Celine Schmink is a french singer and also writer, journalist and Associate songwriter of SACEM. She writes in french and english in a pop folk style. Her musical work is regularly praised by the regional and national press and broadcast in France, Greece, Australia and the USA, where she leads a bilingual performing career. After twelve years as a freelance journalist on behalf of major magazines (Christianity, Life, Amina, spiritual, France Soir, Entrepreneurship etc.), she devoted herself full-time to writing her own books and composition. It is notably lyricist for many performers in France and the USA. Celine Schmink is also passionate about dance.
Check out the interview of the famous and beautiful Celine Schmink :
Question : Let’s start with the basics of how you select singing, I know it’s the thing that most of our readers would ask you about. What would be your starting points?
Answer : When I was 5, I wanted to become a dancer, a ballerina ! It was a little girl’s dream ! So I went to the Ballet school very early and finally everybody around me realized that I was much more interested in the Rhythm of different types of music than by dance techniques. But I went on dancing (classic, contemporary, butoh) and always tried to find very indie and singular musics for my choreographic. At 18 I studied Arts and Dance at La Sorbonne University, in Paris, where I joined Mr Serre’s dance masterclass for one year. It has been such a revelation to me when I started to compose my own musics for dances. But as « dolce vita » can’t last forever, I decided to get a more serious job and I finally became a journalist (I wrote about arts, dance, spirituality for many french magazines). That’s how I met many artists and began writing and composing for them. After a few years as a songwriter I decided to produce my own debut EP. I wanted to write a story through 3 songs, a story that took place in romantic Paris, a story that really looked like me. That’s what I finally went through producing « La ballade d’Anissa », 3 songs about Paris, cabaret dancers, ballet and artists as Garbo. This EP has been described by some music critics as “atmospherical electro pop” and “emotional music”. I also got an article from the famous french music magazine « Keyboard KR Home studio ». My EP has been chosen by the australian brand « Slinky sleeves » for their fashion show. Many press critics have talked about an “emotional and different voice”. Speaking of “La ballade d’Anissa”, many artists and singers as Diego Baeza, Vassilis Babaniaris (greek rockstar) and others said “The songs are a journey in vintage Paris and French cabarets”. The songs (“La ballade d’Anissa”, “Alexandre”, “Vivement l’été”) have gained good reviews in Europe and Australia. Finally it helped me to go on and move on with a brand new project : my LP, « Paris-Memphis ». This LP is comprised of 13 classic tracks for a total playing time of nearly 50 minuts. It’s a tribute to road trip and American bluesy music. I went to radios (in France, Belgium, USA and Eire) to promote it and I’ve also been a guest in the famous humoristic french show « JJDA » on IDF1 channel.
Question : What are you working on now?
Answer : After one year full of concerts, shows and showcases, I’m working on a new LP with famous and talented musician Eric Miller. My new album will contain 10 tracks, in french, all about love affairs ! Eric Miller is actually composing 2 musics for me which is a great honour !
Question : What’s type of music you most like ?
Answer : My favourite singer is Chris Isaak, but I also like Lisa Marie Presley and french singer Daniel Darc. I also enjoy heavenly voices music, that why I work with the french band « The Oengus Projekt » that produces dream-pop filled with a fantastic and opera touch !
Question : When your new Album released ?
Answer : « Paris-Memphis » has been released in June 2014. And my next one that will be called « Héroïnescence » (a mix of the 2 french words : Héroïne and essence) is to be released in June or September 2016.
Question : What made you decide to become a Singer/Author?
Answer : As I explained before, I wrote for many singers but I wanted to write and sing songs in my own way, without marketing constraints. I’m free to do exactly what I want, choosing myself my producers when I need some. Creativity is the most important thing to me.
Question : Do you set goals for yourself and how do you do that?
Answer : Of course, I have to set goals for myself ! Setting my work goals is one of the most career-improvement I can do. During the process the main question to me is What do I want to obtain from my music ? Actually I’m not trying to be more famous everywhere. I’m just trying to produce one album every two or three years, and when I’m inspired I produce some singles. I never let a song sleeping in me. As said my mentor Wayne Dyer :” Don’t die with your music still in you ! “ I also perform in many concerts. Sometimes it’s big, sometimes it’s for a small event, sometimes I sing on the radio or at television, no matters. I sing the more that I can and try to balance creation time, studio time and performing hours. One or two times by year I set the goal to sing with a talented artist, as I did with Californian singer Chris M with a duet « Les yeux froids » (« Cold eyes »). My main goal in life is to win money only by making my arts (songwriting, writing books, dancing and singing). To me art is a real job, not a hobby. I don’t mind what people say. I live only with my arts since 23 years ! And I’m still here, in the french artistic sphere while many friends have chosen to let down and get a former job. Your career as an artist is as serious as you take it. So I try to be the most serious I can. I also have a very healthy life because my body is my work tool.
Question : Tell us about your fashion website ?
Answer : Appearance is crucial for artists and, for obvious reasons, in the music industry. As a Parisian woman, I’ve always been interested in aesthetic and fashion. Fashion is a type of art to me. My fashion blog allows me to stay close to my first job of journalist and helps me to increase my CDs and books sales. In France, people are very curious about blogger’s way of life. I like mixing articles about fashion, lifestyle and share my personal events as concerts. Leblogdeceline.com have many daily readers. It’s a great opportunity to present my styles, ideas and musics.
Question : People likes your pop folk style, what’s your own fav. song ?
Answer : Every song is unique to me because all my musics are parts of my past life… My favourite song is, maybe, « Under a blue moon ». I wrote and composed it in celebration of the life of a friend of mine who tragically killed in an accident. I think he was a great but fragile human being. He profoundly touched my life and lives of all who had this privilege to approach him. The song is beautiful with real acoustic guitar, two fiddles and one banjo. But I also like my last song « Bayou Julep » that I always perform only one voice, one autoharp. This is minimalist folk.
Question : What motivates you to do your best work?
Answer : Inspiration. The necessity to move over in some sad events or situations. It may seems contradictory but adversity and difficulty always challenge me and motivate me !
Question : How can people find you and follow you online?
Answer : I have a YouTube channel Céline Schmink – Youtube Channel , a Facebook page Celine Schmink – Facebook page and a website www.laparoliere.com
