Chilean singer-songwriter Nano Stern is on his way to Australia for performances at Mullum Music Festival as well as Queenscliff Music Festival.
Labelled “the best young Chilean songwriter of his generation” by folk icon Joan Baez, Nano plays music that pays homage to Chilean poetry and traditions while giving hope to those seeking social justice.
Born during the final years of Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship, Nano forged his musical identity as a member of the third generation of Chilean singer-songwriters that emerged after the 1990s, and he is heavily inspired by the ‘Nueva Canción’ ('new song') musicians such as Violeta Parra and Victor Jara.
The most exciting thing that’s happened to you so far this year?
Luckily, this has been a very exciting year so far and it would be hard to pick one thing. The beginning of the year was very powerful and the highlight was my first time at Cosquin Folk Festival in Argentina, which is perhaps the most important folk music festival in all South America. It was a dream come true and the show surpassed all expectations. It opened up a whole new level of depth and connection to the roots within the roots of what we do.
Besides the touring (which is always exciting) and many intense and beautiful moments on the more personal side of things, I would have to pick a moment a couple of weeks ago during which I went into a sort of creative frenzy and started writing and couldn't stop for 48 hours. I could't sleep even. I think a whole book came out of that.
Is there a message behind the music you play?
Music is the message itself. Of course many songs carry a certain meaning, reflect some reality, or tell a story, or often shares a question or an open thought. I think of concerts as rituals, and songs are the specific sections of that ritual.
All in all, they build up together and I think concerts as a whole become a message in their own right. But first and foremost, I believe music is a pure form of vibration which is more powerful than any specific content contained by it.
What are you looking forward to most about coming to Australia?
Reconnecting to the people there. And seeing how things are going on such a privileged and isolated society in these most crazy times that we live in. Also, of course, I can't wait to get back to that beautiful land – the vast ocean, the forests – and take in some of that deep energy.
What are your expectations for performing at the Mullum Music Festival as well as Queenscliff Music Festival?
I'm lucky to have been invited to Mullum twice before and I couldn't be more excited about returning. I think I have lots of new things to share, and it feels a bit like going back and catching up with an old friend.
Festivals have their own spirit, and both Mullum and Queenscliff are outstandingly real in that they keep a true connection between performers and audience which, to me, is what festivals are all about.
The first thing that comes to mind when you hear ‘Australia’?
The Southern Cross. Maybe because ever since the first time I was there, it made me feel right at home, despite being half a world away.
Are there any Australian artists you admire/ listen to?
I love Shane Howard and Kavisha Mazzella. Both are good friends and people that I deeply admire both artistically and as human beings. I also love listening to John Butler. I've never met him, but I think he is one hell of a spirit and his music is just full of power and truth.
And really, I could go on and on and on. I love lots of Australian musicians and am so lucky to have lots of talented friends and colleagues over there.
You were born in 1985, during the final years of Pinochet’s dictatorship – what was life like for you as a young man in Chile wanting to be a musician?
It was both exciting and frustrating. I lived my youth in the first decades of the so-called 'transition to democracy', which really was a big circus put together by the neo-liberal powers to make us all believe that we were the owners of our country's destiny when, actually, they where running the show all along and we were (and in many ways still are) all part of a big charade.
So, as a musician, there is a lot to sing about, but it is a constant struggle to open up spaces and make relevant voices be heard. In the end, it is important to realise that there is the mainstream and then there is counterculture, and it's become quite evident on which side I belong.
What has been the influence of the ‘Nueva Canción’ musicians such as Violeta Parra and Victor Jara on you?
It is central in my musical and personal identity. I've been incredibly privileged to be able to play, share, tour and even write with most of those guys who are still alive, and I couldn't begin to describe how much I've learned from them.
Above all, I've learnt about generosity. And also, from the mistakes that they went through as a generation. I would not do what I do today if it where not for them.
What inspired you to leave home at 19 and head for Europe?
The need to see the world and to leave Chile. We are in many ways, like Australia, a far away island, with the Pacific on one side, the Andes mountains on the other, Antartica to the south, and the driest desert on planet earth (Atacama) to our north.
So in many ways, it is a very isolated and remote place. I needed to explore other realities, so I packed a bag and left. It was almost a decade until I returned.
How difficult were the first few months as you settled in?
Not difficult at all, actually. Although I barely had enough money to survive, busking and the likes, I couldn't have been happier. Imagine, a 19-year-old aspiring musician from South America all of a sudden travelling and busking through Europe and embarking on more adventures than I could imagine. It was a really great and transcendental part of my life.
What are some of your other interests and aspirations outside of music?
I'm a huge nerd. I love reading, and have a great interest in history, literature, linguistics and poetry, besides music of course. I find all these things come together in many ways and I have the feeling that life is not long enough to be able to explore all the incredible beauty that comes with being a homosapien on planet earth.
Lately, I also write very much [sic] and that has become a central part of my life. Poetry, I find, is where it all comes together: Music, words, history, emotion, life as a whole.
What are your plans for the rest of the year and looking ahead to 2020?
I have a lot going on, really. As we speak I am in the middle of running the sixth edition of my yearly festival Brotes de Invierno and brings together 30 artist from 5 countries. It is a lot of work, but I love it and I get to experience many other realities besides my own music.
Then, through the rest of the year, I have tours around South and North America, and Australia, so that will keep me busy for a while. And also, I am recording my tenth album and finishing work on my first two books.
Do you have a message for Australian fans before you get here?
Get ready to meet up again. I'm coming with a bunch of new songs and stories and I want to hear yours.
