Dhani Harrison : interview

Nous vous livrons ci-après une interview donnée la semaine passée par Dhani Harrison, fils de George Harrison, et ce, dans le cadre de la promotion de l’album de son père, « Brainwashed » :

Q : You said « I don’t know if these songs [from Brainwashed] can change a life, but they changed mine. » How ?

DH : The loss of a parent or a beloved one is always a upheaval. It changes you forever. Then, there was the fact that I was working on a record which the public and the business guys expect. That changes your life too. I wanted to control every part of the album to be sure the result would be what my father wanted before he died. I was always under stress, I yelled at people when something was wrong. But it makes you humble to make a record on which you’re just a tool.

Q : Close your eyes. What image of your father during the recording sessions [for Brainwashed] is coming back in your mind ?

DH : I remember him during the recording of « Rising Sun ». A strong memory : I’m with him in this room, I’m listening to him playing his solo. I remember people looking at him with admiration while he plays. Everything goes round and round in my mind, between sounds and vibes. It’s like listening to a radio and trying to reproduce them.

Q : Do you think this album is one of your father’s best ?

DH : Yes, really. You know, I’m quite snobbish about the music I listen to : I only listen to good stuff, even among his work, I only listen to what I like. I don’t want to compare it with what he wrote with the Beatles, but I think it’s one of his most original albums.

Q : It seems that Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were quite close to George during his last months.

DH : Paul and Ringo are the nicest persons I know. I love them, they’re like my uncles. I see them often, about twice a month. They call to have news from me. I recently started talking with their children : to Zak, Ringo’s son, and Stella, Paul’s daughter. We understand each other, we know what it’s like being Beatles kids.

Q : Have you got musical projects ?

DH : No, like my father, I don’t like to make plans. It’s good to know what you want, but nothing ever happens like you planned it. That’s life. I’d like to make music but never be famous. Maybe someone, somewhere would enjoy my music, would listen to it and feel better. I won’t try to compete with my father or re-do what he did. Of course, my work will sound like his as he taught me to play guitar and we have the same voice. But I have different musical tastes and everybody will be surprised by the music I play with my friends. It sounds more like film music, or what the French band Air does. I love them.