Portrait Ala Heiler
Michael Fuchs-Gamböck

The word 'change' in English conjures up a whole range of different meanings; in just a syllable you can alter, amend, vary, exchange, switch over, substitute or transform. So it is hardly surprising that the artist Ala Heiler has dubbed his latest album Changes - a truly apt title for a man with an eventful life story, a man who has turned over many new leaves both personally and during his near on 35 years in the music business, but who has always remained true to himself.
"I chose Changes as the title for the CD because it's complex - that's why it appealed to me. In music it means chord change, but equally it could be change in a personal or spiritual sense."
At the age of 15, Alexander 'Ala' Heiler was already making his first public appearances as a member of various school bands. "Jazz was already having a big impact," he recalls, smiling, "and rock too. At the end of the 60s we even had a school band with horns, a kind of early, Swabian version of Blood, Sweat & Tears."
Jazz: Ala Heiler's long-standing musical passion. A dedication to which is also reflected on Changes. Even as a boy Ala had a soft spot for the Brazilian sounds of samba and bossa nova. As well as the songs of the Beatles, Stones, Jimi Hendrix etc. he would also listen to swing, bebop and free jazz. As a child Heiler learned piano and "at 8 I already knew I wanted to be a musician some day", he explains.
With all this musical enthusiasm it's no surprise that Ala Heiler decided to study woodwind instruments and voice. He went on to become a voice and saxophone teacher at Joe Haider's renowned Munich Jazz School and had a constant stream of jobs as a session musician, and soon also turned his hand to composing, arranging and producing. In 1983 he formed the a capella group Voices In Touch - "and producer Ralph Siegel happened to catch a performance at the legendary Café Giesing in Munich," Ala reports. "Together with Ralph we came up with the idea shortly afterwards for a new band to represent Germany at the 1985 Eurovision Song Contest."
'Wind', a six-, later five-strong band, was born. And the group was to have resounding success, achieving second place at Eurovision in Gothenburg with Hanne Haller's Für alle (For all).
Wind sang again for Germany at the 1987 Eurovision Song Contest, this time with the song Lass die Sonne in dein Herz (Let the sunshine in your heart). The result: second again. The band had just secured its place in The Guinness Book of Records as the most successful Eurovision entry ever.
"I was something of an outsider", says Ala looking back. "But I never had an issue playing German pop. No matter what kind of music I've been involved in during my career, I've put my heart and soul into it! If that hadn't been the case, Wind would never have got such a big following".
In 1990 Ala Heiler left the group to go off in another new direction. Together with Deborah Yates he founded the company 'proverb' in 1991, a leading European agency for translation and language services.
Of course, music still had a big role to play in the life of this out-and-out musician. Although now an entrepreneur, Heiler again found time for "the greatest obsession of my life", as he enthusiastically puts it. But now he focussed solely on the music that had inspired him in his youth - jazz and the Brazilian sound. He recorded various CDs, sang with music greats such as Peter Herbolzheimer, Joe Gallardo and Horst Jankowski, and also with big bands like those of Erwin Lehn and Al Raymond.
These many collaborations resulted in the idea for Heiler's new Changes album: "I want it to act as a kind of 'musical calling card'", Ala explains, "to show people what I have been doing musically over the past few years - and also what my musical roots are."
The finished disc is a real pleasure to listen to as it jazzes and swings away - complete with that joyful party feel that can only be found in Brazilian samba and bossa nova.
"The great thing about this album", Heiler enthuses, "is that it's completely genuine and I didn't have to make a single compromise. It's brilliant fun having such musical freedom! Hopefully, I'm able to get this over to the listener." On Changes Ala Heiler is accompanied by various big bands. He both sings and plays a range of woodwind instruments and also arranged some of the numbers.
And there is one final surprise waiting in store: two versions of Wind's 1987 Eurovision hit Let the sunshine in your heart - one sung in German, the other in English. "Some people will be surprised that we've dug out and reworked the song after more than 20 years. But I'm fond of it. It's like a member of the family. The music and lyrics give off a really positive message and it's become a true classic that many people love! I had a lot of fun recording the song again after such a long time."
Ala Heiler has continually changed and recreated himself. Yet he is still the same man. And on Changes he is none other than himself.

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