When asked how Raimond Paul’s music has changed his life, Paukstello admits: “It was such a twist that I didn’t expect at all. It turned out that we had a very unsuccessful New Year’s show. All Paul’s songs were there, but visually maybe everything was so… There was one song that was actually supposed to be sung by Vija Artmane with Eđa Liepinas, and this song is from a woman’s point of view, a woman should sing, and Artmane refused.”
He continues, “Paul said, ‘Then you sing that song from a man’s point of view.’ You women are not meant to understand the nature of a man, but there was – if once you men are not meant to understand the nature of a woman. That’s the original text. He looked and said: “Jani, you have that timbre with such an undertone that others don’t have.” The maestro told others: “I heard that someone was singing under his breath in the Daile Theater. I want him to sing for everyone too.”
Later, the collaboration with Paula continued and the beloved song “Cielaviņa” was created, after which Paukštello was under the maestro’s wing practically all the time. “From that year on, I’m under his wing basically all the time,” he says, adding that now the collaboration is a little less, it was more intense when Paukstello performed together with Harry Spanovski.
“Some have said to me: “Johaidi, I could sing one song with Paula in one concert, and you, Johaidi, are already under his wing…” Is it our fault that we were with Hari for so long?”
Hari Spanovski, who hasn’t been with us for ten years, would have turned 65 in February this year. Paukštello still mentions her colleague at every concert. He admitted that they were not friends at all.
You can listen to the full recording of the program here!
