Categories: USA

Jon Batiste’s Super Bowl Hymn has highlighted the woman’s painting and staged new music

New Orleans (AP) – Jon Batiste transformed the Super bowl Staging a symphony of creativity, starting new music, reinventing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and shining a world projector on the creative vision of his wife.

While Batiste interpreted the national anthem on Sunday, the musician with multiple talents played a piano decorated with a colorful butterfly painting of his wife, Suleika Jaouad, who had the idea while making his documentary “American Symphony”. His work of art, the resilience of the city after the attack on the New Year and the memory of his late veteran grandfather all fueled his performance.

“It was powerful. The mind came to me, ”Batiste told the Associated Press after his performance at the Superdome Caesars. On Monday, he unveiled “My United State”, a two-track project featuring “Star-Spangled Blues” and “Notes from my future self”.

“It is the first time in the history of the anthem that had samples,” said Batiste, from Louisiana who is a Grammy and an Oscar and former conductor for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert “. “We could hardly eliminate the main sample that I wanted before the previous night.”

Batiste, 38, said that his reinvented national anthem from “Drag Rap” by showboys – better known as Trigerman Beat – an essential for the culture of rebound and hip -hop in New Orleans. He aimed to present the rich culture and heritage of the city while putting his own stamp on a song that was resolved for the first time at the Super Bowl in 1967, interpreted by the pride of Arizona, the fanfare of Michigan and The UCLA choir.

Over the years, the anthem has been redesigned by music legends like Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Billy Joel, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga.

“It’s a lot of pieces for the puzzle,” he said. “They all come to different tempos and melodies. This is a lot of things that would never work together unless it is supervised by the American ideal. I wanted to capture it in an arrangement. Just in the sound.

In an AP interview, Batiste has thought about the resilience of his wife, new songs, a next tour and his festival this weekend which will leave a lasting musical impact in New Orleans.

The resilience of Batiste’s wife shown through her painting

During the shooting of “American Symphony”, inspiration struck – not only in the documentary, but on canvas. While Jaouad painted, a creation that took off was a lively butterfly, embodying what he calls “power of resilience, delicate beauty and grace”.

Jaouad’s painting was on the piano and the bench on Sunday.

“This is the balance of this duality,” he said about looking at his wife, expressing a creative manner during “American Symphony”, which won a Grammy for the best musical film. “It Never Away” of the documentary also won the best song written for Visual Media. He is grateful for the collaboration and proud of Jaouad, a writer who fights cancer for the third time.

In December, she revealed her diagnosis on social networks.

“He is a unique human being, like a person who has so much light from the inside,” said Batiste. “You are looking in his eyes and you see the work.” I am very happy that she could not only survive, but also to have this process of alchemizing to lift it in something which is even more than a simple way to do lemons lemonade. “”

He added: “It’s more than taking a bad thing and making it good. It is almost a blessing, as wild as thinking about it like that. »»

Batiste’s growth anthem and return

While creating “notes from my future me”, Batiste had three things in mind: going home, the national anthem and the wonder with a wide eyes of him at 6 years old.

“It really brought together so much in my subconscious,” said the seven times winner of the Grammy. “It gathered them, like all these stories, notes. What would the young me think of what is going on now and how to really connect to this moment of their inner child plays in this song? It came out of this.

Batiste described the optimistic song a hymn which also represents empowerment for him and the others. He said that making the song was a profound journey of artistic realization.

“When you hear the song and listen, I’m the one speaking to my young person,” he said. “But it could also be you, talk to Young You. In a moment like this, it is important for us to heal, to really prosper and to be rooted in who we are. We have to return to this child.

Batiste said that the musical foundation came by speaking with director Alan Ferguson, his frequent collaborator. He said they had a vision of using speech, poetry and hip-hop in the context of “radical cause, positivity and openness”.

“It’s a celebration of life,” he said. “It is a natural intuition and the visual possibility and the evolution of me as an artist is just me in this new area. … When it aligns like that, that’s how I know it’s the right direction. “”

What is the next step for Batiste

After the performance of the Batiste Super Bowl, his next goal is to create visuals for “Notes from My Future Self” and to hit the road for a concert tour.

All the details must still have been released, but he seeks to interpret new music and songs of Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, vol. 1)“, Which thought about the work of the emblematic German pianist.

“You really get a twofer in this next race,” said Batiste.

Batiste propagates love and music before the performance of the big game

Before delivering the national anthem, Jon Batiste brought his energy signature to the 9th district of New Orleans, transforming a district of joy and community.

His he Getting US presents the Love Riot festival of Jon Batiste transformed the field of George Washington Carver High School into a celebration of music, hope and action. The event also highlighted the plans for a future sports area to serve local schools.

“I wanted to do something where we are going to the places that are forgotten but which are the foundation,” said Batiste. “They are the basis of the reasons why we want to come to New Orleans in the first place and go to these communities.”

Batiste, alongside Sing for Hope, led 10 artists from New Orleans in the creation of painted pianos in hand, dispersed in the 9th district as an invitation open to the festival. After the event, these dynamic instruments will find permanent houses in schools and community centers, keeping music living long after the final note.

“They can do it is to serve and not take it,” he said. “It’s a holistic view. … Yes, I’m honored to sing at the Super Bowl. I also want to leave something that has an impact on the community, my hometown. »»