She is Magali; he is Sébastien.
She is 22 and he is 23.
She is from St Isidore; he is from Ray.
In one sentence: Two pure-blooded young locals from Nice! Yes, so are there many in Nice? Think again. Their uniqueness lies in the fact that She + Him = a musical duo out of the ordinary that blends theater and music. Their band was formed in December 2005 and this summer, their first album will be released under the name “Hidden Face”.
In an exclusive, Nice-Première wanted to discover who is exactly behind Sebscylla where the famous three knocks of the sergeant are lost in original notes.
Nice-Première: “A guy, a girl”. How was your duo born?
Sébastien: The first time we met, it was on the bus heading to the Faculty of Letters, for our first year in musicology. And then, Sébastien noticed that a young girl was carrying an alto case on her back, and he asked her: “Hey, are you in musicology with me?” And by her saying “yes”, the duo was born. Essentially, just from the vibe in a single glance!
Nice-Première: We guess that your band’s name is made of the abbreviation of Sébastien: “Seb” but where does the second part of the name: “Scylla” come from?
Sébastien: Exactly! As for Scylla, you have to go back to Greek mythology. Scylla was a nymph who played the flute while watching warriors fight. So, there’s a musical, erotic (flute: phallic symbol), and warrior-like connotation in the term.
Nice-Première: You define your music genre as “live music”. Can you explain what that means? Do you think there is conversely a “dead music”?
Sébastien: SebScylla’s music has a concept: a fusion between the two preferred arts of Sébastien: theater and music. And that’s why this music is alive.
The songs are played twice. Played in music… but also theatrically performed.
A music that comes to life, where music, theater, and improvisation reign… that’s what live music is. Dead music does not exist!
Nice-Première: How would you characterize your musical universe?
Sébastien: It’s hard to define our musical universe… However, we could say that it’s music that evolves in a quirky, lively, and interactive universe, where theater and music become one. It’s somewhat a set stage music. Everything blends in an eclectic harmony where various stylistic fusions meet.
Nice-Première: Sébastien, you are an author, composer, musician, performer. What is your source of inspiration?
Sébastien: Well, I believe music for me is a kind of outlet, as if it were my personal diary… it allows me to express all my moods… And I think that the “everyday” is my source of inspiration. I’m someone who fears the passing of time, so I wrote, “What time is it?”. I tend not to like people who judge too quickly without even listening to the argument being presented, so I wrote, “Hidden Face”. Yes, the everyday seems to be my source of inspiration.
Nice-Première: Magali, where does this passion and talent for the viola come from? It is said that you could play everything with it, literally everything?
Magali: This passion dates back to when I was 8 years old, the age when I entered the Conservatoire Régional de Nice. From a very young age, string instruments attracted me with their warm and “cozy” sounds. Back then, I was hesitating between the cello and the viola… I eventually chose the viola. As for whether I can play everything, I would say, “No, only what I like”, I try to play with the heart.
Nice-Première: Sébastien, who is Magali?
Sébastien: Magali is the person without whom SebScylla would not exist. She is of a very calm and thoughtful character. I love the way she leads the musical curves… a very accurate musical sense, which is a real joy for me.
