Cecil L. Reccia, singer – The Proust Questionnaire

Cecil L. Reccia, singer, agreed to continue this series of the famous Proust Questionnaires, slightly revisited in the Couleurs Jazz spirit…

A unique way to take the first steps into the world of these remarkable jazz musicians—artists of our time.

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–For you, what is the height of musical misery?

Duke Ellington used to say, “There’s good music and bad music.” It’s a very subjective—and yes, rather snobbish—view. I happen to love a wide range of very different music. You can’t really place The Rite of Spring, Controversy, Jump Around, and Poinciana on the same level. That doesn’t stop me from loving all four. As long as it sounds right to my ears…

-Where would you most like to live?

A place made for contemplation—set in a lush green haven, right by the sea.

-Your ideal of happiness on earth?

To lead a peaceful, joyful life in a place where the people I love are always welcome. To keep singing for as long as I can. To go on living—and growing older—in good health.

-For which wrong notes do you have the most indulgence?

For those driven by an excess of emotion.

–Who are the fictional heroes you prefer?

Unassuming heroes—Cyrano de Bergerac and Frodo Baggins.

–Who is your favorite classical musician?

Malher. Debussy. Fauré. Chopin. Bach.

–Your favorite heroines or divas in real life?

Gisèle Halimi. Simone Veil. More recently, Gisèle Pelicot—for the path she has opened, so that others may dare to speak out against abuse without shame. And my foremothers, who endured exile, war, and poverty, yet still managed, one way or another, to build a life. A simple life, without pretension, without grand ambition perhaps—but one that was enough for them, I think.

–Your heroines in fiction ?

I’m not sure I have one. I do have a deep tenderness for Emma Bovary.

-Your favorite painter ?

Rothko. Klee. Modigliani. The finely detailed work of Goxwa, a Maltese painter occasionally exhibited in Paris, whom I discovered at the Felli Gallery some fifteen years ago. I have paintings at home by José Meix, a painter friend who lives in the Gard. I love his line. I’m also very fond of the paintings of Takeshi Kitano, who is of course better known for his work in cinema.

-Your favorite Jazz musician?

Miles Davis. Ahmad Jamal. Fred Hersch. Wynton Marsalis. Shirley Horn.

-Your favorite singers?

Shirley Horn, Barbara, Blossom Dearie, Irene Kral, Chaka Khan. Men also: Andy Bey, Nick Drake et Jeff Buckley in particular.

-Your favorite quality in a man?

Loyalty. Integrity.

-Your favorite quality in a woman?

Loyalty. Integrity.

-Your favorite virtue?

Kindness. Courtesy.

–Your favorite occupation?

Contemplation. I love foraging and gardening as well. It calms me just as much as swimming does. Writing.

–Who would you have liked to be?

Lou Andreas Salomé. Jane Goodall.

-My main character trait?

I am independent, funny, and loyal. I am constantly seeking a balance between firmness and flexibility, which seem to me to be essential components of kindness, a term that is unfortunately overused and diluted these days.

–What do you like most about your friends?

Their sense of humor, their presence, and their attentiveness.

-Your main fault?

A certain indecisiveness. Vanity as well, at times, alas. Due to a lack of self-confidence, I was long easily impressionable. Today, I strive to chart my own path without worrying about the opinions of others. It is deeply restful.

-Your dream of happiness?

To live always in full health, surrounded by those I love. May it never end. It is impossible. I wrote a text about the dictatorship of happiness (on the theme of Féerie (Django Reinhardt) by Django Reinhardt). Joy seems to me far greater than happiness; so I would rather speak of a dream of joy. To manage to cultivate joy in all circumstances, until the very end.

-My greatest unhappiness?

To lose those I love, to see, one after another, the faces that have filled my life fade away. I would wish, selfishly perhaps, to go before them.

-What would you like to be?

A pampered lapdog, spoiled and cosseted. A dream. More seriously, probably more recognition. Beyond the joy my profession brings me, it can also be demanding. You have to hold on tight. Our need for recognition and the acknowledgment of our work are not merely egotistical. They are fundamental to maintaining a healthy balance, to our well-being, and to continuing to create. They are driving forces.

-The color you prefer?

Blue, green, and reddish-orange. I love white.

-The flower you love?

Wildflowers. Even though I find a bouquet in a vase beautiful, I prefer flowers that are not cut, that are left where they are.

–The bird I prefer?

The robin.

–My favorite prose writers?

Fante, Singer, Faulkner, Ben Jelloun, Camus, Gary, Carver, Dubus, Bobin, Yourcenar, McCullers, Plath… they are too many, really.

-My favorite poets?

Char. Angelou. Apollinaire. Rilke. Dickinson. Darwich.

-My heroes in the real life?

Firefighters, rescuers. Anyone willing to risk their life to save another, anyone who comes to the aid of someone else.

–My heroes in History?

Robert Badinter. The members of the Resistance.

–My favorite names?

The names of the people I love. Those who stand out from the ordinary. Amanda, I don’t know why, has always seemed to me very feminine and elegant.

-What I do hate the most?

Meanness. Arrogance. Flattery. Ugly behaviour. Anything that, directly or indirectly, can harm the integrity of others. Injustice.

-The reform I admire the most??

The abolition of the death penalty. Any reform or law that expands women’s rights.

–The natural gift I would most like to have?

To fly or to breath under water!

-How would I like to dye?

Finitude leaves me inconsolable. But since it must be so, let it be gentle and peaceful. In my sleep, or in a great burst of laughter.

-My definition of jazz ?

Finding freedom within structure. Giving rhythm to one’s expression.

-My current state of mind?

I am in the midst of a metamorphosis, and it gives me a sense of strangeness. I am especially eager to perform my new album Sings Django Reinhardt (Label Ouest) and to share the work we have done around the music of this immense musician, in a new aesthetic; to see my texts come alive on stage.

-And finally, my motto?

“There is no point in running.” To encourage me, my father often says: “Who dares, wins.”

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–Your Signature title?

Mabel (a composition signed Django Reinhardt)