Tiny Dancers

Think Pink!

WHEN AN ASPIRING POLITICIAN—and talented pianist—in Portland, Oregon, decided that political events and rallies needed better music, he also decided he would be the one to make the change happen. And so Pink Martini was born; the group comes to Segerstrom Hall January 12.

The founder is Thomas Lauderdale, and he gained a new career as the band’s leader and dazzling pianist. Featuring a dozen musicians and with songs in 25 languages, Pink Martini performs its multilingual repertoire on concert stages around the world. The band’s music genres include pop, Latin, jazz, rock, easy listening, and more.

Soon after it was established, Lauderdale invited an old college friend, China Forbes, to join the band as lead singer and to help write songs. “All of us in Pink Martini have studied different languages as well as different styles of music from different parts of the world,” says Forbes. “Inevitably, our repertoire is wildly diverse. It’s a bit like an urban travelogue, but we are very much an American band.”

“Pink Martini have become an international phenomenon by mixing glamour and sophisticated easy listening with multilingual songs and the unexpected,” says the Guardian (UK). “There were German Japanese, Croatian, French, Turkish and Greek numbers … the audience were on their feet. Pink Martini’s unlikely multilingual formula works magnificently.”

The band’s first hit was “Sympathique,” released in 1997. The song—written and sung in French—was nominated in France as Song of the Year and Best New Artist at the Victoires de la Musique Awards in 2000. It’s still wildly popular there: French workers sing it during employment strikes. The chorus starts “Je neveux pas travailler” (“I don’t want to work”).

After making their European debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997 and orchestral debut with the Oregon Symphony in 1998, the band has gone on to play with more than 50 orchestras around the world, and has released 12 albums, including Dream a Little Dream, recorded with four von Trapps, greatgrandchildren of the original Captain and Maria von Trapp of movie fame.

It might all sound gimmicky, but these musicians are seriously talented, and often the vocals are eclectic. One of the band’s recent albums was called Je dis oui! (I Say Yes) and featured vocals from fashion icon Ikram Goldman (she sourced Michelle Obama’s first inauguration gown), civil rights activist Kathleen Saadat, and Rufus Wainwright, among others. The album itself had 15 tracks sung in 8 different languages: French, Farsi, Armenian, Portuguese, Arabic, Turkish, Xhosa and English. Talk about global inclusivity and collaborative spirit!

The music is exhilarating and uplifting,” says Lauderdale. “I think it brings a lot of happiness. This music and band carry reminders of the beauty that can still exist in the world.”

Pink Martini is presented with generous support from Steven and Herma Brenneis

SEGERSTROM HALL January 12 | Tickets start at $37