I should say here
that I have, on a number of other occasions, learned crucial lessons
from the voices of singers. I refer here less to the lyrics being sung,
and more to the actual singing. As we know, a human voice in song is
capable of expressing an unfathomably complex blend of feelings. Over
the years, specific aspects of my writing have been influenced by, among
others, Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, Emmylou Harris, Ray Charles, Bruce
Springsteen, Gillian Welch and my friend and collaborator Stacey Kent.
Catching something in their voices, I've said to myself: 'Ah yes, that's
it. That's what I need to capture in that scene. Something very close
to that.' Often it's an emotion I can't quite put into words, but there
it is, in the singer's voice, and now I've been given something to aim
for.
The emotional evocativeness of singers has been the muse and source of inspiration for the characterisation of authors.
Both Toshi and Yutaka Ozaki have that definitive mastery of nuances of emotions in their singing.I think Cui Jian voice works best in songs of rebelliousness as he has that spunk in him.
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