Professional surfer, olympic competitor, musician, social worker - call him what you like. One thing is for sure: Fabian Heidegger has already experienced a lot and has much more to tell! In today's interview he talks about his new music project "Seel.a" and his song “Better must come”, about reggae music and his experiences, about his dreams and his work with migrants and much, much more...

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salto.bz: Hello Fabian, thank you very much for taking time for this interview. "Better Must Come" is your first song as "Seel.a" - what does it mean to you?

Fabian Heidegger: The first release of my new project means a lot to me. I started writing “Better must come” at the refugees’ camp, in Bolzano, it’s an expression of the people’s feelings there. “Only God can help us, we cannot go one like this, we pray for a better tomorrow", these are words that I kept hearing repeatedly. During one of my night shift at the camp, while I was strumming the guitar, the chorus just appeared in my mind: "Lord I pray, Lord I pray, we need a new way, better must come, I hope one day, we will find a better way". The people around me got exited, “we feel the vibe”, they said and encouraged me to keep working on that. I finished the entire song at the camp, listening to the people’s stories, elaborating them together, and transforming them directly into lyrics and melodies. Music is all about transforming negative into positive! It was the first song that I wrote there, many more followed. "Better must come" is the first photography of this journey, the whole production of the song is an unforgettable story that will forever be a part of me. Some of the migrants became great friends of mine and were involved all the way through; we had a lot of fun and shared some amazing moments!

During one of my night shift at the camp, while I was strumming the guitar, the chorus just appeared in my mind: "Lord I pray, Lord I pray, we need a new way, better must come, I hope one day, we will find a better way". The people around me got exited, “we feel the vibe”, they said and encouraged me to keep working on that. I finished the entire song at the camp, listening to the people’s stories, elaborating them together, and transforming them directly into lyrics and melodies.

Music is for me... soul food.

Water is for me... clarity.

Until a few years ago you were a professional surfer. Then in 2013 you decided to give up your career and dedicate yourself to music - how did this step come about?

It was an effortless, natural process. A series of realisations brought me to a point where I just had to admit, that my motivation was gone. I wasn’t anymore able to dedicate all my energy to the sport, I got tired of competing. It just made no sense to me after a certain point. I wanted to direct my energy and passion towards something new. It was important to me to do music, and find a job, where I can be useful for others. I have seen many people suffering during my journey and at some point I realized how privileged I am. It was time for me to contribute something to society. Reggae music and the Rastafari culture opened my eyes and guided me into a different direction.

You just mentioned it, during your sporting career you have travelled many different countries and got to know their different cultures and ways of life - could one say that these experiences are reflected in your music?

Without a doubt. I am so grateful for what happened in my life. This whole “Olympic Windsurfing story” was and still is an enormous blessing. It formed me as a human being; I learned most of my skills during that journey. It shaped my mind and my whole conception of life. This world is a place full of diversity. Over the years I’ve been traveling to over 30 different countries, and experienced many different realities, wich changed my life completely. I realized a long time ago, that I was born in a very lucky place. Travelling made me more humble, more conscious, and more curious. It made me a happier person and it gave me the desire to share my experiences. I love to talk about the beauty of this planet, it's cultures, food and music. Everything I do is influenced a lot by all that.

Let's get back to the music. What does the name "Seel.a" actually stand for?

During my sports career, I spent a lot of time in Israel. I have even been living there for some years. Everybody knows Jerusalem as one of the world’s most famous spiritual and historical cities. During this time, I’ve learned a lot about the so called “Holy Scriptures”, the Torah, the Koran and the Bible. The word "Selah" is found seventy-one times in the book of psalms, mostly in the end of a passage or a chapter. The meaning of the word could be described as “stop and reflect”. It is there to remind you to interiorize the content and understand the message. I kind of identify with that, because I love to observe and reflect deeply about my daily life experiences. I love to sit in a corner with my guitar, interpreting what I see, that is why I chose this name because it represents my personality. I just changed the spelling to not make it too obvious.

The word "Selah" is found seventy-one times in the book of psalms, mostly in the end of a passage or a chapter. The meaning of the word could be described as “stop and reflect”. It is there to remind you to interiorize the content and understand the message. I kind of identify with that, because I love to observe and reflect deeply about my daily life experiences. I love to sit in a corner with my guitar, interpreting what I see, that is why I chose this name because it represents my personality.

What does Reggae mean to you?

Reggae means everything to me, it's way more than just a sound. It’s history, rebellion, education, positivity, hope, spiritually, passion, exercise for mind and body, it is the music of the poor and oppressed. Reggae is a firm rock in my life, a lively fire burning inside of me. This music helps me to connect with the creator. The message of Rastafari is being transported out into the world on this musical vehicle. Reggae means „One love/One heart“. Honestly, I’ve never heard about better slogan than that.

(Reggae) is history, rebellion, education, positivity, hope, spiritually, passion, exercise for mind and body, it is the music of the poor and oppressed.

And how would you describe your music?

The project is definitely rooted in Reggae, but it fusions sometimes. I don’t really feel the need to categorize every song I write. In my team, I have some very talented, experienced and professional musicians, all coming from a different musical background. Over the years, I have learned a lot from them. One of our major goals is to let expression be free. When you’re writing a song you don’t think of a genre. Inspiration comes without boundaries. For me it is always very important to find out at first, what kind of musical arrangement a story needs. My mentor, guitarist, musical arranger and producer, Marco Gardini, taught me of how to think outside the box. He played a major role in shaping me as a singer and songwriter. All the musicians in the band have their own style. We never drop an idea just because it might not be within a certain genre. The most important question is “does it sound and feel good, or not”? In summary, my music can be described as “Message Music”. We have songs with a different style too, for example, the acoustic single “Broken Boat” which I haven’t released yet.

Where will your journey go?

My short-term goal is to finish mixing and mastering the songs I have already recorded. I plan to release five singles during the next month. At the end of the summer I will decide if I will put them together as an EP or if I will release an entire album. We have many more recordings scheduled; it will be a very busy period while working in the studio. We are currently working on creating another branch of the project, “Seel.a Acoustic”. If the situation permits, I will do an acoustic tour during the winter. For the next season, I am planning to tour with the full band as well.

What is your greatest musical dream?

My vision is to use music for bringing people together and share a spiritual experience, regardless of their origin, gender, religion or political believe. I want to see all kind of people at my shows, enjoying themselves and overcome social barriers.

And can you also tell us your biggest dream that has nothing to do with music?

I am glad you are asking me this question. A couple of times in my life I was confronted with situations that made me feel like I am close to death. For example in 2012, I had to hide in underground shelters while rockets where falling down on Tel Aviv. I was just 150 meters from where one of them landed. Once I got lost very far out in the ocean, during a very heavy winter storm in the island of Formentera in Spain. I broke the mast of my sail; my friends rescued me after hours of hours of fear. I saw some of my beloved people dying, not long ago. I buried my brother "Big Man" Abdoul Naseer (May God hold him in perfect peace) with my own hands together with my friends. These experiences showed me what really matters in life: family, togetherness and harmony. I have great friends, they are family to me too. I have great parents who love and support me a lot, and a brother that I love very much. I have two miraculous kids and a true Empress by my side. I love them from the bottom of my heart. No words can explain how thankful I am to be with them and enjoy life. We walk over mountains and through the valleys together; therefore, my dream is simple: I want to love the life I live, and live the life I love, together with my people.

(...) therefore, my dream is simple: I want to love the life I live, and live the life I love, together with my people.

Could you describe yourself in three words...

Sensitive, passionate, stubborn.

Can you describe your music in three words please...

Honest, encouraging, emotional.

Do you have musical idols or models that inspire you?

Many artists from different genres inspire me. The most significant once from the Reggae/Dancehall/Dub genre are: Lee „Scratch“ Perry, Bob Marley, The Heptones, Gregory Isaacs, Culture, Dennis Brown, Jah Shaka, Alpha Blondy, Chronixx, Jesse Royal, all of the Marley Brothers, Popcaan and Jahmiel. From other genres: Ben Harper, Black Pumas, Lou Reed, Ali Farka, Gang Starr, 2Pac, Dr. Der, Quincy Jones and James Brown.

You worked as a social worker in a refugee camp for three years and since then you have been engaging with migrants a lot - could you tell us more about it, also about the fact that you became a personal contact person for the migrants and a kind of bridge between them and locals?

During my journey as an athlete, I travelled a lot; I have learned to communicate with many people with a different cultural background. I know how to talk different languages, and I’m used to adapt myself to almost any environment. I thought that my abilities would be helpful in the refugees’ camp. After my first day of work I realized, that this is going to be much more than just a job, it was humanitarian emergency. The situation in 2015-, ‘16 and ‘17 was very challenging, so many people were brought to Bolzano with governmental buses. I remember the vibe, you could feel it in the air and you could see it in their eyes, they have been through things that no human being should ever have to go through. Some migrants were in disastrous conditions, they had bruises all over their body, and some of them were so weak that they could not even stand on their own two feet. Almost each one of them was in a state of shock and deeply traumatized from experiences in Libya or the Balkan route.

We had to organise and manage the situation the best we could. It was about providing food, hot tea, first aid, medical checks and accompanying them to the police station where they get fingerprinted and officially apply for asylum. Different people, from different countries, have very different needs. From day to day, I got more and more used to this environment and to the countless horrible stories, I’ve heard. It was a challenging period, but it was great too. Overtime the guests of the camp became real friends of mine and some of them are like family to me.

A migrant has to overcome so many obstacles, it can be very frustrating, you need to be very strongminded and patient and you need help from the local population. So many wonderful people do not receive a permission of stay; therefore, they are forced to stay out in the streets without an opportunity, without a chance of finding a regular job or renting an apartment. In the world we are living in, you cannot do nothing at all if you do not have the right papers.

I quit my job at the refugees’ camp in 2018 but I am still connected with the people. I try to be like a bridge between migrants and locals, organize meetings and bring them together. People ask me for help in many situations, I just try to give them support wherever I can. Sometimes it’s about accompanying someone to court, or to the hospital or just someone you can talk to about everything you want. I am very thankful for this great experience, migrants brought the world to my home and I love that. We learn a lot from each other, which is the true power of diversity; we can complete each other because in the end we are all equal. We are all just people with dreams, hopes and goals, longing for love.

Will there then also be a song from you about these experiences?

Yeah that is true; I actually have two more songs talking about the struggle of migrants. The first one is “Hold on”, I am going to release it very soon. It is the story of a migrant that has reached Europe and is trying to make it in this harsh environment. It is about patience and hope. Migrants always have to wait for something: for an appointment, for papers, for an answer, for a phone call, for a place to sleep or for a trial in court. In the lyrics of “Hold on”, I say that those who are faithful will overcome all obstacles and reach their goals in the end. I really believe that! The second single “Broken boat”, is a very emotional, heart-breaking acoustic song. I was actually crying tears while recording it. I wrote the lyrics together with my close friend and true brother, Khan Arif Mohamed, from Bangladesh. He is a photographer and video maker and a part of the “Seel.a” Project.

And as a final question, what actually happened to your first great passion, surfing?

For over ten years, my life was all about windsurfing, eating, sleeping and preparing the next competition. I just needed a long break, but the passion is coming back slowly. I really enjoy going fo a ride at the lake when I get the opportunity. My two kids get very excited when they see a surfboard and I cannot wait to teach them. This sport will forever be part of my life that is for sure.

Many thanks for the pleasant conversation!

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