Jul 26, 2019
Bollywood blues artist Aki Kumar sees
gratitude and humility as key to managing his music career,
creative challenges, band dynamics, and life. He returns to the
podcast for a second round of depth conversation of this and
more.
Episode Highlights
We start by discussing his cameo in Solange and go on to talk about:
- San Jose and its influence on Aki’s career
- His love for the musicians he plays with
- How to manage occasional band conflicts
- Writing music in Hindi and the integration of ska
- Privilege and humility
- The drivers that keep him passionate about music
- How creativity feeds more creativity.
- Making time for songwriting and the challenges therein
3 Key Points
- Practice humility. You could have a high flying moment followed by a stumble. Keep going.
- Stretch yourself. Experiment with your music by mixing genres, languages, politics, etc.
- Gratitude is key. Being on a stage with an appreciative audience is a privilege.
Shareable Quotes
- “Once you have that musical bond, it makes music-making easy. Everyone is speaking the same language. Maybe with a slightly different accent, but the same language.” –Aki Kumar on creating strong band dynamics.
Mentioned in this Episode
- Aki Kumar's Website
- Aireene Espiritu & A Color-Coded Symphony
- San Jose Summer Jazz Fest 2019
- Johnny Cat
- Aki Goes to Bollywood
- Charlie Musselwhite Band
- El Amansa Guapo Pub Panameño
- Little Village Foundation
- Solanch