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Glen Hansard the 2008 Academy Award winner for Best Original Song was in the city. The affable musician talks about his journey in music, winning the Oscar and India
“If you told me I would be an Oscar winner one day, I would have scoffed at the idea,” says Glen Hansard the 2008 Oscar winner for Best Song. The Irish songwriter, vocalist and guitarist,was in the city in connection with Footsbarn’s staging of ‘The Indian Tempest’.
“Paddy Hayter, the director of Footsbarn Indian tour, is a friend. He invited me on the tour and I readily agreed as I have always been fascinated by India. I admit though that I had naïve impressions of India. My knowledge of India was limited to movies and BBC documentaries on the country. But on actually coming to India, I was overwhelmed by the sights, sounds and smells. I arrived in Kerala two weeks ago and was in Thrissur most of thetime. As the International TheatreFestival of Kerala was going on, I managed to watch a couple of plays. There was this play by a group of childrenfrom Kollam that was outstanding. I forget its name.”
Pointing to a piece of olive green twine tiedaround his hand, he says, “India is a land of colour. One wouldn’t find a twinein such a shade of colour in Ireland. I went to the Connemara Market atPalayam this morningand enjoyed the experience. I picked up some old rice sacks. They will be perfect to carry chopped wood back home. I also bought areally old book on Ayurveda,” says Glenwho divides his time between Dublin and New York.
Glen won the Academy Award for Best Original Song forhis ‘Falling Slowly’, which he co-wrote with Marketa Irglova for the movie Once. The musician is also an actor. He starred with Marketa in Once.He has also acted in an episode of ‘Parenthood’, an American comedy-drama television series. However, Glenis quick to say that music is where his heart is.
“My mother, Catherine, had a collection of music byBob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and the like. Her favourite thing todo on a Sunday was to clean the house whilst listening to the records. My uncle taught me a couple of chords on the guitar and my mom taught me to play Cohen’s ‘Bird on the wire,’” recalls Glen.
Glen knew even at the age of 13 that music was his vocation. “One of my teachers told me that if music was myambition then I should drop out of school and pursue mypassion.” And so, Glen dropped out of school and began busking on the Dublin streets. But didn’t hisparents oppose his decision? “My mothersaid: ‘Do what makesyou happy and keeps you happy’. My dad, James, too was supportive of my decision.”
At the age of 19, Glen recorded his firstalbum ‘Another Love Song’ with his band The Frame. “The members of The Frame are friends from childhood. We have been together for 22 years now. Weare brothers.”
Glen writes the lyrics for all his songs. “It isdifficult to sing something that is not mine, not from my thoughts and emotions. My songs talk about people trying to find themselves.” The musician calls his genre of music ‘folk song when it’s done right’. “The song should be bigger thanthe singer. Take ‘Stand by me’, for instance. Everyone knows the song but few know or care that Ben E. King was the original performer. The song should be bigger thanme,” says the man who enjoys listening to music of “all kind”. Glen has recently brought out a solo called ‘Rhythm and Repose’.
When he is not busy with his music, Glen enjoys carpentry. He also enjoys tinkering about in the kitchen and says his roast chicken is a hit amongst friends and family.
Ask him if he plans to return to India soon and he says: “Yes. I plan to hire a bike and drive from Thiruvananthapuram to Mumbai.”
Oscar fever
Ask him about how he felt when he received the Oscar and whether he has a special place for it in his home and Glen replies: “I struggled to reach where I am and it feels great when my work is recognised. I am glad that more and more people are tuning in to my work. I still remain motivated by my love for musical expressions and connecting with my audience. As for a special place for my Oscar, well, my father died soon after I won the award. He was so proud that I won it that I wanted to lay it by his grave. My mother dissuaded me, however. She keeps it in her bedroom by her bedside. Her house was robbed recently and she lost her TV, money, jewellery..., everything except the Oscar. The thieves must have thought it was a fake!”
The Indian Tempest
As one of the musicians of the playhad to cut short the tour on account of anemergency in the family, Glen played the guitar and the drums for the performance in the city.
By Liza George
http://peperonity.com/go/sites/mview/kankar
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