Interview: Miriam Waks goes beyond musical genres
Thursday, December 17, 2009 at 10:26PM
Sydney-based vocalist Miriam Waks is not only making her Melbourne debut but is also performing the final show of the year “Songs of Romance Languages” at The Butterfly Club this Sunday on the 20th of December. She talked to Cabaret Confessional about her show, career and what cabaret means to her.
How long have you been performing cabaret shows for, and what are the things you enjoy about cabaret?
My first foray into cabaret was actually through a year-long artistic residency – Artslab - at Shopfront Theatre. That was in 2007 and was pretty incredible for the fact there were 6 young artists all developing our own projects and getting to use the great theatre space. I was developing a piece called “Fame Fatale” and I was really encouraged to push myself and my ideas into areas I had never thought to (or been brave enough to). The lessons I learnt that year have really stayed with me and helped define my appreciation for cabaret. In a word I’d say what I love about cabaret is: Freedom. It gives you freedom to explore anything that may interest you whether it be musically, conceptually, or theatrically.
You’ll be making a Melbourne debut with your show “Songs of Romance Languages” on the 20th of December. What’s the show about?
“Songs of the Romance Languages” is an exploration of – wait for it…….. songs of the Romance Languages, which are a specific branch of the Indo-European language family. It’s not particularly conceptual. It’s more of a straight up presentation of a very special selection of songs, which hopefully will take you from the tiny fado cafes of Lisbon, through the smoky cabaret lounges of Paris, to the steamy rhythms of a Rio Carnaval. I’ve tried to present the styles and songs as authentically as possible and I cover Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Ladino, Romany, and English. Being a romance language show I also look at romance itself – by sharing the stories of myself, the audience and the songs – with a good dose of humour.
How did you come up with the concept? What inspired you to create this show?
I’ve always been hugely attracted to world music. I really wanted to find a way to create a musical experience that brought my disparate musical interests together. When I discovered that all these beautiful languages have a relationship, I thought, now there’s a great opportunity to present a hugely diverse range of styles and songs within one show. I wanted to authenticate and unite these songs and artists. Variety is the spice of life after all!
Tell us a bit about your background and your connection to cabaret?
I’ve been singing since I was 9. Much of my performance training ground was the talent quest circuit around the clubs in NSW which I started doing when I was 15. You got judged on song choice, technical ability, patter, presentation, and overall performance, not to mention playing with a live band. Such a wonderful thing, I really hope that Clubs NSW keeps the quests alive, as they give the most valuable thing to an aspiring performer – hands on experience. I also graduated from the Talent Development Project in 2006. Over the year of participating in it, one of the consistent criticisms I received was that they didn’t know where to “put” me in terms of genre classification. The thing they saw as my biggest flaw, I saw as one of my biggest strengths. That was an interesting thing I got out of that.
The word ‘cabaret’ was mentioned a few times but no one really explained what that meant. Since discovering the world of cabaret, I’ve realised there IS a place for people who don’t want to have to choose.
When you write cabaret shows, what are the things you try and incorporate into it?
Personal experience is a big thing. I saw Dianne Reeves perform a few months ago and her big message was “tell your stories”. I love that. Humour is also very important because in addition to stimulating thinking, it just makes people feel good. I think comedians are our most powerful social commentators.
What is the most challenging thing when you’re performing a cabaret show?
Well, there’s so many different things going on when performing cabaret as it’s about a full experience – not just listening to a good singer, or watching a strong performer. It’s everything coming together. So the biggest challenge for me, aside from creating something that can stimulate as many of the senses as possible, is just knowing it back to front so that the moment you step on stage, you don’t have to think. You can just throw yourself into it.
Which performers have been your biggest influence and in what way did they shape your musical style?
The two performers who have impacted me the most are Paul Capsis and Lillias White. They’re the real deal. When I saw Lillias’ cabaret show “From Brooklyn to Broadway” it was like a light going on in my head ‘So this is cabaret’. She was so funny, musical, entertaining AND her material choices were so diverse. I aspire to be able to entertain in that way. And Paul Capsis is such a unique voice and presence. The first time I saw him I was just totally absorbed in every moment. I didn’t have time to analyse what was happening - it was captivating and magical. I took away from that a desire to find my own presence and learn to project it when performing. To get flower-child about it, it’s all about ‘energy’ haha. I also learn with Kerrie Biddell and she’s a phenomenal inspiration and guiding force with a no-bullshit approach to getting the most out of you.
You cover quite a few genres – everything from soul, jazz, blues, musical theatre to funk. If you had to pick just two, which ones would you choose and why?
World music and jazz. I think the potential for both is limitless. We are living in an age of multiculturalism and thanks to immigration and air travel, it has never been easier to connect with groups and individuals from all over the world. The more those cultural barriers break down, the more people share their stories and backgrounds. I went to Womadelaide this year and, honestly, I’ve never felt anything quite like it. I just thought, “Yes! This is where we are going!” Culturally we are in an incredible place. I don’t have to go to Sri Lanka to study carnatic music, I can just go to Auburn! Jazz excites me for the musical and stylistic possibilities. The improvisational element opens up your ears and mind so that anything is possible. Jazz provides you with a place to really take risks.
If you had to explain to someone who had no idea what cabaret is, what would you say?
It’s anything and everything. To me it’s music, theatre, and storytelling coming together in an intimate setting to entertain, inform, and stimulate the senses.
What would you say are your career highlights so far?
Being nominated for MO and ACE awards was a pretty exciting thing to happen. I was selected to perform at Sydney Opera House in “Encore” which was a very special moment, as I’d always gone to watch the previous Encore concerts and secretly imagined myself in it. The Sydney debut of “Songs of the Romance Languages” was my biggest personal achievement so far, as I did all the writing, performing, and producing myself. That taught me so many valuable lessons. I also spent 4 ½ months in India last year on my first overseas contract singing 6 nights a week in a 5 star hotel bar, the “Orient Express”. Talk about lessons! In fact, my next cabaret project “Ms Adventures on the Orient Express” revolves around my time there – be prepared for music, mayhem, and pure Bollywood cheese.
Miriam Waks in SONGS OF THE ROMANCE LANGUAGES @ 8.00pm
20th December
$22 full / $17 concession and for groups of 8 or more
SOLD OUT!
204 Bank Street, South Melbourne 3205
Phone enquiries: 03 9690 2000
Email: info@thebutterflyclub.com
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