PERSONAL KEYBOARD ARCHEOLOGY SERIES, PARIS AND TOUR RECAP!
September 27, 2017 § 1 Comment
I’ve just started a Facebook series called A personal keyboard archeology, in which I’ll be looking at the ways in which I’ve used various keyboard instruments over my years of music-making, and ‘ll post the same contents here for those of you who are not too keen on Facebook! ;-))) 
A PERSONAL KEYBOARD ARCHEOLOGY – PART 1
Christmas 1984. I’m 8 years old and I’ve just received from Mr Fake Santa Claus a Bontempi organ. My dad used to work as a clerk in a bank and each year, the company distributed a Christmas toys catalogue and each kid could choose one present from the catalogue, which was then handed over during an evening where all the employees and their families were treated to a Christmas dinner followed by lots of drunken dancing to the sound of cheesy music. At the time, my world revolved around reading and fluffy toys, so why did I choose that present? Well, in 1984, one of my cousins got a Bontempi organ and it immediately fascinated me, so when I saw it in the catalogue my decision was immediately made.
I’d love to be able to tell you that I was a precocious kid who immediately got creative with that organ, but nothing could be further from the truth: I barely remember what I did with the organ in the following years, and only vaguely remember it came with a couple of sheets that were supposed to indicate which keys you should press to play whichever traditional tune was printed on said sheets – not exactly a creative approach to the instrument.
However, while in interviews I have always replied to the question “How did you start making music?” by saying that I fell in love with the Beatles at age 13 and then started playing the guitar at age 15, I’ve recently realised that the seed was planted earlier, with that organ and my obsession with Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. And while my music has mostly used – up until the new forthcoming album –various stringed instruments – fingerpicked, bowed, strummed, hammered, etc – there’s always been space on each of my albums for at least one keyboard instrument, and I think that sooner or later, I was bound to make the album I’ve just made.
This series is all about revisiting those songs, and in the next instalment you’ll hear the first keyboard song I ever wrote and recorded and which paved the way for all my solo work years later.
Last but not least, the tickets for my show at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago are finally available, and I thought I’d take this opportunity to share this poster made by photographer Isabel Dublang to recap all the dates of my North American tour !
Oct. 29 2017- Portland, OR, USA – Mississippi Studios – copresented by Beacon Sound – with Derek Hunter Wilson
Oct. 30 2017 – San Francisco, CA, USA – Swedish American Hall
Nov. 1 2017 – Los Angeles, CA, USA – Zebulon – copresented by Dublab – with Mary Lattimore and Frosty DJ Set
Nov. 3 2017 – Chicago, IL, USA – Museum of Contemporary Art
Nov. 5 2017 – Philadelphia, PA, USA – PhilaMOCA – with Tim Woulfe
Nov. 8 2017 – Brooklyn, NY, USA – Good Room – with Jon Porras
Nov. 10 2017 – Montreal, Canada – La Sala Rossa – with Ylang Ylang and Khôra
Nov. 12 2017 – Toronto, Canada – Arraymusic – with Khôra
Nov. 14 2017 – Asheville, NC, USA – The Mothlight
Nov. 19 2017 – Washington, DC, USA – Songbyrd Music House
Of course feel free to check out the Facebook events and ticket links in my Songkick or live section!
Hope to see you there :-)))
colleen 
[…] already shared this picture a couple of years ago on my Facebook and website as part of a series on keyboard instruments in my albums: this Bontempi organ is the first instrument I ever asked for and owned, aged 8. I am sharing it […]