interview
Sasha
The singer and his wife Julia show their son Otto the world
© Tristar Media / Getty Images
In GALA, singer Sasha and his wife Julia talk about their wonderful family trips. And what role her son Otto takes on.
GALA: GreeceItaly, USA, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Maldives – you really travel a lot.
Sasha: Our dream has always been to travel around the world before Otto starts school. A nice dream, but because of our jobs we couldn’t implement it in one go. That’s why we’re just exploring the world in stages.
Julia: We need these breaks right now, after the pandemic and all the deprivation, all the work. I was so exhausted after this time – and on the verge of calling a burnout clinic. Traveling is like therapy for me. It’s good and brings joy.
Isn’t traveling with a small child exhausting?
Julia: We have been traveling with Otto since he was two months old. We flew to Oman with him. He is now a travel professional.
Which places are still on your wish list?
Sasha: Hawaii! With Julia it’s Hong Kong, because she used to live there for two years. And sailing the South Pole-Antarctic route on a ship, I find that exciting.
Julia: I would like to see the northern lights.
How do you keep Otto happy on long car journeys and long-haul flights?
Julia: Educational games on the iPad and audio books are great. We love the card game UNO. And also the classic “I see something you don’t see”.
Sasha: We also listen to a lot of music and sing together.
Julia: Otto is the DJ – we have to hear what he likes. (laughs)
Son Otto also likes to hear the songs from his parents’ children’s book
That would?
Sasha: Rolling Stones! “Satisfaction” is his favorite song. He also likes Imagine Dragons, as well as Peter Fox and Harry Styles. Sometimes dad’s music too.
Julia: At the moment he likes listening to Sasha’s songs for our children’s book.
The book is called “Toto and the Man in the Moon”. What’s behind it?
Julia: At some point before he fell asleep, Otto started asking a lot of questions. Why do flowers bloom? Why do people have to learn to swim first? At some point I really reached my limits and spontaneously got the man in the moon to help me, who explained everything. I told Otto a new story every evening. Then one evening I went down to Sasha and said: I have an idea for a book!
Sleep is a big issue for many parents. How’s it going with your son?
Sasha: Otto sleeps with us and that’s cool for us. Luckily he doesn’t turn around so much at night anymore and doesn’t kick me with his feet anymore. (laughs)
Julia: He likes to wake you up in the morning with a horn.
Julia: “I hope that Sasha will finally get his driver’s license”
You two have been a couple for twelve years now. What’s your recipe for a happy relationship?
Julia: That we talk to each other an incredible amount and review it every day in the evening. We talk about everything so that dissatisfaction and problems don’t become big in the first place. This can sometimes be uncomfortable, but in the long run it doesn’t build up that much.
Sasha: And we never go to bed at odds.
Is there anything that could go even better in your marriage?
Julia: I hope that Sasha will finally get his driver’s license so that he can get behind the wheel on long journeys.
Sasha: Julia likes to drive and has a great car. Okay, I admit that I haven’t gotten my driver’s license yet, I just don’t have the time. But at least I have a cargo bike now.