KOMPA! MAGAZINE Forum Index KOMPA! MAGAZINE
The site for Haitian Music News as it happens, debates & more.


GAZZMAN INTERVIEW (PART 1).....APRIL 19, 2000!

 
This forum is locked: you cannot post, reply to, or edit topics.   This topic is locked: you cannot edit posts or make replies.    KOMPA! MAGAZINE Forum Index -> KM INTERVIEW CLASSICS!
View previous topic :: View next topic  
kompamagazine
Site Admin


Joined: 31 Dec 1969
Posts: 43367
Location: HMI World

 PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 9:25 am    Post subject: GAZZMAN INTERVIEW (PART 1).....APRIL 19, 2000! Reply with quote Back to top

Gazzman Couleur
Interview conducted by Patrick Desvarieux
__________________________________________________________


No one could get him to talk, we did. Today , the mysterious GAZZMAN speaks out for the first time. An EXCLUSIVE kompamagazine.com interview. (Part 1)
_________________________________________________________

KM: People usually say that you are mysterious. In other words, they can't figure you out. Why don't you tell us who Gazzman is exactly?

Gazzman: (Smiles) I'm just myself. I'm just being me. Whoever can't figure it out just has to get closer to me and they will. I'm not that simple. No one knows Gazzman better than Gazzman.

KM: Is the Gazzman that we see on stage the real one or is it just for show?

Gazzman: The one that you see on stage is me. It's not fake. It's the same on stage and off the stage.

KM: Where did the name "Couleur" come from? They usually call you by that name.
Gazzman: "Couleur" is my stage name. Gazzman is my first name. My real name is Gazzman Pier. People call me "Couleur" because when I started in the business, I was the first one to put color in my hair. I had that blond hair color and the name stuck ever since.

KM: When you first started in the business, people identified you more by the color of your hair instead of anything else. Was that the plan all along?

Gazzman: The color of my hair was like a fashion statement. It was something new. People kept talking about it. That along with my appearance was part of the package.

KM: Were you worried at all that you would be seen as a clown with that hair color, especially since you know how conservative a lot of Haitian people are?

Gazzman: That's the thing. I don't worry about what people think or say. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. I don't worry about criticism. As long as I know what I am doing. Of course Gazzman has to please the fans but Gazzman has to do what Gazzman wants to do. (Raises voice)

KM: What do you say to those people in the business who think that you are a brilliant showman on stage but not a good vocalist?

Gazzman: (Laughs) I really appreciate the fact that they think that I am a great performer. The ones that say that I can't sing are probably singers in the business that can't perform on stage.You have singers in the business that can sing but can't perform on stage. To be a brilliant showman on stage and have good vocals at the same time, you have to be gifted and talented. Here's an example. Luther Vandross is a very good vocalist. Michael Jackson is also a very good vocalist. However when you put the both of them in concert, you will see a lot of people just crying over Michael Jackson. People listen to Luther Vandross sing. On that note I will say that Gazzman is the Michael Jackson of Compas. I can do both sing and light up the stage. There are a bunch of singers that have good vocals but when they are on stage they just stand around. It's not easy to do both at the same time.

KM: Which other Haitian singers besides yourself do you think fall into the same category? In other words a singer that can sing and light up the stage at the same time.

Gazzman: I will say that Kino is one of the guys that can sing and light up a stage at the same time. I will also say Gracia is also another one.

KM: Apart from those two singers, do you see any other Haitian singers that can do both?

Gazzman: (Pauses/Thinks) No. I don't see anybody else. Shoubou has been doing it for a long time. Shoubou is my idol. He's been doing it well for a long time but as of now it's Gazzman, Kino and Gracia.

KM: We were going to ask you this. Who is your musical idol?

Gazzman: Shoubou is my idol. I really like Shoubou. I respect him a lot. To be with a band for 34 years is not easy. I know how difficult things can be especially with the members that are backing you up. You can have jealousy, hypocrisy and the whole nine yards. I salute him for that. That's what I want to do. I also like Kino a lot. When Kino started in Compas, he brought something new to the music performance wise. In the past fifty years that Compas has been in existence, if we had a singer like Kino from the beginning, we would have already been on MTV, ABC, CBS and all of the rest simply because of the show business aspect that he brought into the music.

KM: A lot of people say that you are a Kino wannabe. Is that true?

Gazzman: (Laughs) Gazzman is his own man. I have my own style. I can never be somebody else. We are two different people who happen to have similar things in common. We can sell our bands pretty well to the public.

KM: Is Gazzman marketable? They usually say that Gazzman is one of the few people who can sell a band to the public by himself just by his appearance. Do you agree?

Gazzman: The people are not stupid. The public sees and knows what's going on. I'm a very marketable guy. I can sell myself without a problem. I'm a leader. I'm not a follower. When you are a leader, no matter where I stand, I will always get noticed. I have a leader's mentality. I respect people that work with me. That's just the way that I am. No one can take that away from me because I'm a leader. Period. To be a good leader, you need good backups and people that you can trust. Michael Jordan had Scottie Pipen, Dennis Rodman and the rest of the gang.

KM: Can Gazzman survive in an environment where he is not the star of the show or where the spotlight does not shine on him?

Gazzman: (Repeats the question) That's the thing. I just got it like that. Where ever I am or at, I have to be seen. I will be the star. I don't settle for less. I will not be the other guy. It just comes naturally. That's me. I'm a guy who stands apart.

KM: How do you feel people will take that statement? Do they have the right to say that you are full of yourself?

Gazzman: That's the thing. In the world that we live in right now, to please everybody you have to be a liar. You have to lie all the time. When you tell the truth, people get offended. I can't understand that. I have to tell you the truth. That's Gazzman. I have to tell you things the way they are. If I lie to you, I would also be lying to myself. I can't lie. What I am telling you about myself, it's me. That's the way it is. That's me.

KM: Do you think it's why some people say that Gazzman has a big ego?

Gazzman: I really don't know what people think. There are a lot of things that are being said out there it's because one person starts a rumor and they all go along with it. They never come up to me to try to get to know me better. I'm a very friendly guy. I also like to be respected because I respect everybody. I don't have a big ego.

KM: Do you believe that there are people in the business whether it's singers or anybody else that are jealous of Gazzman?

Gazzman: Definitely. There are a lot of people that have been in the business for so long and they never get noticed. They can't understand how come I get a lot of attention for someone who just started in the business. It's all good though because I don't expect everybody to like me. I would say that 99% like me. It's that one percent that does not like me that's very dangerous. They are the ones that talk about you the most. They are very dangerous. You will never be able to control those people believe me.
_________________
phpbb:echo dicks;
 
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Display posts from previous:   
This forum is locked: you cannot post, reply to, or edit topics.   This topic is locked: you cannot edit posts or make replies.    KOMPA! MAGAZINE Forum Index -> KM INTERVIEW CLASSICS! All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Geo Visitors Map