If you’re not altogether familiar with the music of Bastian Baker, we would not fault you, but the 25 year old is a remarkably talented singer-songwriter who’s work has won plenty of attention in Europe. A former hocker player turned musician, he started performing at the age of 7, got a band together and began to perform at parties before he was talent-spotted and signed.
Bastian Baker, courtesy of Omega and Getty Images
That was also how he became a brand ambassador for Omega. “I was at the Sochi Olympics and so were the guys from Omega and there was an evening when we were celebrating and I ended up standing on a table and singing. They caught sight of me and after that, we did a few events together and I think there was genuine appreciation on both sides so they invited me to become a friend of the brand,” he explains while tuning his Gibson.
He’s a guitar fanatic (Gibson over Fender) and also a fan of Springsteen. “The River was one of the first songs I ever learnt to perform and I did a rendition of it which was incredibly watched by him and he Tweeted about it,” he recalls. “Then at the FIFA Ballon d’Or, I performed it as well, and the president of Switzerland joined me. That was an incredible moment.”
Bastian Baker with the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean "Deep Black"
Baker was invited to join the Music Matters festival in Singapore and launched the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean “Deep Black” edition (which he’s wearing in the photos) while he was in town at its Marina Bay Sands boutique. He pointed out how much he enjoys working with the brand because “they really welcome you like a family member. It’s not just a commercial partnership, you really develop a connection with the brand and it’s fostered for a long term”.
He gave us a little private performance of his favourite song, Springsteen’s The River, with what he calls his “11 o’clock voice”. You tell us if you think it’s great.