INTERVIEW: JEZABEL MARTINEZ
Genre is an real impornat opic and cinema has been some part of avuangar for some social changes and as producer , director , actress but from the composer side it has been not so common yet but from the beautiful madrid reason the spirit of Wolgfard Amedeus Mozart as reborn in a Spanish beauty a much more raffinate and sophisticate Penelope Cruz call Jezabel-Martinez (2). The comparison with Penelope Cruz is a big compliment for Penelope Cruz but the comparison with Mozart gets a particular reason the capacity of the genious from Salzburg of listening to several kind of music in his contemporaneity and to rearrange them and give more ability more virtuosity Jezabel-Martinez is a great virtuoso and she know exactly what to take and what to leave. The classical background is important and is both in a Spanish tradition but she confront and get inspiration even with British Celtic folk music that she translate some rock and roll or may be more hardrock and really exelent epic music. If you listed to this piece you will understand what I say https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AqBdWSaoqk a powerful image with melody and choir that has much more of Vangelis capacity that one could be delight from i example Sir Ridley Scott 1492. It is a film composer music that doesn’t work with the pure strength of Enio Moriccone and his school or the rytmen of Danny Elfam but with atmosphere similar to a ferry’s wings that is covering the face of a knight in a marvelous forest or the idean of magic. Jezabel-Martinez has give this interview only for us of film basen
Epic Music: THE BATTLE by Jezabel Martinez
Composed by Jezabel Martinez. More music at: www.jezabelmartinez.com.es
Could you present yourself to a Swedish public?
Hej!
I´m a violinist and composer from Spain, I´m filmmaker too, so creating music for films is a good equilibrium between the music career and the filmmaking career! I love both worlds and they are complementary. Image and sound work together.
Also I´m the violinist of the Folk Band Kinnia, but I play as guest violinist with several bands of different styles such as: classical music, pagan folk, metal, oriental metal, rock, etc, etc.
How did you become a composer?
I started studying violin in the music conservatory when I was a young girl, but later, when in the University I started my filmmaking studies, I started to create the music for my shortfilms and later other classmates asked me to create music for them, then, directors out of school asked me to create music for their shortfilms, I was lucky and won several awards in film festivals, and since then I haven´t stopped! :D
Do you get inspired by other musician?
Of course, I´ve inspired since I was a Little child by the great masters: Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart (by the way, thanks for your comparison), I loved the composers from the Renaissance, (Tallis, Allegri, Byrd, Palestrina…), and later I was influenced by the romantics (Sarasate, Chopin, Schubert, Paganini…) I love Dvorak and Brahms too… But when I grown up I discovered different composers who had a big impact on me, I discovered minimal music and totally fell in love with it. And the minimal music is used for scoring a lot of films! I love the style, very simple and complex at the same time. So I absolutely love Philip Glass, Michael Nyman, Max Ricther, Arvö Part… they were a reference to me when I composed Sacred Geometry, my last work.
How did you become part of the Irish folk music and why did you work with la Follia?
At the same time I was studying classical music at the Music School, I knew Celtic music. In the north of Spain there is a huge Celtic heritage, I recommend you to read about King Breogán in Galicia and about Asturias, Galicia and Cantabria. This celtic culture is large and, it´s surprising this information is unknown in many countries. In the land of Spain I come from, Aragon, there was an interesting mix between celts and iberians. Later these lands were conquered by the Romans but this is another story…
With this background, I started to enjoy Celtic music very soon, and fell in love with music from Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany (France). So I played as violinist in several folk bands, and finally, in Kinnia I found a home. We are specialised in Irish music but we play everything, even soundtracks sometimes! ;)
About the Folia, I love the variations based in that old Spanish motiv, Vivaldi´s, Corelli´s and Marais´s versions are my favourites. So I insisted in creating a Folia version for Kinnia as bonus track of our first EP, you can listen it here:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/59mwPsBFIga7DewC7YhUIT
How was your work in animation?
I created the music for an interesting animation shortfilm called Mother Sand, It won several awards around the world, and I loved the experience, the process was a bit long but interesting anyway. Here you can listen an extract of the score:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyr30ONyGyE
How do you see to film music and could you tell iss a bit of experience you had in that?
For me is very easy to create music for films, I watch the film first and I feel it speaks to me. Everything gives information to me, the tempo, the colours, the photography, everything…
One of the most interesting experiences I had was with a Spanish short film called S.O.S it was a drama with supernatural phenomena, the short was actually very long, and it took me a lot of work, but I had the leitmotiv in my head everytime.
Other work I loved was the music for the indie film “Por Horas”, it was selected in important international film festivals too. My beloved grandpa died when I was composing the music, so it was very hard to me, but at the same time, I felt a lot of peace while I was composing.
Listen S.O.S. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOnF_MbY1DM
Listen “Por Horas”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo_1AWwQYfA
When I listed to several epic composition and I think most to games of throndes they work more with rhythm than melody you do the opposite do you agree with me?
Well, yes… and no. ;)
It´s true that there are a lot of rythmic motivs based in percussion in GOT, but every music is based in both melody and rythm. In my case, for me the melody is important, it´s a strong point for me, but Ramin Djawadi is evolutioning a lot, I think he´s a god composer, and he created wonderful melodies in Game of Thrones, such as “Mhysa”, “The rains of Castamere”, and “Light of the seven”, where he uses piano.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AqBdWSaoqk
How is for you to work with leif motive ?
For me is very easy! When I have to base a leitmotiv in a carácter, it´s even easier, I only have to think in character´s psychology, appearance, preferences, etc. And only transform that in music.
Have you work with mickmousing?
Not yet, but I´d love to. I love experimentation!!!
How much do you work with software?
I work with software a lot!!!! I´m a bit classical anyway, I need to write my creations in a sheetmusic. I use Sibelius for that. I use ProTools too, and some real instruments for recording.
If you ahd to write a composition from an historical personality who would you chose?
There are a lot of historical people I admire! It´s difficult to choose only one, so let´s say for example Hildegard von Bingen, Katherine of Aragon (she was Henty VIII´s first wife and one of the most intelligent woman of the Renaissance) , Socrates…
To whom could you make a composition in games of Throndes?
My favourites are Daenerys and Tyrion, but Sansa got a great evolution last season, so probably I would choose this one J By the way, in Kinnia we made a GOT main title version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6ekEQO9N3s
How is the courent situatin with Spanish cinema?
Well, there is not a strong industry like Hollywood here, but there are lots of good people trying to shoot good films. But the situation is hard for several filmmakers, and specially actors and actresses, some months ago I read in newspapers that omly 8% of spanish actors can live well only working in acting.
In Sweden you are lucky because the government take care of you. In Spain they ignore us, and when some artist become famous, or win an important award, of course politicians wants to appear in the photo.
Spanish artists are fighting everyday to develop their art. I think it´s one of the reasons why always have been lots of talented artists in Spain, it´s a daily and passionate fight for our dreams.
How is with Spanish music and film music?
Even worse! And worse if you are a woman composer. It´s hard but It´s what I love to do so I´ll never give up!
How is your Disc Sacred Geometry?
It´s a very special CD I created based in Math and Geometry, I was interviewed in several media in Spain, (you can listen the interviews in my youtube channel) and people are loving it. I think it´s a bit magical. I had a lot of inspiration while I was composing it.
You can listen an extract and download it here, and if you want a physical copy I can send it to you to Sweden.
https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/jezabelmartinez
Do you know some Swedish composer?
Of course, I am very close to Swedish culture, I have several Swedish friends, I was in Sweden some years ago and fell totally in love with the country. So I have watched Bergman´s films, and Så som i himmelen for example, hahaha, and also I know some of your classical composers such as Franz Berwald, and of course, Abba!! And as a lover of medieval and folk music I know Swedish polskas and the beautifuls nyckellharpa and tagelharpa. J
I´d love to compose music for Swedish directors so please contact me if you are interested!!!
What are your next plans?
We have a lot of plans with Kinnia, and lots of concerts coming, I hope we can play in Sweden someday!
And I continue promoting Sacred Geometry, and creating new scores!
Please feel free to contact me via Facebook! :D
Contact info: www.jezabelmartinez.com.es
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jezabelmartinezMusica/
Kinnia´s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KinniaBand/
CdBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/Artist/JezabelMartinez
Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCPJM-gPYAvVnXDNFVxIk7tQ
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/59mwPsBFIga7DewC7YhUIT