KAMIJO: JUNGLE LIFE, Exclusive Interview Part II
♦First chapter HERE
–After Bastille, Beethoven appears in the frame.
KAMIJO: We are in the fifth “movement” of Symphony of The Vampire, Sonata. Beethoven and Louis XVII are related as friends, but also on stage the bassist Shigure-kun approaches me. Since in this song the guitar disappears from the first, I sing only along the bass, often during the lives the bassist approaches me. Also this time Shigure-kun comes close to me and the result is a beautiful image.
–We can see the scene of the show representing friendship between Beethoven and Louis XVII. After then the pictures of a newsletter appear again
KAMIJO: It’s the scene in which the count of Saint Germain appears to the media.
–The Count of Saint Germain in Sang plays a very important role
KAMIJO: But at the beginning (of the story) the count wasn’t there. While composing Heart (the album), I thought about Louis XVII as a vampire. In the debut single Louis – Enketsu no La Vie en Rose appears Mana-san, who is also the leader of MALICE MIZER and Moi dix Mois, and he played that role.
–That time you have thought only about Louis XVII becoming a vampire, the count of Saint Germain didn’t appear yet
KAMIJO: While I was writing down the story, I suddenly asked myself: “Who could be the right character here?” Going back in history, I have came across the character of Saint Germain.
–A lucky meeting that still lasts now
KAMIJO: I had that feeling after I chose Beethoven. Firstly I liked Chopin more than the other one. But by making my researches about Louis XVII, my interest about Beethoven was grown. Beethoven’s name is Ludwig and if you read it in French, it becomes “Lui”.
–It ends there
KAMIJO: At first it wasn’t clear who was the other Louis in Symphony of the Vampire. When the CD was released, we revealed it was Beethoven. So in my story I included historical characters that I’ve never been interested in before and now I’m going to study about them.
–There are also people who don’t know the story, and it seems you are interested in these people who get excited with these characters
KAMIJO: When you are at school and attend music lessons, you come to know about many musicians like Mozart and Beethoven, but we don’t think about the fact that those people used to live during the same time as Marie Antoinette did. But in my history they coexist and they used to coexist also in real history. In reality, Napoleon Bonaparte and Beethoven were antagonists.
–The story then continues and Napoleon appears before Yamiyo no Lion
KAMIJO: At the beginning of Yamiyo no Lion, Napoleon gathers his army at Zepp Diver Tokyo in order to incite them. Getting incited by Napoleon … it practically never happened. (Laughs)
–It seems to be so (laughs)
KAMIJO: Now the Count of Saint Germain is told “three songs are missing”. I think of some prediction of the future is something good (laughs)
— Since there are characters who gave advice in some episodes during important scenes of the story, they might have said “if we finish after three songs, that’s fine!” (Laughs)
KAMIJO: To give advice is always good until the end (laughs). So the characters walk by themselvers and the fans imitate them, you can expand the story by yourself in this field, this is the charming side of Sang.
— Attendees (perhaps it’s refeared to the one who attend KAMIJO’s show, ndr.) have only that fascinating and important character
KAMIJO: Actually, four stories are represented on this tour at the same time. The first one is about Marie Antoinette, the second one about Louis XVI, the third one about Napoleon Bonaparte and Beethoven and then the final one it’s about Louis XVII. So there will be people who play the main role, they will also show different other points of view by keeping their emotions as main element , and it slowly becomes a work in which you lose yourself.
–How are the performances of the tour divided?
KAMIJO: From the first day to 21st of April at the JUNX BOX CLUB in Sendai the show is based on the story about Marie Antoinette, from April 29th to the VARIT of Kobe until May 19th at the HAVEN’S ROCK of Utsunomiya the story is about Louis XVI, from May 26th to the GOLDEN PIGS BACK STAGE by Niigata on June 16th at the HAVEN’S ROCK of Saitama the story is about Napoleon Bonaparte and Beethoven.
–Was your purpose since the beginning to divide the tour into four parts and have more dates for this tour?
KAMIJO: At the beginning I was going to put all stories together in one tour until the end. While I was writing the stories, it sounded a little strange and I couldn’t get used to it, but it slowly became interesting. It had to fit in with the voice actor’s plans and I had to finish quickly, so I finally did the tour like it was a writer who ends up in time his work. (Laughs)
–You decided to change the script after starting the tour
KAMIJO: I saw the reaction on my fans’ faces and I started thinking about something like “I would like Napoleon to incite the audience“. It was necessary to refresh the tour live from time to time.
— This is in the beginning of Yamiyo no Lion
KAMIJO: Yes. It’s in the third part (Napoleon Bonaparte and Beethoven), in the second half of the tour.
— After Yamiyo no Lion, there is Delta and then Castrato
KAMIJO: I sing Castrato while I’m wrapped in smoke, but there are also songs written from Saint-Germain’s point of view, so I had to transform myself. I’m not always KAMIJO, I become Castrato.
–Is it a sort of Count of Saint-Germain’s changing moment ?
KAMIJO: While I was writing the lyrics, I found myself in that situation. Even while I sing, I have the same feeling.
— Then after Ambition, there are Sang I and Sang II
KAMIJO: In Sang there are two main songs. In the last part of the “high pitch” of Sang II the tone of the voice is high, and it must be good because it’s a show. During the reharshals it doesn’t come this way. (Laughs)
–I suppose it’s a part which works fine especially during the live shows
KAMIJO: It’s a question of trust. Since this part is the most beautiful piece to listen from Sang, I think it can be fun along with the images.
[To be continued]
♦Testo Italiano Cap. I QUI Cap. II QUI
♦Translation: Reine de Fleur forAlla Corte di KAMIJO
all rights reserved by CHATEAU AGENCY CO., Ltd.