Prince inspired by Lavaux vineyards
The Lavaux vineyards are the subject of one of the songs on the new Prince album, 20Ten, released on Thursday.
The artist visited Lavaux last year when he appeared at the nearby Montreux Jazz Festival, said festival spokesman Francesco Laratta.
Simon Tomei, head of transport for the festival, told the Swiss news agency that he had driven Prince through the area after picking him up at the airport, since the artist did not want to go straight to his hotel.
“He was very interested, and he took notes, asking me to spell some of the names, including Lavaux,” said Tomei.
The song also contains a reference to the chocolates of Vevey. Prince was amused by the Nestlé headquarters in the town, Tomei explained. Vevey is only a few kilometres from Montreux,
Prince made only a brief appearance at Montreux this year, but is due to perform at the Geneva Stadium on July 23.
The 20Ten album is being distributed as a cover mount with newspapers and magazines in a number of countries, starting with Britain and Belgium.
The Lavaux vineyards are planted on south-facing slopes of Lake Geneva. They date back to mediaeval times, and the area, also characterised by its unspoiled villages, was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 2007.
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