‘Sarkozy’s got bad taste in music’

He may have managed to get his ex and now French First Lady, Carla Bruni to pen 10 songs on one of his solo albums, but French guitarist Louis Bertignac doesn’t think very highly of her man Nicolas Sarkozy’s sense of melody.

He may have managed to get his ex and now French First Lady, Carla Bruni to pen 10 songs on one of his solo albums, but French guitarist Louis Bertignac doesn’t think very highly of her man Nicolas Sarkozy’s sense of melody. “When Carla introduced me to him, he came across as a fun-loving guy. But the man’s got a really bad taste in music. I think Carla’s helping him get better,” said Louis with a laugh before his performance in the Capital recently.

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The man and his machine, the guitar, were on fire at a gig organised by Alliance Francaise de Delhi. There he also spoke about Carla’s new album. “She’s working on a new record and I’ve been trying to get her out of the ‘pop’ state. I hope she gets better with the new album. I may work on it too,” he said.

The musician’s in love with Indian percussion. “The classical notes caught my fancy then. I love the sitar as much as the guitar — just that I can’t play the former,” he shared. To this, his partner in rhyme and drummer, Felix Sabal-Lecco added, “Yeah, he’s amazing with improvisations.”

Felix, unlike his French mate, isn’t all that guarded. Having performed with Paul Simon, Sting, Lenny Kravitz, Prince and Janet Jackson, he’s well informed and adaptive. “Rockstars, unlike in 70s, don’t need extrinsic intoxication. For instance, Peter Gabriel doesn’t drink. Prince, who’s fiercely exuberant, derives his energy from the crowd. I adapt to the artist I’m performing with,” he confided.

Felix also plans to return to hunt for an Indian flautist in two months. “My singing debut record titled Melting Pop, will be an assimilation of African and Indian influences. While Seal and Sade have already recorded for my album, Sting may come on board too,” he revealed. We shall wait, Sir drummer.