Buddha Bar founder, DJ and spiritualist Claude Challe talks ahead of
his Valentine's Day set tonight
Adam Zacharias
14 February 2010
CLAUDE CHALLE WAS born in 1945 the year after the Second World War
finally ended and he has propagated the notion of peace and love ever since.
Emigrating from Tunisia to France as a child, Claude developed an
interest in girls and music from a young age, discovering the two
were "closely interlinked".
After opening a hairdressing salon in Paris, where he became known as
'The Man with the Golden Scissors', Claude eventually decamped to go
travelling around the world.
Upon his return to the French capital, he threw himself into the
city's bustling nightlife managing a range of clubs before opening
Buddha Bar in 1996, the same year he kicked off his DJing career and
founded record label Chall'O Music.
Claude mixed the first two volumes of the long-running Buddha Bar
compilation albums, specialising in ambient electronica, and saw his
concept unfurl across the world in cities including New York, London,
Beirut and of course Dubai.
After selling the brand, he worked alongside Lebanese producer DJ
Ralph K to release the first ever REG Project album in 2003. That
same year, Claude released his own debut LP, Je Nous Aime.
Claude returns to Dubai having been invited by his old accomplice
Ralph, now the resident DJ at Karma Kafé, where he will take to the
decks for a celebratory Valentine's Day set.
City Times spoke to Claude about keeping true to his hippy ideals and
the upcoming film based on his life.
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What was your initial concept for Buddha Bar?
The concept was for a huge place with a big Buddha statue inside and
Oriental food from Thailand, China and Japan and a very spiritual
place with very spiritual electro music. It's like a temple.
And how important is spirituality to you in your everyday life?
I always think of the spiritual not religion, but to find the
light. That is life, and everybody needs to find the light in their life.
In what way do you think music and spirituality go together?
If you close your eyes and listen to the music, it's possible to have
a journey my best meditation comes with music. I close my eyes and
think of the really important things.
What prompted you to play a Valentine's Day set at Karma Kafé?
My music is romantic, so it's perfect for Valentine's Day!
Do you normally work on February 14?
Yes, every year I do Valentine's Day somewhere in the world, so
people who are thinking about the day are thinking about my music.
Why did you leave the hairdressing profession as a young man?
I had my little salon in Paris with music inside, it was a funny
place with a lot of success. I went for a weekend to Sardinia and
stayed there two years I sold my salon over the phone! But I still
very much enjoy hairdressing.
Who are the most notable influences on your music?
I have great admiration for Ennio Morricone. For me, he's one of the
biggest composers of the 20th century. I love his work, and I've seen
him onstage with a big philharmonic orchestra and in movies.
Do you have any more albums in the pipeline?
Six years ago I did Je Nous Aime, recording tracks all over the
world, but I spent a lot of money on production. Now the music market
is very bad, it's very difficult to do that.
Have you signed any other acts to Chall'O Music?
No it's just me and my brother, and sometimes I do compilations for a
friend of mine. But at the moment I'm working on a new movie. I've
written the script, and I'd like to direct it. The movie is called
Mr. Sun and the story is based around me it's about a DJ who's 50
to 60 years old, and travels the world having lots of funny
adventures. It's a comedy and we're in discussions with production
companies from France, America and England.
Do you still call yourself a hippy?
I am a hippy, absolutely, and I'll die an old hippy!
As a seasoned traveller, where are your favourite destinations?
My favourite place is Asia Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and India.
India for me is the best country in the world, I like it because it's
a very spiritual country. I like the people, the food, the smells:
everything. It's like a movie. It's a very crazy country.
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For more information on Karma Kafé and to make reservations, call 04
423 0909. Valentine's Day at the venue is sponsored by Evian/Badoit
and The Palace Hotel, Old Town.
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