April 2002
A voice to break a spell...
Diane Nalini, international singer, composer, lyricist, poet and physicist, breaks the spell that surrounds her enchanting life with CHARLES MIFSUD
The musical notes die away into the distance. A warm applause trails Diane's vanishing voice as she wraps up her last song in the evening's programme. President Bill Clinton, in his typical elegant stride, approaches Diane. With a composed smile he tells her: "You've really got it".
Diane - an international singer, composer, lyricist and poet - was entertaining the former President during his visit to Oxford, England, last May.
How well Diane has "really got it" was evident from her recent performance at the Sala Isouard of the Manoel Theatre, crowning the Canadian Days and Nights celebrations in Malta.
I was completely overwhelmed by the eloquence and limpidity of her voice. Whether interpreting American Jazz songbook giants, the continental chanson tradition, Brazilian bossa nova (new wave) music, or her original compositions, a common trait was evident: she captivates her audiences.
Keeping the harmony intact, her voice flirts with the musical rhythm, imposing her tempo. "Well, that is the challenge; every performance gives you the opportunity to capture the mood of the audience," Diane says. Her interpretations expose the deepest feelings, touching the essence of life.
It is this inner spark of humanity she portrays in her performances that really makes the difference. The song After dusk, with lyrics she wrote herself, is imbued with a realistic sadness. A friend of hers, Jana, in the flower of life, died in a traffic accident leaving her husband alone, grieving her loss.
The subtle music and implicit words of the song "The dance begins once more... but the spell must break, suddenly he wakes... nothing there to fill the hollow ache..." transformed the sufferings of a husband into a universal expression of compassion. Few among the audience present at the Manoel Theatre could restrain the tears.
Canadian guitarist Mike Rud composed the music of the song After dusk, which won for Diane international acclaim. [Her album] After dusk was among the top 10 bestselling CDs for five months inthe largest Jazz store in London.
... Recently Diane recorded seven tracks as lead vocalist for the British composer/arranger Dick Walters, featuring some top UK jazz musicians. Diane also had the opportunity to perform for ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, actress Heather Mills, the Canadian High Commissioner in London, and President Clinton.
Last year Diane was runner-up in a young vocalist competition in the UK. She also participated in the Montreal and London jazz festivals.
... Born in Montreal, Canada, to a Belgian father and a Goan mother (Goa is a former Portuguese colony in India), she is an only child who was showered by her parents with love and music.
"My mother Carolina sang constantly even before I was born," Diane says. She remembers how her mother "favoured classic popular songs and Calypso sung in her clear voice, always in perfect tune". At the age of two, Diane had already acquired her father's passion for jazz.
This blend of different cultures assimilated from her family helped forge her unique talent. Her interpretation of the song Carolina rides the verve and Brazilian rhythm derived from her Portuguese-speaking mother. And her incandescent interpretation in French of the immortal La vie en rose (made famous by the legendary Edith Piaf) traces the childhood interpretation sung by her mother. Diane's father exposed her to poets like Jacques Prevert. This helped her develop her poetic lyrics.
Diane has adapted works from poets like Tennyson and Shakespeare to music. "There are phrases that are cyring out for the right tune... it is like rhyming to the cadence of the ocean waves," she relates passionately.
[...] Having lunch at Wied iz-Zurrieq, she gave me a glimpse into her character. Diane explained the song Mickey on her latest CD Tales... my Mama told me. Mickey is a field mouse which she spied. It leads a risky life and, like a gangster, is always on the run.
The tempo of the song picks up in a menacing mood, she explained. Suddenly, the playful barks of a dog chasing a motorcycle interrupted our conversation. Diane's composure collapsed as she erupted in a giggle. "Well, this dog is like Mickey: he wants to be king of the road," she said, jokingly.
Diane's brief stay in Malta was a unique experience for her. "I met so many kind, friendly people." She thinks that Malta, although small, has an open mentality and not an insular one. It was the High Commissioner for Canada who invited her to Malta for the Canadian Days and Nights.
The Canadian Nights celebrated the bond between the two countries. Diane gave two concerts in Malta.
The inaugural evening was attended by President De Marco and Archbishop Mercieca. "For the event I brought my pianist from London, but worked with two Maltese musicians, Charles 'City' Gatt (drums) and Bernard Scerri on the bass. Both are marvelous," she said. Diane also recorded a performance for TVM.
As I accompanied her to the airport, she promised: "Well, I will be back for the Jazz festival in July." We will definitely wait for Diane to savour her enchanting voice. It can cast as well as break any spell.