The Little Things with Nkechi from Bagatelle

Tacey Rychter catches up with Nkechi Anele from fresh six-piece dance outfit Bagatelle.

Nkechi Anele

What you would be doing if not singing: I would be dead…or possibly in science of some sort. I have no idea why, but I really love random facts about the human body and I like to know how things work.

Childhood relic you still have: a doll from Nigeria which was given to me by my grandma and we called her Kuku (like a koo-koo clock) and when she passed away when I was 7 I started calling the doll that too so it’s my Kuku doll.

Worst T.V. show on when you lose the remote: I hate The View.

Obscure subject you have a weirdly comprehensive knowledge of: I know a lot about musical theatre and the background of some of the stars of Broadway.

Relationship dealbreaker: a drug addict who has no job, mooches off other people, sees themselves as bigger and better than life and smells.

First song you wrote: was loosely based off the character Phuong in The Quiet American, and her relationship to the men in the book.

Instruments missing in pop music: The flute and the baritone bassoon.

Describe music to a deaf person: the pulse and vibration you feel with in yourself that reminds you you’re alive.

Tell us about Bagatelle: it’s the brain child of Will Cuming and has been influenced heavily by dance music, but really Bagatelle is the resulting combination of the eclectic people and sounds that make up the band. What makes Bagatelle different to most dance bands is that it incorporates live music influenced by jazz as well as the usual DJ desk. By live music I mean a horn section, guitars and live vocals as well as live effects produced from effect pedals. It started off as experiments that Will wanted to further develop and each member was brought in as the ideas and direction of the band built developed and changed.

Negotiating the Melbourne music scene: Interestingly it depends on which suburb you are playing in that affects audience response. We have found closer to the city is more appreciative to Bagatelle that the outer suburbs.

What’s in a name: the name Bagatelle came from the family boat owned by the Cuming family, meaning ‘a waste of money’. Ironically the boat sank.

The EP ‘Find You’ will be launched 6^th of August at Red Bennies bar in Melbourne.