Bastian Baker

Caribana Festival - Crans-près-Céligny:
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For infos:
www.caribana.ch

Tickets:
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Music has always been a part of Bastian Baker life, even as a young boy when music wasn’t at the centre of his preoccupations, he lent his voice to a school choir. Today, at only 22, he already sings on Switzerland and Europe’s biggest stages with the self-confidence of experienced performers. To find the first signs of his artistic destiny, a close look at his teen years must be taken; he had his own secret garden, accompanied by just a guitar and a pen. His first texts and his first chords date back to when he was 15, which already gave a glimpse of a possible breakthrough.

It wasn’t long before coming. Discovered by Patrick Delarive, who decided to support him, the singer released a first single, “Lucky”, in 2011. Its success is a veritable explosion: the memorable pop-folk melodic lines are all over the radio. A new name, coming out of nowhere, is carving its way into the musical landscape; the young man writes, composes, arranges and produces his musical dreams. In April of the same year, his encounter with Claude Nobs, the late and missed founder of Montreux Jazz Festival, is an artistic and human revelation. As the young artist was performing in a bar in Zermatt, the great connoisseur recognized his talent and invited him on the off stage of his festival a few months later. In the meantime, the singer sharpens up his knives and impresses the crowds at other Swiss and French festivals.

The album that truly launched his career, “Tomorrow May Not Be Better”, was released in September 2011. It followed up with the success achieved by “Lucky”, while keeping the same artistic direction: mind-blowing melodic immediacy, strong voice and fine arrangements. The three singles “I’d Sing For You”, “Tomorrow May Not Be Better” and “Hallelujah” – a Leonard Cohen cover – were and still are big hits. In Switzerland, the album sold like hot cakes (45,000 copies sold), and it is also an export hit in France (35,000 copies sold) and Belgium (10,000 copies sold).

Bastian Baker hits the road, tours intensively, mixes with his public and enriches himself with countless encounters. Over two years, he performed hundreds of times. Among the list, very prestigious venues: Montreux Jazz Festival, Paleo Festival and Francofolies de la Rochelle.

The most sparkling of them all is undoubtedly the Olympia of Paris in April 2013. The phenomenon intensifies with just as prestigious opening acts for Elton John, Bryan Adams, Johnny Hallyday and Mark Lanegan. While Bastian Baker has gained much recognition from his peer, he receives the compliments with much modesty.

In spite of his short career, he obtained numerous other praises and rewards. On the French TV show Taratata, and he enchanted the presenter, Nagui. He also won three Swiss Music Awards in two years and was elected Switzerland’s third favourite celebrity after a public vote during the 2012 Swiss Awards. He performed at the NRJ Music Awards in 2013. The following two years after Bastian Baker’s first breakthrough have given him the opportunity to play at opposite sides of the globe; in Japan, Russia, USA and in Europe (England, Germany, France, Belgium). A musical journey that is bound to take him further.

The human and artistic capital accumulated during these long peregrinations have shaped and coloured the spirit of the new album “Too Old to Die Young”. The oeuvre unveils a more developed music, as well as mature and accomplished lyrics. This work was created in the remote English countryside, along with his musicians. It was further developed between the walls of the Angelic Studio in Brackley (England) and directed by Jamiroquai’s keyboarder and composer, Toby Smith. There, between February and March 2013, Bastian Baker surrounded himself with percussionist and drummer Fergus Gerrand (Sting, Madonna, Duran Duran), guitarist and keyboarder Ken Stringfellow (R.E.M., The Posies) and bassist David Levy (Chris de Burgh, Mike Oldfield). As the young artist had wished since the beginning, the album was recorded during a live session. Mixer Mark Plati, a legend who has had the occasion to work with, amongst others, David Bowie, The Cure, Robbie Williams and Alain Bashung, has given a final touch to Bastian Baker’s pieces in NYC.

The first single, “79 Clinton Street”, is already as successful as his previous songs. Bastian Baker is ready to cover once again the distance that led him to success.


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