Written interview with vocalist, composer, educator Simona De Rosa and Michał Ciesielski & CONFUSION PROJECT – FEATHERS․
Jazz Blues European Union: – Thank you for taking the time to have this interview with Jazz Blues EU. Tell us about your music. When did you start performing?
Simona De Rosa: Sure thing, it’s my pleasure! I started performing at 18 with a small R&B band in my hometown, Napoli. While continuing my studies, I began playing with jazz orchestras and jazz bands. I’d say I decided to become a full-time musician around the age of 23. On the very day of my graduation in Geological Science, I told my parents I had chosen a different path. And here I am, 20 years later making music and performing around the world.
Michał Ciesielski (leader of Confusion Project): Thank you for inviting us! I was studying classical piano since I was 6 in a music school in my hometown, Wejherowo, Poland, so performing at school events was something I was doing quite regularly as a kid. The first paid gig, that made me feel like a “real” artist was much later, already during my jazz studies, I think I was maybe 19 or 20 back then.
What do you consider to be your hometown and how does that affect your music?
Simona De Rosa: Definitely Napoli. Although I left nearly 15 years ago and have lived on three continents, when I think of “home” in terms of heritage, I think of Napoli. Today, home is where my husband is. Napoli is a kaleidoscopic city. Its historical and musical heritage offers so much to learn and discover. Being born and raised there shaped 100% of my personality and the way I sing. Living abroad, on the other hand, taught me to approach life with a more international mindset. Being exposed to different cultures has enriched my musical vocabulary enormously.
Michał Ciesielski: I Was born and raised in Wejherowo, a small town close to Gdańsk, which is the biggest city of northern Poland, with a very vibrant and unique music scene. I moved to Gdańsk when I started studying at the local music conservatory and that’s where I became a professional musician. The conservatory teachers, but also my fellow students and friends with whom I formed my first bands where the ones who shaped me as a musician and who inspired me in many ways sharing their knowledge and inspirations with me. I had an opportunity to live in some other cities and countries later on, which also had a huge impact on me, but Gdańsk will forever be my hometown – at least music wise.
What performers have been your inspiration?
Simona De Rosa: I’d say my greatest inspirations were my parents. They’re not musicians, but I consider my father, a great performer in his own way. As an entrepreneur, he taught me to keep my eyes wide open, to be outgoing, and to embrace the challenges life throws at you. He’s definitely my number one life inspiration.
My mother was the first to introduce me to singing. She has a beautiful voice, even though she never performed publicly, only for us, the family. Many of my earliest songs came from time spent with her at home or in the car.
Michał Ciesielski: Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Brad Mehldau, Tigran Hamasyan to name a few. I was also lucky to study with and be inspired by some of the best musicians of the Polish jazz scene, such as: Leszek Możdżer, Włodzimierz Nahorny, Leszek Kułakowski or Sławek Jaskułke.
What do you find most challenging about being an independent artist in today’s music industry?
Simona De Rosa: As much as you might believe your music is great and your performances are appreciated, keeping up with today’s market can be exhausting. Today, being a good musician isn’t enough, you also need to be your own media manager, graphic designer, booking agent, and more. Honestly, about 70% of the job has nothing to do with making music, yet it’s what gets you on stage. It’s kind of crazy when you think about it.
Michał Ciesielski: I totally agree with Simona. All these struggles make you wanna quit so many times. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that what you do as a musician has any value, especially when you keep getting rejected by venues and festivals. But then, once you’re finally on stage and you see how your music affects the audience, all doubts are gone.
What do you base your success on?
Simona De Rosa: If you can call it success, well then being able to build tours and having a growing audience that buys your music. That’s success to me.
Michał Ciesielski: I believe music has a power to heal, to make us more compassionate, more in touch with our own feelings. Whenever I see evidence that my music has had this effect on any of my listeners I feel successful. For me that’s the biggest accomplishment I could wish for.
Can you talk about your experiences collaborating with other artists or musicians? How does it influence your creative process?
Simona De Rosa: From the beginning of my career, I’ve performed with jazz bands. In jazz, collaboration is almost second nature because of the genre’s structure. But it’s only recently that I’ve truly experienced what deep collaboration means.
My latest album, Feathers, is the result of a solid friendship and collaboration with Polish pianist Michał Ciesielski and his trio, Confusion Project. Michał and I have built music together, planned tours, envisioned the band’s needs, and shaped the future of the project. That, to me, is the true meaning of collaboration.
On Feathers, we also included artists from different genres and countries, like The Bulgarian Voices of Berlin, NasiafromAsia from Kazakhstan, and Ziad Trabelsi from Tunisia. These collaborations add real flavor to the music we create. For me, musical collaboration is the engine of the entire creative process.
Michał Ciesielski: I have been very lucky so far, when it comes to my musical collaborations. My trio – Confusion Project (with Piotr Gierszewski on bass and Adam Golicki on drums) has been my longest and most fruitful music collaboration. We started playing together over 12 years ago, when, I hope Piotr and Adam would agree, we were still at the beginning of our paths as musicians, when we all still had a lot to learn. We matured together and grew by playing together, that is something I will be grateful forever.
In 2018 I moved from Gdańsk to Beijing, where I met many extraordinary musicians from all around the world, Simona being one of them. I learned that music can be perceived in so many different ways, depending whether you come from Poland, Italy, North America, Latin America, Asia, etc etc. It’s been an eye opener for me. I’m glad some friendships survived all these years, and I still get to play with some of the musicians I met in Beijing. I also feel privileged that my friendship with Simona has deepened so much ever since we came back from China, and even though we don’t live in the same country anymore, we’re closer than we’ve ever been, both on stage and as friends.
What was your latest musical release?
Simona De Rosa: “Feathers”: an album that speaks many languages and takes the listener on a journey around the world.
Michał Ciesielski: It took a lot of time and work for all of us, but especially Simona. I’m so happy it’s released and we can finally share the music with whoever wants to give it a listen.
Do you have any news to share? Could you share the story behind your latest new CD SIMONA DE ROSA & CONFUSION PROJECT – FEATHERS and what inspired its creation?
SIMONA DE ROSA: We’re currently touring Europe, but we also plan to take Feathers to Asia, where we already toured in 2024. In fact, right after the tour in China and Poland, Michał and I decided to create an album together. We wanted to carry forward the sonic atmosphere of Djenub, an album we recorded in China, but with more original material. And so we did, creating Feathers, a global album with a personal voice.
Michał Ciesielski: Simona for the last several years has been traveling around the world, doing research on traditional music of different regions of the world. An album that blends ethnic music with jazz is definitely a natural consequence of her research and inspirations. I was extremely happy when Simona shared her idea for the album with me, I love folk music, but it’s always a challenge to arrange it in a modern way, without loosing it’s original depth and beauty. I hope we succeeded, but I guess the listener has the final say.
How does your latest album fit into your creative path? Is this a goal you wanted to achieve?
Simona De Rosa: Absolutely. My ongoing research into world music naturally led me to Feathers, and I truly believe this is just the beginning. So yes, one goal has been achieved, but I’m already looking forward to next year and beyond.
Michał Ciesielski: After coming back to Europe in 2022, we decided to organise a tour – Simona and Confusion Project. We did it in the summer of 2023, and the moment we played together we knew, we had to record an album together. I’m glad this album is a piece of evidence showing the unique energy the 4 of us have when performing together. This album is definitely something I wanted to achieve for a long time and I do hope it’s one of many albums we do together.
How do you approach the process of songwriting, and are there any specific themes or emotions you tend to explore in your music?
Simona De Rosa: I usually start with rhythm. It might be unusual for a singer, but rhythm is what inspires me the most; it’s the foundation that helps me build melodies. When I compose, it’s not always about a specific emotion from the start. Instead, I focus on how the melody makes me feel as I sing it.
Michał Ciesielski: In general I like to think of music as an abstract way of storytelling. I’m a huge fan of movie soundtracks, composers like John Williams, Alan Menken or Yoko Kanno. I admire the variety of emotions and nuances you can find in their music, the use of leitmotivs, the way they build tension through harmonies and time. I try to give my music an illustrative factor too. I try to translate some of my memories, thoughts, hopes and worries to the abstract language of music. Two of the previous albums of Confusion Project – “Primal” and “Last” are both concept albums, with tracks being chapters of one consistent story. I give the hint of the plot with the titles of each song but I leave the rest to the interpretation of the listener.
As an indie musician, how do you navigate the balance between creative freedom and commercial appeal?
Simona De Rosa: When I was younger, I never thought about commercial appeal, I just followed my artistic instincts. But now, as a woman with a family, living abroad and managing expenses, I’ve learned it’s important to identify income streams through music. That doesn’t mean compromising your artistic vision, but steering your work in a direction that can reach more people isn’t a bad thing. It creates a cycle of engagement: audiences grow, and with that comes more interest from managers, festivals, and promoters.
Michał Ciesielski: As a musician I have to be aware of the commercial aspect of what I do. It’s important how I promote my music, how I manage my social media, wether I have some good photos or music videos. However when it comes to music – I believe the moment I compromise my honesty and freedom as an artist in order to get more commercial appeal is the moment I should stop being a musician. After all – my honesty, individuality and sensitivity are the only things that distinguish me from others. Once I let go of it, what have I left to offer?
What role does technology and social media play in promoting your music and connecting with your audience?
Simona De Rosa: In recent years, I’ve started approaching every creative project by asking: how can this be turned into meaningful media content? It’s definitely less romantic than before, but this is the direction the industry is moving in and unfortunately, there’s no turning back. Social media has become a crucial part of how we share our work and stay connected with listeners.
Michał Ciesielski: Social media have become one of the most important tools of promoting one’s music and building a community around an artist. It’s a challenge, because I believe that, especially in our genre you need more than a couple of seconds to show the value of what you do. But on the other hand it is the easiest way of sharing news and reaching your audience. I think it’s important to strike a balance between social media and other ways of promoting what you do, such as interviews on various radio stations and platforms, sending your music to reviewers and what is most important – always doing your best on stage. A good performance will benefit you more than any social media campaign.
Could you describe a memorable live performance experience or tour that has had a lasting impact on you and your music?
Simona De Rosa: The first time I toured in Vietnam and China was truly transformative. I came back home feeling like a completely different person. It made such a strong impact that I eventually decided tomove to Asia and live there for a few years. I can’t fully explain it, but it was a life-changing experience for me, personally and musically.
Michał Ciesielski: Performing as a support act before a solo concert of Hiromi Uehara. It was a very humbling yet motivating experience, she is an extraordinary artist with the cosmic control over her instrument. Listening to her right after listening to myself playing on the same stage was the best motivation I had ever had.
In an era of streaming platforms, how do you feel about the changing landscape of music consumption and its impact on independent musicians?
Simona De Rosa: It’s similar to what I mentioned about social media; everything now moves at a “fast food” pace. I’m still creating music that doesn’t quite fit into that world, so being an independent musician can sometimes feel like being a small fish in a very big ocean. That’s why creating media content is essential. It helps you stay visible, and eventually reach the audience your music deserves.
Michał Ciesielski: On one hand releasing music has never been that easy and cheap. On the other hand there was never so much music released everyday, so it’s as competitive as ever.
When it comes to music consumption I noticed that less and less people listen to full albums, but rather to single songs, which for me is a little bit like reading random chapters of a book instead of reading the whole book. It’s impossible to get the full understanding of what it’s about. Another game changer is the fact that the algorithms actually favour artists that release a single every 2 months, rather than artists releasing an album every 2 years. So from a perspective of a person who did several concept albums in the past, that’s a bummer. I’m trying to stay positive though – on the other hand there’s more and more people buying vinyl records, so people who actually put some effort to put the album into the table-turner, adjust the needle, etc, etc. I guess there’s still a fair amount of people listening to full albums with their full attention.
Musicians often have a close relationship with their fanbase. How do you engage with your fans and build a dedicated community around your music?
Michał Ciesielski: I believe nothing works better than eye-to-eye contact. I’m always trying to talk to people after my performances, to have enough time to take photos, chat, exchange ideas with whoever is willing to come and say “Hi”. Of course being active on social media is also important, but honestly I know there’s still room for improvement on my side.
Simona De Rosa: Just like Michał said, it’s about building real connections, before and after concerts, and staying responsive on social media. In today’s world, we’re losing the quality of personal interaction, but musicians still have this beautiful outlet for social connection. I truly value the chance to talk with people and share that moment through music.
How can fans find you? Lastly, please share some final words with the fans.
Simona De Rosa: You can find me through my website: www.simonaderosa.com, or on Instagram: @simonaderosamusic.
And to all my fans: Thank you for being by my side. See you behind the stage… or at the bar!
Michał Ciesielski: You’re all welcome to visit our official website – https://www.confusion-project.com/ as well as our fan pages on Instagram and Facebook. You’ll find our music on all major streaming platforms, and you can buy our music through Bandcamp. We also have quite a few concerts coming up this year, so if you’re nearby, come and say “Hi”, we’d be happy to chat. Final words to the fans – keep searching for new artists and new music, music is such a unique form of art, and there’s an ocean of music worth discovering!
By Olivia Peevas
