Ulrich Kaspar
Ulrich Kaspar (born April 9, 1959 in Bonn ; † January 6, 2017 ibid), nickname Rick , artist name Kaspars Schmal , was a German poet and musician .
Life
Ulrich Kaspar grew up in Bad Godesberg in the Rhineland , where he graduated from high school in 1977. He then studied Catholic theology and English in Bonn. After a few semesters he broke off his studies, did community service and then studied English and American literature, linguistics, communication research and phonetics. After graduating, he worked in various companies and from the beginning of the 1990s devoted himself exclusively to artistic creation.
In the 1970s and 80s he was the singer and guitarist of the Mountain String Band, which specialized in old time country music and bluegrass . Joint appearances and jam sessions with John Jackson, Hedy West , Derroll Adams and other important representatives of the Americana scene and folk movement prompted him to no longer just cover traditional songs, but to write his own songs.
In recent years he has performed preferably with songs written in the Rhenish dialect under the name Kaspars Schmal in Cologne, Bonn and the surrounding area. His lyrics, which he accompanied on the acoustic guitar, were humorous homage to the little man. His songs are related to the Kölsch "Krätzje" or " Krätzchen ". They are "small Verzällcher un et jroße Jeföhl" (line of text), small, self-contained stories. Early influences were American country music ( Doc Watson or Gid Tanner & the Skillet Lickers) as well as Hank Williams , the Delta Blues and songwriters such as Kris Kristofferson , John Prine and Townes van Zandt .
His poems as well as the texts of his songs are influenced by the English romanticism, ancient literature ( Pindar , Lukian , Horace ), but also by Dadaism . Ulrich Kaspar has published his own works and is represented in anthologies .
Ulrich Kaspar died on January 6, 2017 after a brief serious illness in his hometown.
Publications (selection)
- Kaspar, Ulrich: The strong beer emperor - a homage to the magician Günther Bruno Fuchs . Bonn 1986, ISBN 3-9801271-0-9
- Kaspar, Ulrich & Falke, Jutta (Hrsg.): Politicians abuse politicians . Leipzig 1998, ISBN 3-379-01728-0
- Kaspar, Ulrich: Uncomfortable between the lines . Egelsbach; Frankfurt a. M .; Munich; New York 1999, ISBN 3-8267-4512-4
Individual evidence
- ^ Obituary notices for Ulrich Kaspar in the Bonner General-Anzeiger , accessed on September 17, 2017.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kaspar, Ulrich |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Kaspars, Schmal (stage name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German lyric poet and musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 9, 1959 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bonn |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 6, 2017 |
| Place of death | Bonn |