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Music is truly universal, and Hong Kong born French-Filipino NuSoul songstress Margot Blanche is living proof of its global appeal and the brilliance that happens when creative cultures collide.
Margot took her first precocious steps on the path of music as a toddler. At age 9 she was training with a noted local opera soprano, and at age 11 she won the prestigious Hong Kong Music Festival competition. Shortly afterward, the tiny girl with the big voice and stage presence was accepted as a pupil of the celebrated Hong Kong opera diva Katusha Fraser an astounding accomplishment for a 15-year-old girl. In 2001, Margot moved to New York City. She made her stage debut at Cleopatras Needle and began performing at venues including The Blue Note and La Maganette. Margot had always looked to vocal powerhouses like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Maria Callas for inspiration, but it was her first taste of NuSoul at the hands of artists like Erykah Badu, Amel Larrieux and Jill Scott that opened whole new world of possibilities for her.
My introduction to NuSoul was a huge turning point for me. The level of storytelling in the lyricsit is such smart music. I knew right away, NuSoul was where I belonged. Margot is currently writing and recording the songs for her debut release. Her international heritage is a natural part of who she is as both a songwriter and a vocalist, and she brings that into her music as well.
There are definitely authentic Asian and European influences in my music. My international multiplicity allows me to communicate across the boundaries of culture, language, race, and age.
Lush, complex, and full-bodied as the most superb vintage, with a crystalline clarity and an effortless, gorgeous range, Margots voice is truly spectacular. Add her amazingly powerful stage presence, her delicate beauty, and her formidable songwriting skills, and the result is an exceptional artist with an undeniably brilliant future.
TAXI Interview - June 2007
Q: Where did you grow up?
A: I was born and grew up in Hong Kong. My mom is from the Philippines and my dad is originally from France. They met in an ice cream parlor in downtown Hong Kong. It was fun growing up in Hong Kong. I lived there until I turned 17. I still consider it home to this day.
Q: What made you realize that music was your path?
A: There was never a time where music was not a part of my life. At the age of 3, my mom used to put me up on the kitchen counter and I would sing along to Whitney's "Samen ahh mah love noo yoo" (Saving all my love for you). Michael Jackson was my hero too. I always loved to sing. At home, in the car, in the shower, in school. I think the first time it came to anybody's attention that I had a voice was when a friend of mine came over to our house and we were listening to the soundtrack of Beauty and the Beast. She whispered to my mom with a really perplexed look on her face "She sounds like the lady in the radio". I was about 8. That's when my mom enrolled me in classical vocal classes.
Q: How would you describe the music that you typically create?
A: I seek out inspiration in a huge variety of artists and styles. I grew up listening mostly to R&B, Soul music so the music I write and record draws from the music and singers that influenced me in the past. I would describe my music as Hip Hop/R&B with glimpses of age-old jazz, blues and soul.
Q: Who are your biggest musical influences?
A: Donny Hathaway was such an amazing vocalist and interpreter. Many of the big legends such as Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Etta James, Gladys Knight, Otis Redding have really driven me to reach deeper than simply the melody but into the soul and meaning of the message of the song. Another huge influence for me was Maria Callas. While I was training in classical music, I was mesmerized by Maria Callas and the immense dedication and hard work she put into each and every performance. I think what very artist that I mentioned before have in common is the intensity and conviction they had in their every performance. They moved their audiences on another level emotionally.
Q: What is your favorite song of all time?
A: "I'm a fool to want you" by Billie Holiday. The song was recorded for the Lady in Satin album and is the most amazing performance I have ever heard. It made me cry the first time I listened. It was the last album Billie recorded before she died. By that time her voice had deteriorated tremendously but the performance resonates depth and rawnest of an artist at her most vulnerable, broken state. Just an amazing, moving performance.
Q: What makes your music unique?
A: I think there are many artists out there who are exploring the retro nostalgic side of soul music. I'm not looking to create a scrapbook of sounds of the past that are rerecorded and recycled to sound similar to an old Aretha or Dinah album. What I am really interested in is exploring a new sound that selects the best attributes of those vintage records and blends them in with the best characteristics of today's music and production techniques. I think that will be very interesting and a fresh perspective.
Q: Has there been one particular moment in your musical career that you're most proud of?
A: I believe more in living the moment and the growth that takes place as an artist than lingering on landmark moments of the past. I'm really proud to be learning more and more about the ins and outs of music production, engineering the industry, live performances, etc.. I just set up my own home protools studio.. It's a always a growth process for me.
Q: What's next for you?
A: I'm so excited to be writing, producing and recording my first full length album. As a starry eyed teenager, I was always waiting for the big record deal to fall on my lap so that i could create my own record. But now I see beyond that and really holding the reins in making my artistic and musical dreams come to life in my independent debut album.
