Fireside Chat

Chilly Gonzales

Arts & Crafts, Phantasy Sound, Paris

Chilly Gonzales is no ordinary musician. In the time it has taken him to create six albums, he has also broken a Guinness world record, been nominated for a Grammy and made his first feature film. But then again, what else can you expect from someone whose musical talents are so adept he can switch from working with German fidget house maestros Boys Noize to creating piano-driven pop hits? Gonzales is primarily a satirical rapper, pianist and producer whose passion for entertaining has resulted in him adopting various personas. These have ranged from the 'Self-declared President of the Berlin Underground' to the egotistical 'Super Producer'. These also reflect major changes in his musical style, with his albums on the German Kitty-Yo label built around rap whilst his 2004 Solo Piano album put the emphasis on, would you believe it, piano! The latter album's far-reaching success gave Gonzales the acclaim he was long due. Originally from Canada, Gonzales moved to Europe in 1999 and has stayed in Paris ever since. He has made several successful collaborations along the way and maintained a reputation as one of the most charismatic musicians in popular music today.