Musician and Pharmacist by trade, Yves Frulla is one of the few people to have accompanied Céline to all her concerts worldwide. During the ten years that have passed by he has managed to succeed in both his chosen careers.
Interviewer: Mr. Frulla, which of your two passions came about first?
Yves: Music. My father was a saxophone player in the 1930's and 1940's and my sister Liza played the piano when she was younger. I followed in the footsteps of my sister when I started playing the piano at the age of eight. At school I opted for a more general training, more contemporary than classical music. A short time after starting at university, I began to meet people from the Quebec music industry. While making a name for myself as a musician, I realised it wouldn't be easy to do full time.
I: Is it at this time that you came up with the idea of getting a second career?
Y: Yes. Given that I had a talent for chemistry I decided to study this subject at the same time as working part time as a musician. Mt musical contracts allowed me to pay my study fees. While studying I decided I would specify in Pharmacy. That meant an extra four years of studying.
I: How did you become the owner of a Pharmacy?
Y: In 1990, Angela Baroni. Benoit Gagnon, Chantal Archambault and Francois Allard; four of my university colleagues and myself bought a shop in the Villeray quarter in Montreal that belonged to Louis Dionne. At the same time my musical career was taking off and I accepted the challenge of keeping both jobs going. My associates, who I would like to thank for their tolerance and understanding, did not want to deprive me, of the "thrill" that music brought into my life. It is at this time that I came to know Céline. Her career was taking off at pace in the U.S.A and she wanted a brand new group to accompany her.
I: How have you managed to keep two careers going at once over the last ten years?
Y: In between two legs of the tour, we would come back to Quebec for a break, to perform or to practice. During these periods, my colleagues said to me, "Whenever you are available, come and work." And that's exactly what I did.
I: How did you announce your double career to Rene and Céline?
Y: I think they found out about it right at the very beginning of our collaboration through other band members. They found it very amusing. My experience as a pharmacist has even lead to Rene posing me serious questions when he had cancer. I also helped Céline a lot when she felt unwell before a show. Some of you may remember, a few years back, when we wet in France, she was ill and had to cancel several concerts. She was showing all the symptoms of someone who was suffering a reflux. I had diagnosed it right away. I also helped the team members with health problems or injuries. I was what you might call the production teams guardian angel. My training as a pharmacist came in more useful than I ever imagined!
I: Did Céline demand a lot from her musicians?
Y: Let's say that her and Rene just requested that we try and reproduce as accurately as possible on stage, the album orchestrations but in a more theatrical style. Sometimes Céline would have specific demands concerning certain songs or wished to put the finishing touches to the shows throughout the tour, for example the finale. Due to her fidelity towards her musicians and sheer number of songs she has commercialised over the last eight or nine years, we know nearly the whole of her repertoire. However, sometimes we might have had to learn a new piece during the sound test and perform it on the same night in front of 25,000 people.
I: Céline and Rene are always together. How did you manage to combine the tour and time spent with your loved ones?
Y: I have been in love with Barbara for three years. She is a stylist/designer and amongst others she has worked with Bruno Pelletier. She is 28 years old. We came together through our related interests, me and music and her with fashion. I had to let her adapt to the pace of life that I lead. I would invite her on tour to certain towns that we visited when I knew we would be staying there for a few days...
I: And what are your plans now?
Y: It’s not just Céline who wants to return to a regular rhythm of life. I too need to recharge my batteries. I have gone back to working full time at the Pharmacy and we have just moved to a larger outlet on the corners of Papineau Street and Tillemont Street in Montreal. I have been able to develop my skills as a musician thanks to Céline. My recent collaboration on Sylvain Cossette’s album may lead to me going on tour with him this summer. At the moment I am working on an album with Elyzabeth Diaga. I have worked with other stars such as Laurence Jalbert and Julie Masse. I have also got my little spot on the television show “Les Mordus” on TVA.