Hans Söllner
Hans Söllner | |
|---|---|
 Hans Söllner in Marburg, 24 April 2005 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Johann Michael Söllner |
| Born | 24 December 1955 |
| Origin | Bad Reichenhall, Germany |
| Genres | Reggae Folk |
| Occupation | singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1982–present |
Johann Michael Söllner (born 24 December 1955), better known as Hans Söllner, is a German singer-songwriter. Throughout German-speaking countries, especially in Germany and Austria, he is famous for publicly criticizing the German government and political systems in general to a vast extent. While Söllner sings in Bavarian dialect his music can be considered as Reggae, creating an extremely exceptional contrast. His lyrics are like stories, as they mainly deal with being in conflict with the law and everyday life problems.
Biography
Born on December 24, 1955, in Bad Reichenhall, Bavaria, Germany, Johann Michael Söllner grew up Catholic, attended school in Marzoll, and, contrary to social norms, grew his hair long as a teenager. From 1970 to 1973, he studied to become a cook, but employment eluded him; a brief period of mandatory civil service in the military also didn't work out, and neither did an apprenticeship as an auto mechanic. Essentially unemployed on and off for years in Munich, he took to music, teaching himself to play guitar and writing his own songs. In 1982, he was offered a recording contract with the independent label PPM (Powerplay Music Records) and made his debut in 1983 with Endlich eine Arbeit. In 1986 PPM released the album Für Marianne und Ludwig, followed in 1987 by Wos reimt se scho auf Nicki.
Söllner left PPM for the well-regarded independent label Trikont, based in Munich, on which he made his debut with Hey Staat! (1989). Considered by many to be his greatest album, Hey Staat! certainly established him not only as a protest singer but as an up-and-coming talent on the alternative music scene. His next album, Der Charlie (1992), is, along with Hey Staat!, one of his greatest and certainly his most controversial to date. Der Charlie includes a long narration of his 1986-1987 trip to Jamaica and its influence upon him, in terms of not only reggae music and marijuana use but also politics and religion.
Der Charlie surprisingly became a Top 30 hit on the Austrian albums chart, ushering in a new level of recognition for Söllner. He drew further attention to himself by publicly announcing in August 1993 that he was abandoning the Roman Catholic faith and converting to Rastafarianism; plus, he declared himself a vegetarian and pacificist. Söllner's next album Grea Goib Roud (1995), a subdued solo studio recording dedicated to a friend who had passed away, was his most commercially successful to date, peaking at number 26 on the Austrian albums chart and number 50 on the German albums chart. His next album, A jeda (1997), another studio effort, proved even more successful, breaking into the Top Ten of the Austrian albums chart (at number eight) and again registering on the German albums chart (at number 67).
During the late '90s, as his albums were proving more popular with each release, Söllner was fighting criminal charges of cannabis cultivation and insulting public officials. He argued that it was his religious right as a Rastafarian to smoke marijuana, but this wasn't a winning argument; in the end, he was fined heavily and faced enormous legal expenses. Meanwhile, amid all of the publicity surrounding his trial, in 1998 Trikont reissued his first three albums (Endlich eine Arbeit, Für Marianne und Ludwig, and Wos reimt se scho auf Nicki), which had gone out of print following the demise of PPM
In 2000 Söllner returned with 241255, a double album composed of various live recordings from the last years. The album was a Top 20 hit in Austria. A year later he released Babylon, another live album, this one featuring his new backing unit, the Austrian reggae band Bayaman'Sissdem. In 2004 he released Oiwei I, his first studio effort in seven years; like his other albums of this era, it features Bayaman'Sissdem. The album was a number 22 hit in Austria and a number 61 hit in Germany. A live CD Im Regen , followed in 2005. In 2007 Söllner and Bayaman'Sissdem returned with a new studio album, Viet Nam. The album charted at number 12 in Austria and number 90 in Germany. A long tour followed the album's release, extending far into summer 2008; some shows featured Soellner with Bayaman'Sissdem, other dates were solo performances. In 2011 Söllner released the studio album Mei Zuastand which features songs from his entire career, which he re-recordet alone at his home and then gave it the band to work on the sounds and rhythms.
Discographie
Albums
- 1983 - Endlich eine Arbeit
- 1986 - Für Marianne und Ludwig
- 1987 - Wos reimt se scho auf Nicki
- 1989 - Hey Staat!
- 1992 - Der Charlie
- 1995 - Grea Goib Roud
- 1997 - A jeda
- 2000 - 241255
- 2001 - Babylon
- 2004 - Oiwei I
- 2005 - Im Regen
- 2007 - Viet Nam
- 2011 - Mei Zuastand