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Lilly Martin's last show: "Letting go is never easy, but it feels right now"

Marian Märki01-14-20265 min. read

On 23 January, Lilly Martin will say goodbye to the world of performing for the last time. This exceptional musician has chosen Moods as the venue for her final concert. We spoke to her about this emotional evening, the beautiful musical performances, and the process of letting go.

Born in New York to a family of Cuban artists, Lilly Martin is a cornerstone of Swiss blues history. A winner of the Swiss Blues Award, she has shaped the scene in this country for decades. But now it's time to call it a day. On 23 January, she will bid farewell to stage life at Moods. So, how does she feel about it? We spoke to her about this emotional evening.Lilly, you'll be performing on stage for the last time on 23 January. What are your feelings about that?There are very mixed feelings. We feel gratitude for everything that has happened and pride in the path we have taken, but of course there is also melancholy. At the same time, however, it also feels harmonious. It's not sadness in the classic sense, but more of a sense of completion. It's as if a circle is closing.It sounds like you have thought long and hard about this step. Are you still finding it difficult to let go?Yes, it's been a long process. My life and priorities have changed. I realised that I can no longer give everything that touring demands, such as long nights, travel and constant movement. Letting go is never easy, but it feels right at the moment. Importantly, I'm only saying goodbye to the stage, not the music.That brings us to the keyword. Music has been a part of your life for as long as you can remember, but you only got into it relatively recently. Would you have liked to invest in music earlier?I have been involved with music since an early age, and I also studied it in New York. However, I initially pursued a more academic path. I made a conscious decision to prioritise family and other areas of my life. In hindsight, everything feels very harmonious. I firmly believe that things happen when you're ready for them. Everything I've experienced in life has shaped my music. Perhaps I would have started singing earlier, but not more honestly.Looking back on your four decades on stage, are there things you would do differently?I'm not very interested in looking back; I tend to look forward. I have no regrets. Or, to put it like Edith Piaf: "Je ne regrette rien."It sounds like you did everything right! Which moments do you remember most clearly?What I will remember most is the connection – both to the audience and to the musicians on stage. To me, music is a vibration carried from soul to soul. In these moments, something greater than the individual participants is created together. It's the encounters, the mutual trust, the shared breathing, listening and feeling — both on and off stage. It is all of these things that have made these years so rich and special. You've chosen 'Moods' for your final show, which is a great honour for us. What does this stage mean to you?I have been going to Moods for many years. I have fond memories of the early days, when it was located near Selnau station — a small, cellar-like venue in a very different Zurich. Even back then, I was drawn to the unique creative atmosphere, the open-mindedness, the closeness to music and the willingness to experiment. Over the years, I have attended many concerts at Moods as an audience member, both at the previous venues and later at Schiffbau. These concerts inspired me to want to play there myself one day.Today, I can look back fondly on two wonderful evenings when I played there with my band in front of a packed audience. So I decided that it would also be the perfect place for my last concert. I appreciate the venue's infrastructure and possibilities, and especially the warmth, competence and professionalism of the entire team. All of this makes Moods a place with soul for me, and that's exactly why it feels right to celebrate this final evening here.
What constitutes a successful concert for you? What are your standards? Is it a sold-out venue? Good musicians? Or a good audience?For me, a good concert is created in the moment. It's when the band is in the flow and this energy spreads to the audience. You can feel that everyone in the room is moving together, and that the energy is carrying each other along. I'm particularly touched when people tell me afterwards that they got goosebumps, were moved to tears, or even experienced uncontrollable joy. Then I know that the music has hit home.Do you have the same expectations for your final show?I don't have high hopes for this evening. I trust that it will unfold as it should. I hope we can experience it in the present, without pressure and without clinging on to anything. It should be an evening that lingers in the memory. Not because it's the last one, but because it's real.At the beginning, you said that you were saying goodbye to the stage, but that you were staying true to music. What role will you play in the music world going forward?Although everyday life on stage is taking a back seat, other areas are coming more into focus. I will continue my work as a vocal coach and my songwriting collaborations, both of which I have been doing for many years. Thanks to my home music studio, I can support singers and songwriters around the world, both in person and online.So the connection to the world of music remains – just in a different, quieter form.

Lilly Martin at Moods

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