Interview with Soul de Vienne

Soul de Vienne is a collaborative project born from distance and connection, bringing together musicians from across continents to create music rooted in emotion, intimacy, and shared experience. Founded during the isolation of the pandemic, the collective has grown into a fluid network shaped by trust, musical chemistry, and a love for storytelling through sound.

With “The Magic of Christmas”, Soul de Vienne turned toward the quiet heart of the holiday season, capturing love, warmth, and human connection through cinematic arrangements and tender performances. In this interview, we talk about how the collective came together, the inspiration behind the song, and how music can hold space for reflection during the busiest time of year.

• Can you tell us about how the collective Soul de Vienne started and what its main creative vision is?

Soul de Vienne was born during the COVID period, at a time when making music together suddenly shifted into the digital space. The initial idea was to collaborate online with musicians across borders, which later evolved into recording original music. All songs are written and initiated by me, and then developed together with carefully selected artists from different countries.

Some connections already existed, others emerged through deliberate searching and curating. Over time, the collective naturally formed — bringing together musicians from Madagascar, Italy, the USA and Austria. While the project started internationally, it is now also grounded in close collaboration with Austrian musicians on site, allowing my musical ideas and songs to be shaped, refined and realized with depth, trust and artistic continuity. Live performances in Austria are currently realized with a carefully selected group of local musicians, translating the studio concepts into an intimate and authentic live experience. Rather than being built around a fixed lineup, Soul de Vienne grew into a creative network shaped by musical chemistry, shared inspiration and emotion.

• Christmas is clearly a special time for you. What inspired you to create The Magic of Christmas and capture the warmth and love of the season?

Ever since I heard I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus by the Jackson 5, I wanted to write a Christmas song myself. The real inspiration came in 2023, when I saw a couple at a Christmas market, completely focused on each other while everything around them was loud and busy. That moment made me realize that the true magic of Christmas lies in human connection and love — and I wanted to capture exactly that feeling in the song.

• Piano, horns, bells, and trumpet sections all play key roles. How do you decide which instruments carry the emotional core of a song?

I usually don’t decide that intellectually — the song reveals it naturally during the writing process. I listen closely to what feels emotionally honest. Sometimes the piano carries the intimacy, sometimes the horns bring warmth, and sometimes a simple bell texture evokes memory and nostalgia. Each instrument serves the story, and together they shape the emotional core of the song rather than competing for attention.

• The vocals have a light-hearted and elegant quality that adds texture to the song. How did you work with the vocalist to bring this warmth and intimacy to life?

Gwen Rakotomalala has an incredibly soulful voice and a rare ability to move effortlessly between gentle, wide textures and powerful, expressive moments. She has a very intuitive musical sense when it comes to how and when to use her voice.

As a composer, there was little need for direction — from the very first takes, the recordings were already on point, allowing the warmth and intimacy of the song to emerge naturally.

• The song evokes feelings of love beyond romance, including family and holiday spirit. How did you intentionally convey that universal sense of love in the composition?

I approached the song with openness and simplicity. Instead of creating strong dramatic tension, the harmony, tempo and arrangement are designed to feel calm and reassuring. By leaving space in the music, the emotion becomes inclusive — allowing listeners to connect it to family, friendship, shared memories or togetherness, not just romantic love.

• The production is very cinematic, almost like a story unfolding. Were there particular visual or emotional inspirations behind this musical storytelling?

I often compose in images rather than purely in musical structures. For this song, I imagined warm lights, familiar places and quiet scenes unfolding slowly. The arrangement grows gently, like a story being told without urgency, focusing on atmosphere and emotional continuity rather than a dramatic climax.

• Jazz and pop influences are subtly woven into the song. How do you decide when and where to bend genres to enhance the festive mood?

Jazz brings warmth, depth and organic movement, while pop provides clarity and accessibility. I don’t bend genres consciously, but instinctively — whenever it helps the emotion feel more natural. Especially in a Christmas song, subtlety is essential: the influences should enhance the festive mood without drawing attention away from the emotional core.

• Now that the song is out, what do you hope listeners feel or experience when they hear it during the holidays?

I hope the song gives listeners a moment of calm and presence. And if they happen to hear it in a busy place like a shopping center, I hope it gently reminds them that love, emotional connection and warmth matter more than expensive gifts. If the song creates even a brief pause for reflection during the holidays, then it has fulfilled its purpose.