Roger Garth

Roger Garth

Roger Garth

Interweaver : You have been credited with several romance, which of them are real, and which one are false? Roger Garth : I will never ever tell you … I: Please… ! RG: … well… I can tell you that the “affair“ between me and Alessandro Cecchi Paone is absolutely false. I don’t know where this came from, there was neither a kiss, nor anything else between us… I have always denied it, and it was denied by the other person as well, over the years, so I have no idea … is nasty, nasty this has to be read, it’s sad for the readers that someone is going on in writing this news that is not true, not correct. By the way…. There is something else that could be true, but I will not tell you. .. and something else could be false. I: Do you really want to not say anything? RG: No, no I: So all those rumors we can read on the net, those gossips talking about some presumed dinners … is everything false? RG: Well, everyone can go out for dinner, right? I like going out for dinner, yes … I: Ok … what a pity..! RG: (laughs) I: How do you seduce , and what wins you? RG: Well… What conquers me is the presence, the emotional and intellectual presence, mostly. A person have to affect my head first of all, and this is a situation very difficult to happen nowadays, because we are surrounded by an upsetting triviality . Lately you can correctly define almost all the people you meet, by standardizing them … unfortunately it is true that find someone who is able to amaze you, if only with the simpleness and sincerity, is a rare thing. As for me, if I decide, the interest usually became mutual. I’m a hunter, you know… if I decide, the prey is conquered (laughs) I: Good! You are a musical encyclopedia , we know this very well. Can you tell us if there are songs that have been you life ‘soundtrack, or that are tied to a particular period? RG: Yes, my all the time favorite song is “What’s up” by 4 non Blonds, which mirrors me a lot. But if I would have been a song, I would have definitely been “Crazy” by Aerosmith … I: Actually, thinking about it, it suits you very much! In your opinion, what is the most beautiful female voice in the world? RG: Granted that Mina is .. Mina! Saying Mina is enough, she in on the Italian encyclopedia, I think that technically, set aside the character or anything else that can be appreciated or not, [the best female voice is] Mariah Carey’s , absolutely and objectively, being her the only living singer able to cover a range of 5 eighth, considering that Yma Sumac is dead… I do not know if you know her, she was Peruvian, the famous “Nightingale of the Andes”. And our Giuni Russo, too little appreciated, or better, not appreciated at all, despite a stunning voice and an awesome talent, is dead too, unfortunately. So I’d say Mariah Carey. I: And what about male’s voices? RG: Male’s voices… as for male’s voice … it’s more a matter of taste, for me. I’m crazy about Rod Stewart! I’m not able to say who is the best male singer… Tiziano Ferro is technically very good, too, definitely. I: Ok.. and what is your first musical memory, the first lullaby, the first melody, the one that you feel as yours, that you think you know for all your life long? RG: Uhm .. the first song I remember is “Blue Eyes” by Elton John, because my mother used to sing it to me, while the first song I learned was “La banda” by Mina,.. as you can see I had unique tastes since I was a child, being it not (a song) of my age. I: And are there a chant, a lullaby that you remember? RG: Um … yes .. Wait, how was it? (he sings “Au Claire de la lune ..”) (laughs) I: Oh, French! RG: Oh yeah! I: Well… RG: What did you make me say… these are things that no one thinks about in years … old memories, I will not sleep tonight … I: The soundtrack that could accompany you on a journey though the desert… RG: Ennio Morricone’s … Sure, absolutely, with .. “Once upon a time in the west” … awesome! Just perfect .. Nevada, Death Valley … while you go to Las Vegas … the top! I: And for a metropolis? RG: It depends on the metropolis… I: A futuristic City… like Tokyo, for example? RG: For Tokyo, but also for New York, I’d say “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls, stunning! Or even “Narcotic” by Liquido. I: And for a romantic town, like Paris? RG: For Paris … “Good night moon”, by Shivaree … They are coming to my mind so easily, it’s crazy! I: If you were facing a trip to into a forest, what soundtrack would accompany you? RG: If I were facing a trip into a forest, I would wonder why I’m into a wild forest, first of all… anyway, if I had a walkman, very 90’s style, maybe “Crocodile rock” (sings it). I: Do you sing? RG: Yes, when I’m happy, I sing. I have to trust a lot people around me, because if not, I would be ashamed like a goat newly shorn, and so .. If I sing that means that I’m ok, I feel calm and happy, but I am ashamed to sing. I: So you sing always, there ‘s not a moment in particular when you sing more. .. RG: When I’m ok… when I’m fine I sing everywhere. I: What kind of music would suit better to a romantic date? What song, or what sound would you choose? RG: You see, the most romantic thing in the world, the most beautiful, erotic, romantic and passionate sound is the sax’s!I I adore the Sax ‘s sound, so a voice like Rod Stewart’s accompanied to a sax …well, I think that everyone would give into any kind of proposal… even a decent one! (laughs) I: What’s your favorite kind of music? RG: For me… I like Italian music, pop music, melodic music with some rock influence as well. I like it to be complete. I don’t like music with a too much metallic sound, Heavy Metal and so on… I: Music is an emotion, what is in it that moves you? RG: Music in itself moves me, music is life, music is able to change my mood, often. The lyrics, of course, the singer can touch me, and the voice… a special voice can change history. I: What angers you? RG: In musical field? I: Yes, of course RG: The incapability to “use” the music makes me angry… underselling music, underselling artists makes me angry… and to realize that nowadays it’s so difficult for a young voice to have a future in the showbiz because the music industry is so wide, there are too many artists and such a supply. Everything seems too easy to get, too ephemeral and lasts too little… I don’t believe that nowadays we don’t have beautiful voices, I believe that in the past it was somewhat easier, and who got fame back then were lucky because they were the “first”. I fear today they would have faced more difficulties to gain success. I’m speaking about very gifted and talented artists like Renato Zero, Patty Pravo and Loredana Bertè, for example …it would have been very difficult even for them to be successful nowadays, because the music world has changed very much and they were very lucky to blossom in the right time. I: So , if I would ask you: what makes you angry in your personal life? What hurts you and disappoints you? RG: What hurts me? Almost nothing! It’s very rare that something can hurt me …I’m so toughen up by life, by everything that occurred to me in the past.. to hurt me is a very difficult job at this point… I hate hipocrisy, and I hate lies… I think that people simply lie gratuitously, and most of the time they are arrogant. You can find arrogance everywhere, in silly people, mostly. Silly people who believe themselves to be smart, and don’t even understand that people around them, even relatives and friends, simply pretend to believe to their lies. I don’t like this kind of people, they are really petty, narrow minded… and if those people are very arrogant, too… Well, this really gets on my nerves! I hate hypocrisy. I: Let’s go on with the personal topics: did any friend ever cheated on you? RG: Yes… so many times, I was betrayed by everything… and somewhat maybe it was right like that, probably it should have been this way, maybe it’s because of the Karma… Some situations have to be that way, it’s Fate… so much the worse for that “friend”, right? (laughs) I: What do you like to find into a person? A person that is part of your life…what’s the constant characteristic he/she should have? RG: Well, as I told you before, the presence, the honesty, the ability of being coherent and concrete… yes, being concrete, absolutely! I: Roger, how old are you? RG: (Laughs) ….Yes being concrete, absolutely! I: Do you feel the age you have? At least tell me this! RG: I feel much more years on me… and I’m very happy to be as old as I am and to have done all the things I have done at my age. I: So, this years have been very intense.. RG: yes very much…I really lived a lot, I’m so happy about that. There are people, of my same age, that have done nothing, they wasted their time, in my opinion… well, probably they think the same about me… But they didn’t travel, didn’t live so intensely, there are a lot of things they don’t know… I: Why don’t you want to say your age? Please… (a voice out of sight: If you pay me enough, I can tell you!) RG: (Laughs) we have a spy here, who says that she can tell you it if she get paid… I: Yes, yes, please! R: No!!!… But I already say it, it’s just that people don’t remember it (laughs)…. Anyway, why should I have to tell it? If I would tell you, then people would label me with that age….if I would say, I am “this” old, then older people would think “He’s just a boy” and younger people would think “Mmm”. Both will label me… it’s not smart to tell the age.. I’m not a number and I learnt from intelligent people not to judge a person by its age, but by how he/she is… I: Ok, Thank you…we really hope to see you soon again. RG: You’re welcome! In the meantime I will travel, and disappear for a bit, cause you know, my conscience is hidden somewhere and I have to search for it.. Bye bye to everybody!