On the morning of the awards ceremony, the hall on the third floor of the Literaturhaus is brightly lit by a window front. The guests sit obediently in long rows of chairs. So there isn’t exactly a party atmosphere when the musician enters the stage. But Gündalein, whose real name is Isabel Leila Gütlein, quickly takes over the room for himself. “White Folks listen to me,” she raps in her best-known song “Black Lives Matter.” And the audience, regardless of skin color, doesn’t just listen, they are spellbound by her. Gündalein has a voice that gets under your skin and lyrics that are memorable. She mixes hip-hop and rap with jazz and soul elements, merging Amy Winehouse with Lauryn Hill, as she says herself. Sometimes she raps, sometimes she sings.
“Black Lives Matter. Today. Tomorrow. Always. And Forever,” she shouts to the audience. It’s a political message. Gündalein, 21, sees herself not only as a singer, but also as an activist who fights against discrimination. The daughter of a German and a Ugandan has experienced discrimination herself, she once said in an interview. For example, people moved away from her on the S-Bahn. Or grabbed her hair.
For the first few years she lived with her parents in various African countries; in 2005 her mother died of malaria. The family moved to Munich and the grandmother became an important caregiver for Gündalein. She has already gone through difficult phases in her life, says Gündalein. But on stage she feels strong. She wants to encourage others – with her music and also with a rap academy at the Bellevue di Monaco cultural center in Munich. There she gives her friend Noah Kuckler-Kretschmann, who performs as a rapper under the name ESC Rilla, help others start rapping.
So far, Gündalein has played mainly in Munich and the Bavarian region. This year she has planned other stages in Germany and also in England. Your goal is the big stages, the really big musical career.
The singer is still not taken off. So at the Blattmacher award ceremony she was immediately ready to talk to the school newspaper editor Friedo, who interviewed Gündalein for their podcast.
Laura Gold (left) from the Friedo school newspaper editorial team interviewed the singer Gündalein.
(Photo: private)
Friedo: When did you start making music?
Gündalein: I’ve actually been singing my whole life, but only really professionally for three years.
… the first concert two years ago.
Yes, exactly.
How did you get into music?
We have always been a creative family. At the beginning I was still full of dancing and acting. I always said I was going to be a superstar, one hundred percent, but I wasn’t that committed to making music. This came about in 2016 due to boredom in class. That’s when I started writing lyrics.
Have you always had a deep voice?
Yes, I was also a tenor in the school choir.
Do you have an intention with your music?
What I really like is when I can use my own things that I have experienced, which were sometimes not so nice, to appeal to people who may have experienced similar things. They might not feel so alone, but instead think: “Ah, wait a minute, I’m not crazy. There are others who feel the same way.”
… also with the song “Black Lives Matter”?
Exactly.
And do you have any favorite songs?
All songs by Lauryn Hill and Amy Winehouse.
And about yourself?
I like the next single that comes out from me the most. It’s called “Hit after Hit”. That’s coming this year.
You describe yourself as an activist. What are they committed to?
Especially for the Black Lives Matter movement but also for LGBTQIA, women’s rights…
Were you at Christopher Street Day this year?
Unfortunately I played and couldn’t be at the CSD. This happens to me very often now that I don’t have time for anything because of concerts.
Clear. Do you only sing in English?
So far, yes. Every now and then a German line might come in. I don’t feel very comfortable in German yet. But let’s see what else comes in the next few years.
Do you always engage the audience like this?
Yes definitely. I love taking the crowd with me. If people think, wow, I’m part of the song, I really like that.
How do you manage to be so confident on stage?
I don’t feel that way myself. I always feel like I’m full of cringe. Even today I asked my friend afterwards: “Oh, God, how was that? Was I cringe, was I shaking, where was I looking?” But somehow it doesn’t seem to be that noticeable. Somehow I seem to be managing my nervousness very well.
So we definitely thought you were really cool!