Yilian Cañizares is a jazz musician known for her harmonious blend of Afro-Cuban rhythms with classical Russian and French styles. She was recently in Delhi, for a live performance at the India International Centre on 15 February. A few days ago, she spoke to Guardian 20 about her musical influences and current projects.
Q. Yilian, you were born in Cuba, where you studied the violin in the Russian tradition. Could you explain how this tradition had an impact on you as a musician?
A. Yes, I started learning the violin at the age of seven in Havana. I studied with Alla Taran, a great Russian teacher who gave me a very solid classic formation and through whom I could learn all of this great tradition. This had a huge impact on me, because she opened my ears and my heart not only to European music but to all these centuries of amazing knowledge. This fact shaped my sensibility in a way that I was able to appreciate many different cultures. This fact also showed me that music knows no boundaries.
Q. Could you tell us about the time, in your life, when you decided to pursue jazz over classical music?
A. Well I was finishing my violin studies in Switzerland and I was asking myself what I really wanted to do as a musician. I thought for a long time that I would become a classical musician. But little by little I realised that I have the urge to express myself in a unique way. I was far from home, and this homesickness started to come out through my compositions and through my way of playing. I started also looking for more freedom, and jazz and improvised music gave me this freedom that I needed so much. It felt so right in my heart that I decided to pursue this path over classical music.
“Grappelli is a huge inspiration! He remains one of my very favourite violinists. I discovered through him a new way of playing the violin. He transformed the vision I had of my own instrument. I said to myself that if he could do such a thing with his own tradition, I needed to try to do the same with my roots.”
Q. How did your discovery of violinist Stephan Grappelli’s music influenced or contributed to your own musical output?
A. Grappelli is a huge inspiration! He remains one of my very favourite violinists. I discovered through him a new way of playing the violin. He transformed the vision I had of my own instrument. I said to myself that if he could do such a thing with his own tradition, I needed to try to do the same with my roots. Since then I’ve trying to express the person I am through my playing.
Q. It’s an interesting ability, simultaneously singing and playing the violin. How did you come to master it?
A. I was very concerned about being a complete musician. Not a singer, not a violinist, but a musician. One day I said to myself that as long as I wasn’t able to do both at the same time (singing and playing), the audience would never have the whole picture of me, but instead just little fragments. So I started working on this. I’m a very consistent person so when I decide to do a thing it is difficult to change my mind. And as everyone knows: practice makes perfect!
Q. What is it about jazz that drew you so close to it? It shows in your performances how much you enjoy playing.
A. As I said before, the freedom. Jazz gives you so many opportunities to express yourself, to surprise yourself, to keep evolving. That’s my goal as a musician, to keep evolving everyday and to be able to give to the audience all the love and all the passion I carry with me.
Q. Could you tell us something about Cuban music? How do you use its elements in your works?
A. I’m very proud of my roots. It is a real blessing to have such a great cultural heritage. Cuban music is very rich; I would need three or more lives to master all this ancestral knowledge! And Cuba is always present in my soul so it is also in my music. It is all very natural for me. I don’t even have to think about it — it’s like breathing. Whatever music I sing or play it will always have somewhere a taste of my country.
Q. Tell us more about how you started your own quartet, Ochumare?
A. It was at the same period I mentioned before (when I was finishing my violin studies in Switzerland). I started, in a hurry, looking for musicians with the same sensibility and willingness to go in the same direction. I’m very lucky to work with such great musicians: Cyril Regamey, David Brito, Daniel Stawinski and Inor Sotolongo. Together we are like a family and I learn everyday a lot by the simple fact of playing together.
Q. You are now an established musician, having played at various international venues, and been mentioned in some of the most acclaimed music magazines the world over. How did it feel as you prepared for your performance and played at the India International Centre here in Delhi?
A. I was very excited to play here for the first time, right from the very begining. I had already spent less than 24 hours in your country and was completely in love with it. And, it was simply great performing here! I met an amazing audience here in Delhi, very warm and very open to my music. I enjoyed every second of it all and I’m looking forward to come again to play in India.