Music as a rolling landscape ✨ Interview with Helena Casella

Anyone who goes out to see a show or concert in Ghent will sooner or later encounter the Casella family. Luanda and Pablo Casella are already established names in the theatre and music world; one generation younger, Helena is now the rising star in the family firmament. A conversation about the music that must flow, about the power of family and about Casella's plans as the new resident artist at Ha.

An interview by Evelyne Coussens

After a busy festival summer with successful performances at Gent Jazz and the Oude Beestenmarkt, Helena Casella will be settling down at Ha as resident artist in early September.

The Belgian-Brazilian singer will present her first solo album Pit Of Impressions, a collection of poetic songs set to stirring rhythms and carried by Casella's melodious voice. 

Het is moeilijk jouw muziek in een hokje te plaatsen, Helena. Maak je nu  soul, hiphop, jazz of toch een combinatie van dat alles? 

I actually think that I mainly create atmospheres in which the listener can let their imagination run free.

Do those atmospheres originate on the piano, or do you start from the language? The poetry of your lyrics stands out; in that sense, you are also a true singer-songwriter.

Words and sounds influence each other. I think I inherited my love of language from both my parents. My mother, who has since passed away, was an avid reader and a linguist.

My father is a translator-interpreter and also a singer-songwriter. I was raised multilingually and, thanks to my great love of language – thanks to both of them – I dare to experiment with poetry and word sounds.

There is a lot of artistic sensitivity within your family. Your aunt Luanda is involved in theatre, Pablo Casella is a renowned musician and your brother Tomas worked intensively on your debut album. How important is that family vibe?

But more importantly, we share a vision, a taste and a sense of humour, and we try to support each other wherever possible. The fact that we are so close is very motivating; we lift each other up and carry each other forward. 

IN HELENAS HEAD

Your family's Brazilian roots are often highlighted. Is that a blessing or a curse for your musical identity?

Because of that identity focus, I am quickly framed as 'that Brazilian singer', and people expect a different kind of music than the music I bring.

Pit of Impressions, for example, is certainly not an album of 'Brazilian music', although you can definitely feel that influence in my use of voice and phrasing. The southern influence is a subtle layer of humus, but not the dominant style.

Pit of Impressions seems to be exactly what the title promises: an atmospheric glimpse into your head, your observations and thoughts.

Casella: 'Yes, there are many different themes in terms of content. It is a collection of diverse experiences, past and present, that have been given voice. I am quite sensitive; I easily pick up on energies and atmospheres.'

Sometimes they are melancholic, sometimes dreamy, occasionally there is a hint of criticism. Like in Trees, where I express the despondency and despair surrounding the climate crisis, or Undefined Borderline, which is about that vague feeling of loneliness in a new city.
 

Pit of Impressions feels a bit like a cross-section of my mind, of the way I look at the world. Or looked at it, because not all the songs are recent, and I have also evolved and changed in the meantime. That's why it's so important that the music flows and transforms - because I, as a person, am constantly doing the same.

You're here to present your debut album, but you have much more planned. What does being a resident artist mean to you?

Casella: ‘I still have to figure that out, but I already have the freedom to try out lots of things. For example, I'm going to give Brazilian percussion workshops to children, which is quite outside my comfort zone, but something I'm really looking forward to.’

I'm also currently working on a new album. For the release show in the spring, I want to explore how I can work more closely with writers or spoken word artists.