Nomi was born in Bavaria, West Germany, on January 24, 1944.
In his youth in the 1960s, he worked as an usher at the Deutsche Opera in West
Berlin, where he would sing arias on stage in front of the fire curtain after
the shows for the other ushers and maintenance crew. Around that time he also
sang operatic arias at a Berlin gay discothèque called Kleist Casino. A post
modernist at heart, Klaus Nomi combined opera with pop, rock, and cabaret.
Klaus Nomi made a name for himself in New York City's art
scene in 1978 with his performance in New Wave Vaudeville, a four-night event
created and hosted by artist David McDermott. Dressed in a skin-tight vintage
sci-fi space-suit with a clear plastic cape, Klaus sang the aria My Heart Opens
To Your Voice from Camille Saint-Saens 1877 opera Samson et Dalila. The
performance ended with a chaotic crash of strobe lights, smoke bombs, and loud
electronic sound effects as Nomi robotically backed away into the smoke.
It was a performance that imprinted Nomi in the New York
scene and the epicentre of the tidal wave which followed.
Klaus Nomi Live - The Cold Song (composer: Henry Purcell)
Interviewer : When you arrived to New York, how did you earn
a living?
Klaus : Hum... like Rudolph Valentino. (laughs) kidding.
Well, I did everything, even dirty jobs, like dishwashing or delivery boy for a
grocer, delivering flowers, cooking, peeling vegetables... it was a curious
story, up to a point it became unbearable. The urge to sing was stronger, so
one day I performed in a club and it was very successful; then I could give up
all those dreadful jobs, and devote my time to music.
Interviewer : Why did you choose that name,
"Nomi"?
Klaus : It was on inspiration. I think the name sounds good,
it doesn't really have a certain national taste, you know, it could be any
nation, because I see myself as universal, not as German, American, French or
whatever you want, cause we are all on this planet, we're all living on the earth.
Interviewer : It's not enough for you to be Nomi, you must
also wear the Nomi symbol?
Klaus : well you know now I'm in the business, I like to
promote myself, and I think this is a very nice badge, this is my own design.
Interviewer : It was said about you that you were either the
8th wonder of the world, or a tragic accident of the nature. What do you think
of this definition?
Klaus : oh it's wonderful, it's extraordinary. I hope it's
true.
Interviewer : Who has drawn your costume?
Klaus : I have.
Interviewer : What does it mean ? (seeing Klaus' hesitation)
Nothing?
Klaus : I don't know. I hope it means something, people talk
about it a lot.
Interviewer : Why this clown-like, cold make-up?
Klaus : I don't think it's clown-like, I don't think it's
cold. It's very theatrical, very intense. It's an unnatural make-up, made for
stage. It's like a doll or a cartoon. You see it once and never forget it.
Interviewer : Why are you hiding behind this make-up?
Klaus : I'm not really hiding, I'm showing out, because the
way I am it's hard to look like a normal person. You know, in the streets, when
I was a kid, people always said I looked strange, and it made me feel very
unhappy. And all of a sudden I go on stage, and people like me for that ; but
as soon as I'm outside, I feel like I have to hide, because people laugh at me,
because of the way I look. Now I'm using this look, it works for me, I even
exaggerate it. I used to hide my large forehead, but now I'm selling it.
Interviewer : How do you.. work your voice?
Klaus : I think I do have my own technique, because I've
been disappointed by teachers, maybe because i didn't meet the good one. I
don't like to depend on teachers anyway. So I'm walking on my own way, and I
try to be as natural as I can. I think it's the only way to be yourself.
Interviewer : What kind of music do you listen to?
Dido's Lament (composer: Henry Purcell)
Klaus : Oh... honestly, all of them. You know, I like to try
things, to experience, especially with electronic music.
Interviewer : Are you touched by modern life issues, or do
you live in your own world, in your own character?
Klaus : I feel threatened, and sometimes it makes me angry
because I can't do anything about that, there's just too many issues. But in a
way I think my work is meant to get people out of that.
Interviewer : I read that you wanted to be a magical
character..
Klaus : Well I think it's a nice to be a little magical.
Today we need this. All that we can read in fairy tales or books, I think
somewhere it's all around us. But nowadays we can think that this magic has
been killed, and I try to make it survive as long as possible.
Interviewer : Do you want to become a star?
Klaus : I don't know what that really means... I want to
accomplish my work and fulfil my dreams, and do something with my life, and I
hope I'll be able to accomplish it. It's very much work, but I like it.
Klaus Nomi - Can't Help Falling in Love
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