Almost ten years ago, he came to the German capital as a “singer from the mountains” – and was the first musician in the world to cause a storm of jubilation among Berlin’s socialites, the ZDF television network and the country’s feuilletons. Dagobert reported back last Friday (May 20) with the words “New single, new album, new tour”: “I want a woman who wants me” is the name of the first track on his fifth studio album BONN PARK, which will be released on September 23. it’s one of his biggest hits to date. We met the Swiss artist for an exclusive interview.
Deep sadness à la Hank Williams
ME: Why does your record share your name with the theater director Bonn Park?
Dagobert: Bonn is a good friend with a beautiful name. Those are two good things. Also, it doesn’t make sense to call the album that – that was important to me too, because the songs are thrown together at random.
ME: Years ago you were labeled as a “Schlager singer with aspiration”. You have resisted this in the past. Now this new song sounds like a flawless hit, in the best sense of the word. Have you given up your resistance?
Dagobert: I especially resisted the “claim” because it sounds so snooty and false. I’ve always been humble and relaxed. The other term is still misleading because I’m not part of the hit scene.
ME: The choirs, the humor, the entertaining moment and the cheerfulness that the song exudes speak for the genre name. Is that the direction of the record?
Dagobert: Yes. BONN PARK is my happiest album so far. At least musically. The content is deeply sad. I like this divergence, it corresponds to my character and is always a homage to Hank Williams, because he has had a strong influence on me in this regard.
ME: You’ve been back in the mountains for a while. Did the peaks help shape the cheerful sound of the record?
Dagobert: Half of the songs were created in earlier sessions with my producer Konrad Betcher in Berlin. So there wasn’t that much to do. BONN PARK brings together almost all the songs that don’t fit on any other Dagobert album. That it was still so well-rounded and, in my opinion, hit – a pleasant coincidence.
Seventeen Stages for Dagobert
In autumn, Dagobert honors a total of 17 cities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “I think when you see him live, you just realize how honest and beautiful and direct this music is,” says his producer Konrad Betcher. We have no choice but to agree with him – the concert tour is presented by MUSIKEXPRESS.
All tour dates of Dagobert:
10/05/22: Munich, Milla
10/06/22: Karlsruhe, Kohi
10/07/22: Stuttgart, Merlin
10/08/22: Essen, Hotel Shanghai
10/11/22: Frankfurt am Main, bread factory
10/13/22: Berlin, Franz Club
10/14/22: Hamburg, Molotov
10/15/22: Bremen, warehouse
10/20/22: Nuremberg, Club Stereo
10/21/22: Augsburg, SoHo Stage
10/22/22: Chemnitz, Atomino
10/25/22: Leipzig, NAUMANNs in Felsenkeller
10/26/22: Hanover, LUX
10/29/22: Vienna, B 72
11/05/22: Basle, Gannet
11/10/22: Berne, ISC Club
11/11/22: Zurich, Helsinki
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