An apéro with French funk artist Odetto

0:28Hello and welcome to the Monaco Weekly.

0:51Odetto, what a pleasure talking to you. I am a big, big fan of your music. I've been listening to your album, Sunset Radio. I mean, your music is very solar, is very summery. I think it kind of transpires that. But is it true that your first career was actually acting, was not actually music? Music came at a later stage, right? Yes, you are so right, because right now I'm in the south of France. I'm in Avignon, and there is a reason why. Because there is a festival that is called Festival Avignon, and it's a festival of, you know, comedy, of drama. So I'm still an actor. I'm still a comedian. And I'm doing a play that is called Le Jeu de l 'Amour et du Hazard.

1:36And so I like both of it. I'm still an actor and I do music. This is my life. I do both. Well, and how do you combine? Because the thing is, when you are a musician, you can also do beautiful video clips and, you know, and I've seen some of them. So maybe you can bring some element of that acting as a musician as well, right? Of course. That was the first idea because I'm not a musician. I didn't know how to do all of that, but I knew how to be a comedian. So the idea was to make some cinematographic images. You know, this is a way of expressing myself. So I just want to write some things that I'm not faking.

2:23You know, I want to be real. and I think this is something you learn when you're a comedian to be the realist, you know. So, and of course, there is the show, the live. I think I make music because I love to do some shows and showing my music to everyone. The scene is where I, much pleasure. You know what I mean? Absolutely. Yes, the scene is where I, I'm in love with this, you know. I was going to ask, what actually are your plans for the summer? I know you told me you're in Avignon, you're still doing some acting. What about gigs? Are you planning or are you waiting maybe to play perhaps later in the year or early next year?

3:10Yes, I guess I would have loved to play this summer Sunset Radio, you know, right away. But I guess it takes some time. and I'm going to plan maybe a tour and maybe play in a lot of festivals. That's my wish for next year. And yes, because people are asking me, can you come to Italy, Spain, to England? So I want to go everywhere, but that takes some time, unfortunately. Wow, completely understandable. And please come to London as well. I would love that. What's your music inspiration? because there's some rap elements, there's some funk, there's some electronica. It's such a mix of genres. But I wonder what type of music have you listened to that actually, for example, the inspiration for Sunset Radio?

4:00At first, I thought I wanted to be, you know, just a rapper. So I listen to a lot of rap music. But then I realized that all the rap that I love at some instrumental that were a bit funk. And I realized that this is the music that I've been listening my whole life with my parents. You know, Earth, Wind & Fire, Cool & The Game. There's a French guy called Dabeul. I love Dabeul. I think I really enjoy, yeah, you know, all sort of daft punk. So I really enjoyed listening to those music. Jamie Roque, he's coming from London, I think, JK. So I really love to see Jimmy Roca in a show, by the way. So these were my inspiration.

4:52And I think I could mix rap and funk house sometimes. And Odeto, I selected one of the tracks from your album to the Monaco Summer Playlist. Bonheur, Semplaire, correct if I'm pronouncing incorrectly. I love that song. What is it about? oh it's the first song of sunset radio so the idea was something you know really epic on the start what is it talking about it's talking about a guy who is in paris and that wants to go to the south of france to see some sun some cocktails to drink some cocktails and live the life everybody wants so this is really a happy song yes and with a big funk inspiration i think i don't know what can I say more to this?

5:43No, that's it. This is a really happy song. When I listen to your album, it feels like I have a cocktail in hand, it's a hot day. You know, I think that's really the vibe you're going for in a way, right? Yes, this is the life I love. So I really wanted to, I really wanted that Sunset Radio would make everybody feel this way. So I'm very happy you say something like that. Because in France, we say it's time for a pill. It's French well for, you know, this golden hour with a cocktail. And I want some radio with it. So it's wonderful that you feel that way. Well, let's go for an aperro. And final question.

6:32I know you're in Avignon, but are you actually from Paris? Or which part of France are you from? I'm actually from Paris, born and raised. Paris is booming right now culturally. So, you know, I was there last week just for a few days. There's something quite magical about Paris at the moment. How do you feel? Do you enjoy living there? French people don't love Paris, except the Parisians. But I love Paris maybe because I was born in here. So I'm used to all the people in the streets, a lot of noise. But I love it. And yeah, I think, you know, the example of the Fête de la musique this year is such a great example because everybody from every country went there and I think they enjoyed it.

7:21Not everybody I saw, but this is a wonderful place. Wonderful place. I love it. This is my best city of all. And I maybe want my next project to talk more about Paris. Fantastic. Well, count us in here at Monaco. Odeto, what a pleasure. Merci. Pleasure talking to you. Thank you very much.

8:07There was Odeto there. His album, Sunset Radio, is out now. The show was edited by Flynn Simons. Thank you very much for listening.