今天打鐵趁熱來介紹這個其實在我的plurk上老早就分享過的同志歌手Levi Kreis。這位還不滿三十歲的歌手,因為沒有獲得什麼大廠牌唱片公司的支持,所以國內普遍能知道的實在不多。
不過在美國同志界,Levi在過去就已經因為早就出櫃的身分而參與了不少的gay pride活動,而除了他那有特殊味道的嗓音與誠摯的音樂外,當然他的sexy body也是不少活動邀請他,或甚至local magazine找他拍封面當封面人物的原因。
而Levi在今年夏天才剛因演出Million Dollar Quartet而得到了Tony Award,無疑是錦上添花,也更為個人知名度再上一層樓。
稍早的文章提及網路人用Kiss the Bride電影來為Levi的歌曲"Hardly a Hero"搭配為MV,但事實上其實當初Levi有另外一首歌放在片尾,即是下面的影片中的"U Found Me",不過老實說個人比較喜歡Hardly a Hero這首歌,也有趣的,因為網路非官方的MV製作,最後Levi甚至自己也拍了一部(其實挺陽春的)MV,自己在那邊彈鋼琴邊彈邊唱,而背景打上Kiss the Bride的電影。
我個人對Levi最印象深刻的,是他在某次被詢問到coming out的時候的回答:
"I think it was the first of many moves toward me dispelling what I call the illusion of limitation. To think that opportunities become limited because of anything such as sexuality, age, race, etc, is to not have faith in the absolute support the universe has in our creative expression. It's like telling God that He is incapable! Its's like telling me that there is something wrong with me. I can't subscribe to any of this anymore. I believe nature even teaches us that all life supports itself, and that very support is ours to the degree we believe it to be. I believe that God is all-supportative , all-good and there is no opposition to that. To live in this space, own whom you are and step into life with this level of authority and faith is how I hoped to live ever since I released that first CD and came out."
而其實在他的一些歌曲中,其實可以聽到那些自我認同跟宗教認同中間相抗衡掙扎的過程過往,也或許某個程度是為什麼他跟另外一些專唱舞曲的同志藝人唱著其實沒有什麼內容的歌曲(但必須說挺好聽的)而讓他特別不同的緣故。
另一方面,由於Levi來自田納西的鄉下,所以雖然他的歌路跨Gospel跟流行,卻也常另外帶有濃濃的鄉村音樂的配樂以及演唱感覺。
聽慣了一般的商業專輯,也許換個口味聽聽Levi Kreis的歌曲,選一個晚上,聽著他的歌慵懶的讀讀書,其實是件非常舒服的事。
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