[Part 4/4]

4/4 “Komball was a huge success! My kid Leonard was playing soccer at the Geneva Servette, and watching him juggle I realised there was a freestyle counterpart in every sport except soccer. I thought: damn, there must something to do here! I got hold of two Rastas from a Nike add, my son, a YO freestyler, and in 2006 I released a DVD. It went to Sony and in 3 days it was number 1 in sales. By the way, the TV program Sport Dimanche did a topic on freestyle soccer a few months back, and they interviewed me.

But a crook worked his way into the business, and I lost everything. All the accounts were empty, there was nothing left anywhere. I tried to take back control of my company but then I started being scared. I realised this guy isn’t joking at all, and that I was in the middle of something that wasn’t made for some little musician like me (laughs)! In 2009 I went to hide in Yverdon at my friend’s place who saved me, and I spent almost all my days playing Mario Kart. I had debts, I didn’t have any money, I had nothing left.

Then I started composing again, regaining confidence a little, but things didn’t really get better. At the start of 2020 I came back to Geneva, and a friend gave me a good dressing-down. I went home, opened the computer and wrote: “Remontada” (laughs)! Then the Covid arrived and I threw myself into creating. I wrote an opera, a musical theater, a neo-gregorian album, a comic book and a web series. It was either this or dying. It’s tough work to be an artist, but it’s not a profession. You travel in private jets invited by so-and-so, everyone carries your luggage, and a few months later you find yourself in deep shit.

During all these years I did many things that all look so different. All the pieces seem scattered. With these new creations I’m putting the puzzle together. My son tells me: “Dad, stop being tense like this!” He thinks it’s all about a need for recognition. There is a little bit of that, but that’s not my motivation. I want to finish this puzzle, so I’m very focused. I didn’t think I’d get back up, but I’m working my way out of it. You don’t choose music, but music doesn’t fall on you by coincidence.”

(translated from French)

 

Published On: 14 April 2021

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[Part 4/4]

4/4 “Komball was a huge success! My kid Leonard was playing soccer at the Geneva Servette, and watching him juggle I realised there was a freestyle counterpart in every sport except soccer. I thought: damn, there must something to do here! I got hold of two Rastas from a Nike add, my son, a YO freestyler, and in 2006 I released a DVD. It went to Sony and in 3 days it was number 1 in sales. By the way, the TV program Sport Dimanche did a topic on freestyle soccer a few months back, and they interviewed me.

But a crook worked his way into the business, and I lost everything. All the accounts were empty, there was nothing left anywhere. I tried to take back control of my company but then I started being scared. I realised this guy isn’t joking at all, and that I was in the middle of something that wasn’t made for some little musician like me (laughs)! In 2009 I went to hide in Yverdon at my friend’s place who saved me, and I spent almost all my days playing Mario Kart. I had debts, I didn’t have any money, I had nothing left.

Then I started composing again, regaining confidence a little, but things didn’t really get better. At the start of 2020 I came back to Geneva, and a friend gave me a good dressing-down. I went home, opened the computer and wrote: “Remontada” (laughs)! Then the Covid arrived and I threw myself into creating. I wrote an opera, a musical theater, a neo-gregorian album, a comic book and a web series. It was either this or dying. It’s tough work to be an artist, but it’s not a profession. You travel in private jets invited by so-and-so, everyone carries your luggage, and a few months later you find yourself in deep shit.

During all these years I did many things that all look so different. All the pieces seem scattered. With these new creations I’m putting the puzzle together. My son tells me: “Dad, stop being tense like this!” He thinks it’s all about a need for recognition. There is a little bit of that, but that’s not my motivation. I want to finish this puzzle, so I’m very focused. I didn’t think I’d get back up, but I’m working my way out of it. You don’t choose music, but music doesn’t fall on you by coincidence.”

(translated from French)

 

Published On: 14 April 2021