One of the most popular British bands of the 80s took the world by storm with their unique sound, mixing jazz and Latin pop. They will amaze their Hungarian fans with two shows this summer, performing in Budapest on 22 July, then within the confines of Jazz Picnic in Paloznak on 5 August. We were lucky enough to ask a couple of questions from Mark Reilly.
You have performed in Budapest several times. What was your first impression of the city?
I first came to Budapest in the mid-80s, when it was still under Soviet influence. I came with a lot of bands from the UK to appear on a TV show which was shot in the castle on the hill. I thought the setting was spectacular.
Do you have any particular places you like visiting whenever you spend a few days in the Hungarian capital?
A walk down the waterfront is always nice, but I usually don’t get enough time to be a tourist.
You’ve been in the music industry since the 80s. We live in an era of iTunes, Youtube – a lot of things have changed since you’ve been around. How do you think it is possible to get with these changes of the industry? How much do you think it affects musicians? How difficult it is to preserve your authenticity these days?
I think the social media is a big part of today’s marketing. Concerts are even more important now, as the record sales don’t generate as much income as they used to do.
What are you working on at the moment and what are your plans for the future?
I have recently finished a new Matt Bianco album called “Gravity”, which has a strong jazz influence. It is released at the end of July in Japan and a little later in the rest of the world.
Jazz and wine, this is the concept of the event in Paloznak. What do you think, how good are they together?
We came to Lake Balafon a few years back and didn’t realise just how big the lake was. The place has a really nice vibe, perfect for jazz and wine.
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