Java.July.2017

I enjoy the work. And having that technique gave me
even more freedom, creatively speaking, because I
didn’t have the vocal limitations that I may have had
before.” Around this time Vivette started performing
at weddings, resorts and special events.
One place in particular that she holds dear in
her heart is Amangiri. The exclusive resort on
the Arizona/Utah border often draws a celebrity
clientele, looking to get away from it all. As part of
the resort experience, guests rode on horseback into
a canyon where Vivette would be singing with bats
swirling all around her. She described the feeling as
almost like being in a Western film. She nicknamed
the place God’s Ear, as she had prayed for a child
during her time there, and a month later she was
pregnant with her daughter.
Despite Vivette’s extensive classical training, she
decided to join a couple of bands. One of them was
called WOMB, an acronym for Warriors Of Make
Believe. While in that band, she met Christina
Cole, who in turn introduced her to her husband,
Gardner Cole, an American songwriter and music
producer who has notably worked with Tina Turner
and Madonna. He and Vivette developed a fluid
professional relationship and began working on
a project that would turn into her debut solo album,
Pour Amélie. The record is an amalgamation of
sounds and styles that stretches Vivette’s voice in
myriad directions. It’s a tribute to motherhood and a
psalm to her now two-year-old daughter, Amélie.
Vivette’s process for making recorded music is a bit
different than when she performs live. She feels as
though she has more freedom in the studio and calls
it a sort of digital playground. Sometimes Gardner
has music pre-written for her to sing, and sometimes
they create the melodies and lyrics together. One
of the key sources of support for Vivette throughout
her creative endeavors has been her fiancé, Yves
A. Klein, the son of the late renowned French artist
Yves Klein. Her fiancé’s art deals with cutting-edge
technology, including robotic sculpture.
Vivette and Gardner also have a group project called
Secret Element and recently added internationally
renowned violinist Thula Ngwenyama to the
ensemble. The music has a wide variety of styles
with an orchestral backing and is generated primarily
for movie or television use. Vivette says that the
creative energy is high between all three, and they
vibe well together. The project has allowed Vivette
to further express her varied range. Going forward,
she hopes to incorporate more work in various spaces
that are abandoned or secluded in some way for
performances and recordings.
Another favorite project that Vivette worked on was
Fabric + Space, held in an unused upper floor of the
Hanny’s building, in collaboration with Oscar De Las
Salas and Chris Loomis back in December 2012. An
improvisational performance art piece, Fabric + Space
took an empty volume and inserted kinetic sculpture
accompanied by music, drums and Vivette’s hypnotic
operatic singing. Vivette also collaborated with the
late Janice Leonard on the Project Red shows. For
Vivette, Leonard was a pure creative who never
rejected ideas outright. She allowed Vivette to share
in a space that was free of judgment.
One of the most important developments in Vivette’s
life has been motherhood. It has, in her words,
broken her—in the best of ways. “It gives a depth
to the work in the sense that children break you,
but for the better,” said Vivette. “They force you to
look at the world from the perspective of others who
come before you. And that, mixed with Amélie’s
unconditional love, for me was something I had
never really experienced before. The depth of those
feelings is something I pull from on a creative level,
allowing me to feel deeply grounded in a more
creative way.”
JAVA 11
MAGAZINE