, you play multiple roles. You are a DJ, as well as producer and songwriter. Which among these do you prefer the most?
A. I am just thankful that I got to make my passion into my job, and I am able to do what I love. And share it with other people every single day. I’m really blessed with that.
Q. You now have numerous platinum albums to your name. How much time do you spend on a single album?
A. That really depends. It’s different every time!
Q. You are now performing in India. Could you tell us about your charity shows here?
A. Yes definitely! The event is called Guetta4Good, and the goal of this show is that the proceeds will go to a charity called “Magic Bus”. This charity helps underprivileged children to get education and experience with social activities that they would otherwise never have access to. I really hope that we’ll be able to help as many children as possible by doing this show. I’m very excited about it! A big shout out to Sunburn for making this happen.