Sebastian Motz is one third of the Tutsi Girl Play House band, alongside dj/producer Sebas Ramis and vocalist Tesiree Priti. We spoke with him for an exclusive interview to find out more about the keyboardist and composer in celebration of his new release on Puro Music.
Hello Sebastian, thanks for speaking with us today. Can you tell us about your involvement with the Tutsi Girl Play House project?
Tutsi Girl Play House is a heartfelt project for me, realizing my own compositions and collaborating with wonderful people. My part is giving the harmonic color and composing the songs together with my partners, as well as producing together with Sebas in Mallorca.
How did you come to meet Sebas Ramis and begin the collaboration?
We met during a corporate gig last year and when I heard the sound he was playing I remembered a few compositions that Tesiree and I had worked on and kept aside for some time, so I contacted him and showed him our music. From there, we decided to work together on those trax and compose more to make a whole EP.
Keyboards are your main instrument, are there any other musical instruments you play?
No, all my time goes to study that one instrument ;)
Which other artists or musicians inspired you when growing up? What are your current favorite bands?
There is a long list, but i come from piano, so my heros are: Keith Jarret, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Herbie Hancock etc… I love cuban music, my fav. bands are: Charanga Habanera, Isaac Delgado, Tony Martinez… and i also love soul music and RnB: Take 6, Brian McKnight, Stevie Wonder.
Did you always want to work with music? If you weren't in this field, what might you be doing?
The desicion was not so easy, but it came from the heart…maybe being a doctor would have been interesting for me.
What equipment do you use when composing and performing live?
Mostly my Macbook with Mainstage and Yamaha s90es Stagepiano. Recording and composing with Logic Studio on Mac.
You lived some time in Cuba, did the style of music played there influence your sound? Can you tell us about what that was like in general?
It was a wonderful experience living in Havana. The music is fantastic, so many incredible artists and players that always inspired me. I loved going to concerts and getting blown away by the extraordinary energy of their music. Apart from the music, living there was a life changing experience, too many impressions to describe but it opened up my mind a lot, also by learning Spanish, which opened many doors, for example this project;)
You performed with Tutsi Girl Play House for the first time in Mallorca this spring at the Puro Hotel's Habitación 12 event and the Palma Boat Show, which of the shows was more special and why?
It was a great exclusive private event in Habitación #12 -- very intimate and soulful. I love the shows where you can connect to your audience and the energy flows between the musicians and listeners. As it was our premiere performance it was the most special gig for me, but the boat show was also a lot of fun!
Which track from the new Body & Soul Ep is your personal favorite?
It's a tie between Body and Soul and Cupid's Arrow.
Listen to the full EP from Tutsi Girl Play House, out now in stores worldwide:
