Another Sam: Another lesson on matters of the heart

Playing as a unit of a whole can sometimes be quite frustrating. Very rarely do you find a band that has a permanent set of instrumentalists here, because most are band infidels. In the new band I play for, I literally have a different lead guitarist every session, each with completely different styles of playing. This means that each time we do a song, it sounds like a completely different song. A song that was composed and intended to be a jazz piece will start off as jazz, become funk, change to dubstep, become techno and reggae before it finally ends up as an unknown genre. Coming from the strict classical music structure, I cannot help but get annoyed. Also, this makes it really difficult to have chemistry as a band, as well as to be able to have a defined sound. On the bright side about playing with a cycle of musicians, is that you meet so many different people from different backgrounds with different perspectives, thus broadening your mental scope.

My top 4 Kenyan bassists, in no particular order, are named Haron, Sam, Ricky and another Sam. Another Sam happens to be one of the musicians passed along in the band cycle, so I have recently had the pleasure of getting to know him musically. He also happens to be a good friend and multi-instrumentalists. I have known another Sam since last year, and the reason he made it to my top 4 list, aside from being a good musician, is that he has something very important that most musicians seem to lack these days. He has genuine passion.

There are two types of musicians: those who know music, and those who are the music. Those who know music may be conversant with the most difficult of techniques, but their music never matures beyond a certain point, and may even die a premature death. Those who are the music, live the music. As long as they are alive and have a heartbeat, so does the music. Another Sam is the latter.

This encounter reminded me of the true beauty of music, and that is self expression. Another Sam's advice to me, on being a better bassist, was, " you are the heartbeat of the music. You don't have to be complex, just as long as you keep the groove and jibambe (enjoy)". Done and done. I can already feel the difference in my playing!

Of singing abilities and upside-down guitars

I have been playing for this artist program for about a month now. So far, it has been a rather interesting yet fulfilling experience. Herein lies my encounters:

1) GASP! Female Bassist! vs Ooooh...female bassist *wink wink*

During rehearsals and performances, I have met people whose eyeballs almost dropped on the floor because they had seen a female bassist. One of my favorite Kenyan bassists, Haron Waceke of Sarabi band, *scream*, popped his head in on one of our rehearsals once, and appeared to almost lose his eyeballs.

Haron Waceke in action

On the other hand, there are those who's appreciation appears to be motivated by ulterior desires. They seem uninterested in whether or not I actually do have any bass playing abilities. I'm a female, holding a guitar. That's enough.

2) Too much testosterone!!!

In a group of at least 15 people, only two of us are female. The rest are a bunch of mostly older, dread-headed, high men, who use ridiculous lines like "if I told you you had a nice body, would you hold it against me?" Slaps forehead. Whomever this lad has successfully picked up using that line, I would like to meet so that I can give her a thorough beating for almost destroying the female race.

3) Do you sing?

Initially, I didn't have a problem with this question. But now, I don't know if I should be offended by it. I have never heard my fellow male instrumentalists being asked if they could sing.

*to male instrumentalist*: Oh, you're a guitarist? That is great!

*to me*: Oh, you're a guitarist/pianist/violinist/saxophonist-to-be? That's lovely. But CAN you sing?

It is as if to suggest that because I'm female, I have to qualify my credibility as a musician by being a singer. Slaps forehead. For this reason, I have refused to sing. I believe Mariah Carey ain't got nothing on me, but I refuse to sing, because I can be a good enough musician as an instrumentalist. (NB: I may have exaggerated a bit on the Mariah story)

4) Compliments. Real or not?

There are two lots of people who's opinions I value most on my bass sound: drummers and people I believe to be good musicians. So, other than my drummer's compliments on my touch, I have found it rather difficult to be able to tell whether or not a compliment is genuine, especially from the men. Does my playing actually sound good, or does it sound good...for a female?

Quality music is really important for me. So in as much as looking cute in heels and a bass guitar on hand, I'd rather play amazing licks and look as constipated as Rhonda Smith looks here...

....than play crap and look as good as this --> Fake guitarist.

5) Free Lessons? Yes please!

Recently, my lead guitarist asked me why I have never gotten lessons on bass. I had no proper response. I had never thought about that before, I just happened on bass. Since being a bassist was nowhere in my life's plans, I never actually considered getting bass guitar lessons. Because my bass experience is as a result of listening to my favorite basslines and trying to emulate them, I admit that my own technique may be a bit wanting. The bright side about my experience is that I meet all these male instrumentalists who want to give me free bass lessons. I kid you not, I have also met singers who  have sung to me how to play a bassline. 

New Chapter - The Phoenix Rises

Every once in a while, an artist sometimes needs to take time off and go on a journey of self-discovery, so as to be able to effectively portray their heart's contents...

As an individual, I have had a fair share of ups and downs in the last couple of months. From heartbreaks to broken friendships and uncertainty of future expectations, I would say I have experienced more downs than ups. Rather than laying down and wallowing in self-pity and misery, I decided I would do things differently, starting with absolutely and completely adoring myself. Me, myself and I are head-over-heels in love, and our relationship is doing quite well, I must say.

As a musician, I have been like a plank of wood floating on rapids, just going with the flow. What will I play? I don't know. You tell me. How will I play it? I don't know, tell me. Eventually, I met people who told me what to do. The only problem was that there were too many of them, each with their own idea of the ideal."You're a better bassist than pianist", "no, no, no, you're a better pianist", "play jazz....jazz is so us" (us??), "no, pop, punk, rock", "eeer...and violin? Come join our jazz quartet...yes...with your violin", "blah blah blah yaddi yaddi yah"

I had lost all sense of self and was now just letting the waves carry me along. Until that forsaken moment when a former student of mine, in a rather condescending tone, I must add, "suggested" to me what to do on the keyboard. Now, I don't mind being given ideas by someone who has genuinely earned bragging musicianship rights. In fact, such people have never, ever implied that I lacked even the most basic of skills, and are ever so humble in their suggestions. This former student though, had the nerve to issue out unwarranted instruction and advice, and to make it worse, implied that I was rubbish. Never mind that I taught them the little 123 that they know. This was when I realized that I either had to put my foot down and have an identity, or find a new passion.

In the last 20+ years, I have won dancing competitions and music awards, failed some, quit music, picked it again, met geniuses, injured a nerve, almost sold my guitars....Music and I have traveled a long, emotional journey together, so finding a new passion was out of the question. During the journey of finding myself, I struggled with finding the right identity. Will I always be just someone's instrumentalist for the rest of my life? I struggled with my instrument. As a multi-instrumentalist, what should I do? Should I focus on one instrument? Which one? I struggled with sound. Which genre? Where do I fit in? Whats the best technique?

The answer to all those questions was simple; be yourself and embrace your wholeness.  I love the musical depth that classical music has to offer, I enjoy playing piano that I grew up on and don't I just adore composing. I am still a classical musician and compose orchestral works. But while performing on bass guitar, I feel a different kind of energy and freedom, so I have decided to take on the journey being a bass performer. But I will not extinguish any of the fire, but rather let my bass experience influence my classical music and my classical music influence my bass playing. The Phoenix Rises. Ri-Bass is back!!