Music is the essence of my soul, says David Guetta

One of the most powerful ambassadors of electronic music, David Guetta will be finally performing in the capital today. The artist extraordinaire had quite a bumpy start to his India tour this year. Earlier this week, organisers of Sunburn announced that David’s concert at Bengaluru had to be cancelled. The artist tweeted: “I was supposed to play a show in Bangalore, India that unfortunately has been cancelled at the very last moment. The cancellation has been completely out of my control and I just feel very sorry for all the fans that were looking forward to attend.” Here, he speaks about his love for the country, music, MJ and more.
 
David, you started your career as a DJ even before House Music came into existence, at the age of 17. It’s been more than three decades since then.  What does music mean to you in this present day and age?
Music still means everything to me. It’s my passion and I’ve been very lucky to have been able to turn my passion into my job. Music is the essence of my soul. It wakes me up in the morning and puts me to sleep at night. I can’t imagine my world without music. I appreciate it everyday.
 
What’s the one memory that you cherish from the time that you started playing music that you still cherish?
One of the most cherished memories was when I was able to release my own music and play it on stage for the first time. I would never forget how nervous I was in the beginning but the reaction of the public made it all amazing in the end. I often think back at that exact moment. It was a huge learning curve.
 
Did you ever foresee your success and your music actually dominating the pop charts?
When I started off as a DJ, I could have never dreamed to have the success that I have now. But I appreciate so much all the support I get and I’ll never take it for granted.
 
Another year, another gig in India. What makes you keep coming back here? What are the things that you love about the country and what are you planning to spin?
I really love India and the dedication of the fans. EDM is still really growing here, and the crowd is so crazy. They give so much energy, so doing shows here is an amazing experience. Other than that, the country is really beautiful, I try to see some more of it every time I’m here.

When it comes to my shows, I’ve been releasing quite a lot of music recently and other than that I try to add something new to every show I do. I’m very excited about Guetta4Good, and the goal of this show is that the proceeds will go to a charity called ‘Magic Bus’. This charity helps underprivileged children get education and experience with other social activities that they would otherwise never have. I really hope that we’ll be able to help as many children as possible by doing this show. A big shout-out to Sunburn for making this happen.
 
You have toured with Rihanna, co-written a song with Lady Gaga, produced parts of Britney Spears’ album Britney Jean, have albums that feature the who’s who of the music industry — Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, Chris Brown, Timbaland, Ludacris, Jessie J, Sia among others. Do you have an evergreen musical hero?
Yes, I do. It’s got to be MJ! Michael Jackson is my all-time favourite. He was phenomenal and I learn a lot from his music.

Do you have a list of people you want to work with, or does it happen more naturally when you are working on an album? How do you choose whom to collaborate with?
I still would love to make a track with Adele! I love her voice a lot. A lot of collaborations happen in different ways. Sometimes the label sends me vocals or a demo. And sometimes the flow is natural — I find some cool music on the Internet or get introduced to an artist and decide to go and hit the studio. So, it really depends. All I look forward to is the chemistry, a certain sort of click, and inspiration. I believe when you are working with someone you need to appreciate their choices and inspire one another to create magic and make something amazing. I’m really proud of all the collaborations that I have done so far, and hopefully, many more will come.
 
Since you are always on the go. How do you unwind?
When touring, I try to plan enough time for myself to go out and see things and a little time to relax. These are just some ways to not make everything seem like work. Also, I try to eat healthy and stay fit. When at home, I try to see my kids as much as possible.
 
Lastly, besides your show, are you planning to travel in India?
If I have some downtime, I would love to do just that. So much to see!