interview
alice viola
Alice Viola is a singer and composer from
Parma, who has lived in several cities over the
past ten years. Her experience is now conden-
sed into A Long Trip, a self-produced lp, with
sound ranging from jazz, soul, to r&b.
Can you tell your story so far?
I’m a soul, jazz and r&b singer. I started liste-
ning and loving this music since I was a child,
thanks to my parents who introduced me to
these sounds, in our house there was always
music, great music. As I grew up I became
closer to soul, jazz, more acoustic and sophi-
sticated sounds. When I moved to Madrid in
2007, after graduating from Arts and Enter-
tainment at the University of Parma, I ope-
26
ned myself to a new world. Madrid, who was
musically bustling and gave me the chance to
find out how jazz, soul, funk and R & B could
be fused with flamenco, Latin music, especial-
ly Brazilian and Cuban, was my first real per-
sonal and artistic training. In 2010 I decided
to move to New York City where I lived for
two years and here my music education was
enhanced thanks to Rene Manning’s lessons
at the Brooklyn Conservatory and Bob Sto-
loff and Barry Harris’s scat workshops. New
York has changed me all the way and most of
the songs I composed and that are enclosed
in A Long Trip, my cd, were born in the time
I lived there. I was overwhelmed by the adre-
naline discharge of this city, its diversity, the
music that is at every corner and where the
Your personal site is ready now...
My site, www.aliceviola.it, was created by
Sulima Montalvo a friend and collaborator
of Madrid. Fans who follow me can find the
event section, with all the concerts
and radio and magazine interviews,
and buy in an easy and direct way
my cd. In the site you can get to
know me better as artist and also
listen to some songs taken from
A Long Trip.
What are the differences in
playing in Italy or in other
countries?
I am now a citizen of the world and
I have to say that there are actually some dif-
ferences in playing in foreign countries. In
Germany, but not only, there is a big diffe-
rence in economics, so an artist here has the
opportunity to play more and with higher
cachets. There is an incredible respect for all
the arts and my work is considered just like
any other, allowing an artist to have a life with
a minimum of stability. Compared to Italy,
in other countries there is a greater mental
openness towards music and art in general.
That being said, I love performing everywhe-
re, I do not have preferences and I’m happy to
go home for playing in concert. It’s always a
pleasure for me. October 18 I will be in Ger-
many at the Jazz & Blues Festival - Kultur im
Oberbräu-Fools Theather accompanied by
Rene Haderer, Simon Japha, Timothy Millee,
Diego Riedemann, band with whom I per-
form often, especially in Germany. October
20 I will be in Parma, my city, for a concert
at the Gran Caffe dei Marchesi, Jazz Club of
the organizers of the Barezzi Live Festival,
accompanied by Michele Bianchi and Andrea
“Satomi” Bertorelli.
sensation of loneliness and crushing alterna-
ted with the feeling that everything was possi-
ble. NYC’s energy and the possibility that this
place has helped me with many musicians co-
ming from different roots and cultures (Afro-
american, Cuban, Spanish, Brazilian,
Italian), has contaminated my
way of listening and making
music.
Then you came back to