DAVID HADZIS, « SOL Y SOMBRE »

Can a human being be summed up in a few mere words cast onto a piece of paper or a screen?  Impossible, isn’t it?  Yet the exercise is worth a try as it compels us to discount anecdotes in order to reveal his inner self.

Thinking of David Hadzis, one phrase immediately springs to mind: a man in the shade seeking the light.  Apparently reserved, he seems comfortable backstage.  But it is to see the stage better and master its many aspects.

The shade is the sibling of the sun.  « Sol y Sombre », like that Spanish cocktail which gently goes to your head.  Like David's many activities which would make you giddy.  So, who is he then?

BIRTH

He emerged into the light of day on 20th October, 1971 in a Greek family in Geneva.  He had a casual attitude to his school studies in Geneva but he was above all...intuitive.  And proud to be so!  That did not stop him from making his way into finance (asset management), a field in which practical ability is valued above degrees, nor from gaining a marketing diploma at the age of 20.  But music remained his supreme talent.

As far back as he can remember, there was always music somewhere in his life.  And young David preferred records to toys.  When the family went to Greece in the summer holidays, he was fascinated by the juke-boxes which threw their bright lights and tunes into the small bars which made the sea side resound.  Just one small coin and the miracle began again.  In David's case, there were lots of small coins.  Really, lots...

MUSIC, GUIDING FORCE AND REFUGE

At the age of 12, his world came to a standstill.  Within the space of a few months, he lost his father and his grandfather.  His adolescence was a time of intense solitude.  Music was a refuge before becoming a guiding force.  Having had no music lessons and relying purely on his good ear for music and his sense of observation, he analysed popular songs and then in Greece, out of the blue, he put together his first tune during the summer holidays of 1985.

His mother supported him in this passion; she helped him to rent a studio, which allowed him to introduce himself to the work of sound engineers, musicians and producers.  The die was cast.  In the following year, he composed for local artistes, made up jingles for radio and one of his compositions was chosen as official theme tune for an annual international table tennis championship.

Then, at MIDEM in Cannes, he met his first music publisher, the Belgian André d'Anjou, head of the publishing house Adasong Publications.  From then on, David worked with several writers and producers, among whom were Bernard Estardy, Vito Pallavicini and the Swiss journalist Bernard Pichon.  His songs were released on vinyl in Belgium, France and Greece where, in 1989, he presented a song dedicated to the Living Olympiad, in support of the Athens bid for the Olympic Games.

At the dawn of the 90s, he set up his own home studio; then in 1993, with no ambition other than to experience being a performer, he recorded the song « Dans les Livres de la Vie » (In The Books Of Life) which would be chosen to represent Switzerland at Halleluyah, an international festival organised by national radio and television stations in Israel.  Having reached the final, he performed this song in Jerusalem before the prime minister, Shimon Peres.

In 1996, David Hadzis branched out and wrote the music for a cinema short called « Bonne Nuit » (Good Night), directed by Israel Feferman and which would be shown at many festivals.  In 2000, one of his musical compositions would be in the pop opera « The Groupe », produced by Théâtre Confiture, which was quite successful in Geneva.

In the same year he wrote a melody especially for Petula Clark for which she wrote the words. It was to be « I'm Not Afraid », a song which was premiered at Théâtre Saint-Denis in Montreal on the occasion of her new one-woman show’s first performance.  Released since on several CDs and DVDs, this song would become one of the incontestable highlights of her concert programme.

He continued his partnership with the renowned British singer who is his neighbour in Geneva and composed the new songs on her French album  « Kaléïdoscope » which were arranged by Michel Colombier.  David produced as well as co-ordinated this album which, on its release in France in 2003, took the top position in the Mid-Price chart and reached No. 16 in the French compilations chart.

His collaboration with Michel Colombier - who left us in November 2004 - had a profound impact on David.  A legendary musician and arranger without equal, he not only worked with Petula Clark for many years but with many other artistes who expressed unbounded admiration for him: Madonna, Prince, Serge Gainsbourg, Barbra Streisand, Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell, Stéphane Grappelli, Charles Aznavour and many others…  The example shown by this great name in music and man of great soul encouraged David to carry on in this field.

Ever guided by his ear, his technical knowledge and his affinity with the mixing desk, he went on to be the alchemist of sound and rhythm, the individual characteristics of each instrument and the different relationships of energy which run through a musical work.  Thus, he took on another hat, that of producer and sound engineer.  In this guise, he took part in the studio recordings of several artistes including the talented Chilean singer based in Geneva, Miguel Flores, and the studio recordings of the songs he composed for Petula Clark.

IN SEARCH OF LOST SOUNDS

In the 1980s, the record companies had left their back catalogues to gather dust.  Through seeking lost Master tapes on behalf of various artistes and producers, David found a veritable treasure of unreleased recordings.

He familiarised himself with various recording techniques and put together mixes in keeping with the original producers’ artistic intention.  So, David Hadzis took it upon himself to save this endangered musical heritage.

To his great surprise, his work interested a growing number of specialists before being released, which he had not expected in the beginning.  From then on, the commissions which he was given were becoming more and more ambitious.  Now, the way was paved towards production and recording sessions.

To date, David Hadzis has worked as a consultant on more than 70 releases with various labels and producers in France, Germany, America, Canada and Great Britain.

His professional experience in the world of finance and his business knowledge thus enable him to attend to all stages of the development of an artistic project, notably as executive producer:
 •  negotiation of licensing rights;
 •  research of pictures and artwork coordination;
 •  research of original master tapes;
 •  transfer (conversion of an original recording to digital sound);
 •  mastering (assembly and balancing of several recordings, thus making up a CD).

The natural course of events led David Hadzis to seek the financing of new recording sessions for Petula Clark's double CD, « Kaléïdoscope ».  He also took charge of the quest for French lyrics to her new English songs for her return to France, marked by a concert at the Olympia.

THE JUKE BOX IS BACK

In his flat, David Hadzis has accorded a place of honour to the juke box which kindled his first musical awareness.  Has he come full circle?  Surely not!  The ends never meet for those who live their passions.

Yes, variety is a word which suits this man in the shade seeking the light.  But may David Hadzis remember: when he becomes a man in the light, he will need to find some shade.  Just to keep cool.


Jean-Noël Cuénod
Writer and journalist

[English translation courtesy of Peter Marren]

[Photo © Thierry Wolf]