Biography

HELMUT LOTTI — A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

In the beginning there was a small boy for whom singing was as natural as breathing, sleeping, or eating. Helmut was born on October 22, 1969, in St. Amandsberg, Belgium. In school he studied languages and computer science. Helmut was five when he heard Elvis for the first time and he has said in interviews, "Elvis taught me how to sing." He was also influenced by Mario Lanza. Lack of funds for music lessons did not keep Helmut from performing on request for church, school, parties — and the girls.

When Helmut was 19 his mom entered him in a contest as an Elvis impersonator. He sang My Boy and placed second — and his career took off. Within two months he was at the top in Belgium. He and his group performed regularly and produced one album per year:

Vlaamse Nachten 1991

Alles Wat Ik Voel 1992 Memories 1993

Just for You 1994

Romantic and Romantic II are later compilations of songs from this series of pop recordings.

In 1995 Helmut was planning to produce a pop album with a symphonic orchestra. He sang Caruso (by Lucio Dalla) at a try-out concert and received a two minute standing ovation.

His manager, Piet Roelen, told him, ". . . we’re going to do a classic program." And so the "Classic" series began. The first classic album was so successful, he caught the attention of Pavarotti, who endorsed him with these words, "He is a powerful performer and a fine singer." Montserrat Caballe, opera diva and mentor of such tenors as Jose Carrera, spoke of Helmut’s voice as in the tradition of bel canto and "very beautiful."

The "Classic" series of performances include:

Helmut Lotti Goes Classic 1995

Helmut Lotti Goes Classic II 1996

Helmut Lotti Goes Classic, Cleydael Castle 1997 (Originally "Classic III")

Helmut Lotti Goes Classic, Final Edition 1998

A Classical Christmas 1998

Helmut Lotti Classic III 1999 Hannover, Germany
(This is a re-recording of the original "Classics" 1995 program. In the U.S. as shown on PBS, it is called "Helmut Lotti: Original Classics")

During these first years (1989-2001), Helmut married, had a child, lost a close friend, divorced, and performed as many as five concerts per week in Benelux, South Africa, Germany, Austria, Denmark, and Canada. In 1997 he joined Placido Domingo, Sarah Brightman, and Riccardo Cocciante in recording A Gala Christmas in Vienna with the Vienna Symphony.

In 1999, having developed a love for South Africa and its rhythms, Helmut chose to go a different direction. He and his team transformed authentic African songs into a program for symphony orchestra, choir, and soloist. Out of Africa was recorded on location at the Bosotho Cultural Village in the Maluti Mountains in South Africa.

Latino Classics, released in October of 2000, continued Helmut's exploration of the world's music. The rhythms of Latin America have their roots in the music that crossed the Atlantic on slave ships from Africa. Each country has added its own special flavoring. The end result was an album that sold 100,000 copies before it was even released! The album Latino Love Songs was released in the fall of 2001 and is a follow-on to Latino Classics.

In 2002, Helmut's career took yet another direction, as he returned to his "pop" roots with a special project he had wanted to do for many years.....the music of Elvis Presley. With the album "My Tribute To The King", Helmut has come full circle from age 5 (when he first heard Presley sing) to maturity.....with his own interpretations of the songs made famous by Elvis.

"Pop Classics in Symphony", released in 2003, illustrated Helmut's drive to sing all kinds of music, including pop songs made famous during the 1960's.

"From Russia With Love", produced in 2004, may well be Helmut's crowning achievement. Filmed in Russia, with beautiful photography, historical information, and Russian folk-music as sung by Helmut, FRWL is more than just a video. It is a documentary, worthy of being seen by all peoples interested in knowing about and understanding the countries of our world.

Helmut is fluent in Dutch (his native tongue), English, German, and French. In his popular recordings and in the "Classics" series he sang his music in nine languages: Dutch, English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew, Russian, and Latin — all with excellent enunciation. In Out of Africa he added several native African languages (Zulu, Swahili, Xhosa) and Afrikaans (South African Dutch). Portuguese joined the language list in Latino Classics.

American PBS signed Helmut to a three year television contract in 1997 and his "classic" programs were first aired in the USA in May of that year. This is how most Americans first heard of him. In January, 1999, Helmut and company took the next step toward going truly international. The New York and Boston concerts were sold out before anyone had the chance to arrange publicity. In June of 1999 Helmut appeared in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Schenectady, Cleveland, Detroit, Wallingford (CT), and Washington, D.C.

Photo by Coco Leavitt at
the Washington concert

What sets Helmut apart, besides his voice and charismatic personality, is his creativity. He brings the folk ballads, operatic arias, and great classic melodies alive with a fresh style and interpretation.

Helmut does not read music nor does he play an instrument. Everything is by ear. He says "When it’s about music, there is something going around in my head all the time." First he finds (or creates) a melody he likes. The melody is restructured into pop form: a verse, a couplet, a chorus, etc. He writes the lyrics when he is alone. Then he and Andre Walschaerts, his music director, work out the chord structure at the piano. Helmut describes the process: ". . . it’s like working out a puzzle." When the lyrics and the music fit, Wim Bohets orchestrates it and rehearsals begin. There is a bank of stereo equipment in Helmut’s car and he works while he drives — listening to tapes and making notes of changes to be made. Each individual piece of music is rehearsed, reworked, and polished into the gem we hear in the final recording.

Some of Helmut’s music is autobiographical. In the "classic" series his original songs are connected to personal events. I Don’t Know Why, a hauntingly beautiful piece, was his response to the death of a close friend. In My Love Will Never Die he told his six year old daughter he would always be there for her.

The demands of Helmut’s profession control his life now but he finds ways to make work fun. With a mischievous smile, he tells the interviewer, "Singing is not work — interviews are work" and "Music is how I communicate — this is my social life." While he seems not to take himself seriously, he is intense in his quest for perfection. He demands the best of himself and others.

Photo courtesy of
Raymond Vandenhoudt

From Lisa del Bo, who has performed with Helmut many times, " Helmut does not deny his origins and he respects others. He never gives you the impression that it is to him that one should owe their success. The musicians accompany him in smiles not just to earn their everyday living . . . "

Soft spoken and disarming in his response to people, Helmut’s interaction with his audience is almost unique. He says, with his hands in a circle, "I love the audience. I give them energy — they give me energy — it’s communication."

To keep fit, Helmut jogs or cycles and once aspired to a competitive cycling career — he says he had the endurance, but not enough speed. When an interviewer asked how he spends his money, he answered, "I live in a ‘hired’ house and drive a ‘normal’ car . . . I bought a good bicycle." He describes himself as "very" conservative, focused, and driven to perform.

What does the future hold? Gospel, Country, Jazz, the Blues, Broadway, a movie? Certainly many concert tours. Those of us who have had the good fortune to experience Helmut in person are convinced he is destined to become one of the best loved singers of our time.

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