Changing careers from a lawyer to a musician may seem like an odd transition, but it made perfect sense for one Canadian singer/songwriter.
Montreal’s Chris Velan pursued humanitarian issues as a lawyer in his 20s, but a trip to Africa changed his perspective.
Velan accompanied friends to Africa who were filming a documentary on Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, the story of six refugees who formed a band during the civil war inspired Velan to tap into his musical roots.
“Often people go into a creative artistic pursuit and realize it’s too hard and go into something with more security in it,” he said. “I did it the other way. I came back from that trip and stopped doing law and started doing music.”
Music wasn’t a new venture to Velan, who picked up his first guitar at the age of nine.
However, the experience in Africa allowed him to reconnect with his love of music and influenced his performance style, which will be on full display at his performance at the Bragg Creek Centre on Nov. 24 at 8 p.m.
“I soaked up that influence and it shows in certain songs,” he said. “It’s been a huge influence for me.”
Other musical influences for Velan include reggae, pop rock and icons like Neil Young and Jackson Brown.
“I had an eclectic taste in music growing up,” he said. “I was weaned on songwriters of the ’70s. From a lyrical standpoint I look at that.”
Velan’s newest release Fables for Fighters, his fourth album, brings his influence from classic songwriters but with a unique twist different from his other albums.
“It’s different in the sense that I recorded it right off the floor – the vocals, guitars, drums, bass it was all live takes,” he said. “It’s got more of a rawer feel than previous albums.”
Writing lyrics has always come easy to Velan, who is inspired by humanitarian issues and experiences from his own life.
“I get fired up and affected by social issues, humanitarian issues, that kind of thing,” he said. “I’m not a political songwriter, it’s just that mode can sometimes get me. It can be something I read, something I see, something I learn about that triggers an emotion in me that’s compelling enough to make into a song.”
Writing and performing has also become a form of therapy for Velan.
“I try to make sense of my own life path through music,” he said. “I’m trying to identify my identity in music. It allows me to explain the world through song.”
Velan’s upcoming performance in Bragg Creek is part of a two-week Western Canada tour also including Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary.
Performing in Bragg Creek has been a long time coming, he said.
“I’m really looking forward to that,” he said. “It’s been on the books for about a year.”
Velan said he hasn’t made it out to Western Canada as much as he would have liked.
“I haven’t toured Western Canada enough and I want to change that,” he said, “I want to come to Calgary and Edmonton.”
Bragg Creek and area fans can expect songs from his recent album Fables for Fighters, his previous albums and new material.
Bragg Creek Performing Arts chairperson and artistic director Brenda Bone said they are excited to bring Velan to the stage in Bragg Creek.
“I heard him on the radio and I really liked him,” she said. “His music is upbeat, but the lyrics are fairly serious and heavy. They are conveyed in such a way that you think about it in a happy way and you come away feeling really good and maybe slightly motivated to do something a little more.”
Tickets to attend Chris Velan’s concert at the Bragg Creek Centre are $29 for adults, $27 for seniors and $5 for students (when presenting a school ID card) and can be purchased at braggcreekperformingarts.com, 403-949-4114 or at Spirits West Liquor Store in the Bragg Creek Shopping Centre.
Children under the age of seven are free.
