We want to introduce you to a bright and artistic personality, a little crazy, as well as a participant in the latest European festival in 2020 – Daniel Benegassi.
This guy amazed us with his worldview and innate abilities.
And we also propose to rewind the hands on the clock and remember the final festival of 2020 – Portugal Handpan Festival.
By the way, they say that talented people are talented in everything, is that so?
We will get to know Daniel better to find out everything.
Festival Website: portugalhandpanfestival.com
Photos from the festival were made by Auka Sisa
Sense of rhythm
👩💻: Hi! Let’s get acquainted. I’m Karina. Introduce and tell us about yourself, please.
🎤: Hi! Nice to meet you. I am Daniel Benegassi.
I was born in Seville, Andalusia, Spain. I currently live in Lisbon.
I am a self-taught musician, actor, and circus lover.
As a multi-instrumentalist, I have a collection of ethnic instruments like bansuri, tambourines, turkish davul, flute, tambura, harmonium, accordion, trumpet, and euphonium, and of course the handpan.
👩💻: Nice to meet you too. Wow, so many hobbies in one person. You are a versatile creative person.
Tell us about your childhood.
Have you been fond of music and circus since childhood?
🎤: As a child I was hyperactive. I knew painting, music, and theater, I always played from a very creative place but without any knowledge or instruments, I brought sound to the table and everything that surrounded me, my parents told me “don’t make noise”. I answered that it was not noise but the music that lived in each object.
Yes, music lives in every object, the main thing is to feel it.
👩💻: How old were you when you got your first musical instrument?
And what was that instrument?
🎤: At 8 years old a xylophone and at 11 years old in Tunisia a darbuka.
👩💻: Did you already know how to play these instruments?
🎤: I did not know anything, only the sense of rhythm was always inside me.
👩💻: Did any of the family make music?
I wonder why since childhood you have such a wild zeal for music.
🎤: No musician in the family, but my father always influenced me since I was in my mother’s belly, with all musical styles of the world.
Some influences with a painting by some guy I never knew.
👩💻: This is just unreal. A sense of music and rhythm is your gift from above.
What education do you have?
🎤: I was never good in the current educational system, for that reason I decided to leave that type of teaching and learn in the school of life and the street.
👩💻: You are a unique person. You have no musical education, but you feel the sound so subtly, creating amazing compositions.
Go beyond the real
I understand that you actively interact with the circus and create performance music? Why exactly for a circus?
🎤: The circus is magic.
Get and transmit that everything is possible, those human limitations if you train different disciplines can transcend to real levels.
I love being able to bring to the world that we call real the world of illusions and dreams.
👩💻: Have you ever taken part in performance (not as a musician)?
🎤: I always loved the circus, then I was by chance approaching the right people who offered me to compose the music for their show like for New Circus IPPON theatrical play, which was presented at the Teatro Circo Price in Madrid 2017.
The doors to artistic residencies as an actor, performer, and musician are opened.
I started acting and producing some circus theater and music shows.
👩💻: It’s so cool when dreams come true and you can do what you love.
🎤: My karma
👩💻: Let’s get back to music. Which instrument is closest to you?
🎤: I always carry an instrument with me, or if I do not invent myself, the percussions were the beginning after the bansuri and like that the Indian music then something charango, for a change of an Indian violin I got my first handpan a Bellsart n23 raga desh a madness began where I found possibilities of new expression. Later I had an accident, I learned electronic music and the trumpet to create theatrical environments but for me, the handpan is my karma, my madness that heals me it all started as a game and later it became reality.
👩💻: Then handpan is closest to you.
It can express your emotions, feelings, and experiences.
What were your impressions of the first handpan play?
🎤: It was very exciting when I played it for the first time that I forgot all the techniques I knew to discover what its sound was and all its possibilities.
It was instantly, I felt being absorbed by its vibration, and from there we are one.
I love to keep looking for new possibilities.
👩💻: What year did you first hear the handpan?
🎤: In 2006 I found a video on the internet.
👩💻: How many handpans do you have? And from which makers?
🎤: My first was a first-generation Bellart after Metalart in 432 hz.
I currently work with Noblet handpans & Elf instruments.
In Lisbon, I have 4 instruments.
👩💻: Where do you like to play the handpan? What place inspires you to create music?
🎤: Urban art inspires me, abandoned house, and nature.
👩💻: What is your dream? If it is not a secret.
🎤: My dream is what I live and fight every day.
👩💻: That is, your dream is to stay in the reality in which you are?
🎤: Keep showing my art.
👩💻: Do you have a motto for life?
🎤: My motto is madness heals.
Musician’s outlet: a visit to the Portugal festival
👩💻: Was it your first time at a Portugal handpan festival? Do you like going to festivals in different countries?
🎤: It was my second time at the festival, this was my first time doing a concert with Mayuko.
I like to go to festivals in different places.
👩💻: Tell me about the location. Did you like that place?
🎤: The latter one was in Teatro Sá da Bandeira, the sound and being able to play in a theater in times of a pandemic was a blessing.
👩💻: The theater is a very unusual venue. How many people were there?
🎤: This year there were online audiences in the theater but I don’t remember the exact number.
👩💻: That is, there were artists and spectators at the festival, but there was also an online broadcast?
🎤: Yes, it is also broadcast online.
👩💻: Did you like your duet with Mayuko? How did you feel playing with him?
🎤: It was magical to play with Mayuko duo handpan, bansuri, and beatbox, I felt very good playing, always with respect.
👩💻: How long have you known Mayuko?
🎤: About a year ago I met Mayuko but we were already connected on other levels.
👩💻: Whose performance impressed you?
🎤: The Kabeçao concert was my gift.
👩💻: Was this the first time you saw him perform live?
🎤: We have known each other for a short time, approximately 2 years, it’s always good to listen to his work.
👩💻: You said it was your second visit to Portugal handpan festival.
Which one did you like more? And why?
👩💻: The second edition was better than the first one, I liked playing in the theater.
🎤: Did you like the organization of the festival?
👩💻: Yes, I liked the organization of the festival.
👩💻: Were there any raffles? Have you tried your luck?
🎤: I don’t play the raffle, but last year a student of Mia Handpan won an instrument, even though she didn’t have her own.
👩💻: Is there anything special about this festival? What makes you go back there again?
🎤: I liked doing the festival in a theater, I gave another professional line, next year I hope I will play another concert if everything goes well.
👩💻: Do you recommend visiting Portugal Handpan Festival? And for whom?
🎤: I recommend the festival to everyone.
👩💻: Thank you for your answers, Daniel!
You can find more information about Daniel and enjoy his music:
