Chilly Gonzales

Piano virtuoso and composer, rapper and music school director - the "Chilly Gonzales universe" is as diverse as it is unique. Sometimes he appears in a bathrobe and fine silk slippers, sometimes he jumps from the stage into the audience, drenched in sweat. In a mixture of megalomania and self-irony, the darling of the feuilleton rides permanently on the musical razor's edge, somewhere between radical, ingenious and banal. Gonzales combines synth-pop with experimental jazz and French cabaret music with hip-hop without regard for losses. Who else but "Gonzo", as die-hard fans call him, could perform the balancing act between Keith Jarrett and Richard Clayderman within one concert and still appear credible? Besides the fun factor, which is guaranteed to be present at his performances, everything Gonzales does always has something poetic and deep. Above all, however, Jason Charles Beck, as the Canadian by birth and Cologne by choice is called in real life, is a gifted entertainer. "In my head, I'm a pop artist," the multi-talented artist said in a recent interview. "Because I am very audience-oriented. Communication with the audience is the most important thing for me. If someone doesn't give their all, they shouldn't be doing the job. After all, that's what makes a musician - to give everything of himself." The concert takes place as part of "100 Years of BASF Cultural Commitment".