Bernadette La Hengst: „Warum ich so laut singen kann“

To mark the publication of her book “Warum ich so laut singen kann” (Ausgewählte Songtexte und Erläuterungen, VÖ: 11.4.25 Ventil Verlag), Bernadette La Hengst will read from the book, tell stories and play some of her songs live. An entertaining evening awaits us, immersing us in the work of this exceptional artist – from her beginnings with her Hamburg all-female band “Die Braut haut ins Auge” to the present day.

Bernadette La Hengst is the most multi-faceted protagonist of the so-called Hamburg School. She is “the only German soul singer” (R. Jellen/Junge Welt), “rebellious life artist” (Der Freitag) and “agitation chanteuse” (her label Trikont). As a solo artist, with her band “Die Braut haut ins Auge” and with projects such as Die Zukunft or the Schwabinggrad Ballett, she has released almost 20 albums since 1988. How many people she has encouraged to make music is uncounted. She is not only a great songwriter and musician, but also a director, choirmaster, radio presenter, pioneer and femme de lettres.

In the 1990s, her band “Die Braut haut ins Auge” was “neither discourse pop nor riot grrrl or pop mainstream” (La Hengst) and therefore too unique for the big market. Bernadette La Hengst is always too pop, too female or too unique for that. She prefers to be one of the most interesting and eloquent German lyricists. Who else can disguise political discourse as love songs as skillfully as Bernadette does in the song “Dilemma”? Just turn “The private is political” around and it works wonderfully. Who, if not Bernadette, can translate autobiographical themes into such great lyrics as the titular “Warum ich so laut singen kann”? This book is the first comprehensive collection of her song lyrics. The volume contains 100 lyrics and numerous explanatory notes.

She talks about this at the Kiosk with musician and author Claudia Kaiser. She was once active in Munich’s legendary band “The Moulinettes” and promises to be a congenial conversation partner.