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Sola Akingbola
Rhythm:
Setembro 1999. In The Groove Jamiroquai
are one of Britain's biggest musical exports. In the wake of their crucial new album,
Synkronized, Rhythm talks to their unstoppable twin-carb groove machine: drummer Derrick
McKenzie and percussionist Sola Akingbola.
Since
they first appeared on the underground scene in 1992, Jamiroquai's unique blend of jazz,
funk and disco has not only earned them a reputation as a formidable live act, but also
album sales in excess of eleven million. After
the success of their third release, Travelling Without Moving - which spawned the global
hits 'Cosmic Girl' and 'Virtual Insanity' - the band have taken their time writing and
recording this latest offering. And both drummer Derrick McKenzie and percussionist Sola
Akingbola are relishing the prospect of getting out on the road again. "Playing
live is what it's all about," Derrick explains. "Rehearsals have been going
well, and now we just can't wait to get out there and do it." For
Derrick, the chance to join Jamiroquai came in 1993, when the band were looking for a
replacement for Nick Van Gelder. At the time Derrick was working with acid jazz outfit
Urban Species. Already secure in a gig, he wasn't too worried about the audition with
Jamiroquai, a band he knew little about.
An
invitation to a second audition quickly followed; this time it lasted an incredible four
hours. The offer to join the band arrived the next day. "When
I first auditioned for Jamiroquai, I had no idea where it was going to lead, but it felt
right," Derrick says. "Jay obviously had a very clear idea about what he was
looking for in a drummer, and it's great working with him. He's direct, straight to the
point, and knows exactly what he's after, which I like." After
the departure of original percussionist Maurizio Ravallio, to concentrate on his own
project, Derrick was given the task of finding his successor. A friend suggested Sola, and
when the pair first met, there was an immediate rapport between them. "It's
wicked, and we talked for hours about music, our backgrounds, and living in London,"
Derrick raves. "We just clicked straight away, you know? And I didn't have to look
any further. He's a very musical percussionist, and we feed off each other when we
play."
"My
mum used to do machining, and my first pair of 'sticks' was a couple of clothes hangers
that I used to bang out beats on the settee," he recalls. "For years I
desperately wanted my own kit, but I had to make do with telephone books to practise my
rudiments and build up stick control." He
taught himself to play by listening to reggae records, and admits initally he was
influenced more by overall sound of a band, rather than the individual players. "I
then moved on to the funk thing," he continues, "Incognito, Hi Tension, Light Of
The World, and through them I discovered people like Billy Cobham. Sly Dunbar was a big
influence on me as well, and then I got into Harvey Manson, Jeff Dunn, Phil Gould, Omar
Hakim and Will Kennedy; who's probably my all-time favourite player." Derrick
played his first professional gig with a reggae band at the age of fourteen, and from then
on was determined to forge a career in music. "I
had a couple of lessons with Llyod Ryan, who's not only a top bloke, but a very good
teacher. What he taught me was good enough for me to go away and develop my own."
Ask
if part of that development was learning to read music though, and Derrick roars with
laughter. "no!
I'm useless at reading, and for all those jazzers out there who think I can... I can't. I
gave up on it, and stuck to listening to records and developing my own grooves." After
stints with a couple of reggae outfits, Derrick joined dancey alternative band, Candyland,
in 1990. The gig with Urban Species followed shortly afterwards. And a date with musical
destiny in Jamiroquai was just around the corner... Born
in Lagos, Nigeria, and raised in London, Sola Akingbola grew up with a close affinity for
his Yoruba roots and their musical legacy. At the age of eight he decided to learn piano,
but soon gave it up in favour of football, which in turn was forgotten when he discovered
clubs and dancing a few years later. "I
was mad about dancing," he says. I was out six nights a week. When I left school, I
did loads of jobs. I just wanted to be a professional dancer."
"I
was a very late starter," he admits, "and I was in my mid-twenties before I
discovered percussion. I would go and watch Cuban bands at Ronnie Scott's; the Cuban thing
is very close to Yoruba, and I could hear the similarities in the sound and approach to
the music." He
lists Giovanni Hidalgo, Alex Acuna and Trilok Gurtu amoung his biggest influences and, in
fact, it was meeting with Alex Acuna that finally convinced him to pursue a career in
percussion. "I
spent the whole day with him at one of his workshops in London, and he turned things
around for me," Sla explians. "He said that I played nice, and should put some
work into it. It all went from there, because I made a decision that day to really take my
music seriously." With
Lawal, Sola went from backing vocals, to percussion, and on to kit within two years. He
even had kit lessons with the esteemed Bob Armstrong - he still uses some of the excerises
Armstrong taught him to this day.
Securing
the gig Ronnie Jordan in 1990 though, proved to be the turning point. "That
gig did it for me, because Ronnie gave me a lot of confidence in myself. There were some
serious musicians in that band, and I was so in awe of them when I first joined." After
four years of recording and touring with Jordan, Sola recieved the call from Derrick. "Ronnie
and I still keep in touch, though, and I wrote two tunes with him for his last album. He
was the first person who really made me feel as if I had smething to offer, you know? And
I will always owe him for that." Watching
Derrick and Sola during rehearsals, the deep-rooted connection between the two is clear to
see. And as they progress through the set, it's obvious that Kay himself is driven by the
infectious grooves being laid down by his drummer and percussionist. "That's
one of the beauties about working in this band," Sola explains afterwards, "jay
listens intently to what we do, and his vocals are phrased around Derrick's hi-hats."
Both
Derrick and Sola readily admit that playing live is what it's all about for them, but how
much freedom do they really have? "We're
very lucky because Jay gives us alot of space, which is indicative of his trust and
respect for us," Sola says. "Playing live brings out the free spirit, but he
knows that we are not going to go mad. Jay loves percussion and is always stretching me
for more but, as I say to so many people, playing percussion is like being a kid in a toy
shop, except with the discipline of an adult. It has no boundaries, and it's up to you as
an individual to use your sense of taste." 'Jay
leaves it open for me to do what I want; all he says is 'Short fills'," Derrick
continues. "And I totally agree with him, because there is no need for big fills. My
role is to hold the groove down and keep things moving." With
his dancing background, it's no surprise that Sola is very active when he plays but, as he
reveals, excessive boogie-ing while he's performing, can cause problems... "Yes,"
he chuckles, "dancing can hamper my playing sometimes, because I tend to push the
time. But all my phrasing is based on movement, and people may say that I have some nice
chops, but I don't regard them as chops. I play how I would dance, and if I had to dance
to my playing, you'd see the relationship between the two."
"It
was a real blow, because Stuart's a great bassist," Derrick says. "He's a very
natural player with a mad feel, and he had a very big influence on me as a drummer." So
how traumatic was it having to find a new bassist inn the middle of recording an album? "The
pressure was really on Jay to find the right person," says Derrick. "We needed
someone who was not only a good player, but also had the right personality to fit into the
group. Luckily, we found Nick (Fyffe), and as soon as we met him, we just knew he was the
right guy." "Yes,
Nick's done brilliantly," Sola agrees. "He was really thrown in at the deep end,
and he has done a fantastic job." Having
their own studio to record in was a huge advantage for the band and, Zender's departure
aside, the whole recording process proved to be a relaxed and enjoyable experience for
both Derrick and Sola. Just take a look at the pictures of the new studio gracing these
very pages and you'll appreciate exactly where Sola is coming from when he describes the
environment round at Kay's opulent pad. "The
whole place has such a relaxed feel to it. As soon as we felt ready to play, we'd just
wander across the lawn to the live room and play. Sometimes Derrick and I would stay down
there for a few days at a time. We had the luxury of taking it all at our own pace." As
Derrick explains, many of Jamiroquai's tracks tend to evolve simply from jam sessions.
"We all have individual ideas, but I think we work better when we're together.
Normally Toby (Graffety-Smith, keyboards), Jay and I will get the beginnnings of a track
together, and then Sola will come in and start putting some volume in with bongos and
shakers and stuff."
"All
the horns line and everything are done before he starts writing words," Derrick
confirms. "It's
a great way to work," chimes in Sola. "It's very much that music that stimulates
the lyrics, and nothing in the music gets compromised. You can just go for it and try lots
of different things." The
drum parts are the first to be laid down. "As
a drummer, it can be very easy to overplay," Derrick points out. "But I have to
concider the lyrics and make sure I leave space for them. Our songs are pretty basic -
verse, chorus, verse, chorus - so I keep it simple. And then absolutely cane it when we
take it out live!" "The
sound of the drums in the new studio is wicked, and for this album we used a bit of EQ to
brighten it up going to tape. To be honest, this is the first time that I've really
enjoyed recording an album, and I'm very proud of the results." On
The percussion front, Sola found himself constantly on the lookout for new sounds. "That's
the difficult thing about being a percussionist," he admits. "Everybody has got
all the stuff, but it's finding fresh sounds." Indeed,
it was Sola's reluctance to repeat percussion details on Synkronized, that led to his
infamous 'lamp shade' moment. On 'Planet Home' - a way out, spacey track with a
twenty-first century theme - he was having trouble pinning down the elusive, perfect sound
he was after. Sola takes up the story. "We
started jamming the chorus, and I just picked up this lampshade and starting playing the
edge of it, muting it with my finger. It had this spacey feel, like astromauts orbiting
the earth. It was perfect for the track and was the high point of the album for me. After
all, percussion doesn't have to be conventional does it?"
"There
are always new things to work on," he enthuses, "and it's all about pushing
yourself further. The first time I met Giovanni Hidalgo, for example, he showed me one
little left hand exercise that completely revolutionised my playing. And when I get the
time it's good for me to play kit, because that expands what I can do on percussion.
Sometimes I even try to play stuff left-handed like Derrick." Derrick
himself feels that his technique has improved dramatically over the last few years, and
credits Dave Weckl's rigorous Back To Basics video as the reason. "I
was brought up on groove, not technique," he says. "My technique has only come
together over the last few years, and it's purely because I've changed my whole style of
playing, and strengthened my wrists. Weckl's Back To Basic is one of the most informative
videos I have ever seen, and has helped me enormously. It covers everything, and is a musy
for any drummer." With
no kit at home, Derrick maintains the strength in his wrists by practising on pillows. "I
do lots of rudiments. Rudiments are where it's at! They were an absolute revelation to me
when i first discovered them. It's very important for a drummer to have equal strength in
both wrists, so if one is weaker than the other, always start with the weak one
first." Ovee
the last eighteen months, Sola admits that he hasn't really had time to practise as much
as he would like. Most of his free time has been taken up with being the musical director
of his own venture, The Yoruba Jazz People. He feels that the project has given him a
completely new perspective on making music. "I've
learned so much," he raves, "and it's given me a much deeper insight into
arranging music and listening to harmony. My ears are more finely tuned now than ever
before."
"Listening
is such an important part of communication between musicians," Sola stresses.
"There is no point just sitting there waiting to unload your chops; the leader of the
band doesn't care about your chops, he wants to know that the groove is feeling good, and
that he can sing over the top of it. "It
seems like alot of kids now just want to be pop stars, not musicians. Dedication in this
game is an important factor; too many people see the glamour, and think that it's
easy." "Exactly,"
Derrick agrees. "You've got to work at it. Practise properly and correctly, and your
individual personality will come through." Derrick's
Gear "Starting
with the cymbals, I'm using Zildjian, They're mostly A Customs and I really like their
sound; they're warm, and the last musically. My hhi-hats are 13" Quick Beats, because
of Billy Cobham. He used them and I knew they were the sound for me. Recently I've also
been trying Zildjian's new Master Sound series, which I really like too; they're very loud
and cut through well. I'm definately a hi-hat person, and I like to hear them a bit more
when I'm playing live. I actually only use four other cymbals; a 14" Medium crash, a
15" This crash and a 10" splash - which I love - and a 22" Dark Jazz ride
that cuts through absolutely everything in earshot." "My
drums are Sonor Designers Series. I like the way drums are made, and they have a wicked
sound. Two of my favourite drummers - Cindy Blackman and Will Kennedy - also play Sonor
drums,a nd that definitely influenced me to use them." "I've
reduced my live set-up for this tour for conveniece really. I used to have 10",
12" and 13" tom-toms and 14" and 16" floor toms, but now I've only got
10", 12", 13", 14", with a 22" bass drum abd 14"x5"
snare. The great thing about the bass drum is that I can get a really tight 18" bass
drum sound out of it, as well as the normal 22" sound. Everything that I need I've
got; it's my ideal set-up." You're
using electronics for the first time on this tour. How are you finding them? "Really
good actually; it's great to have a new challenge, and I think they've opened up my style
of playing. I'm not into complex electronic set-ups, because they always let you down on
stage, so we've kept it simple." How
different is your live set-up from your studio set-up?
Do
you use a live click? "Yes.
Playing live I perfer a click, because it keeps the whole band in time. On many, many
occasions in the past, I've been at the front end of the tongue lashing for letting the
tempo wander. When I'm recording, I just use a click for re-mix purposes. Standard dance
tunes start at 124bpm, and Jamiroquai tend to work at 124 and 132bpm." Your
drum tech, Lance Mills, has sorted out a rather intresting "bum busting: drum stool
for you. "For
this tour we're using in-ear monitoring, so I don't have the speakers behind me. I like to
hear the bass drum, but it tends to get lost when you use in-ear monitoring. Lance has
rigged the bass drum up so that everytime I hit it, it triggers a sound which vibrates the
seat. It's really good to have the sound pounding right through your body." Sola's
Gear "Starting
from the left, I have three agogo bells, which are the instruments that I graduated on in
the early stages of my percussion education. Then there's a metallic thing that I bought
in Germany. It's got no particular tone, but it's just mad. The mini-timbalitos I bought
in Chicago - they're like the timbalitos that were played in the Thirties and sound great
- and next to them are my chimes, which I love because they have a real scale to
them." "My
congas are from Latin Percussion's Galaxy Giovanni Series, which have a wonderful tone and
a crisp sound. LP have always been the ones for me; good quality, durable products with a
great sound. At the moment, I've got a quinto, a renquinto and a conga, but the renquinto
isn't quite cutting through enough for me, which is down to my lack of power. Giovanni
[Hidalgo] is an incredibly powerful player and I don't quite have that yet. I'll probably
drop back to the traditional quinto and two congas. Above the congas are thebongos, which
are bang in the middle of everything." Your
left-hand side has a lot to keep you busy. "I'm
keen to develop my left side, in terms of independence and co-ordination. The left side is
like a basic kit set-up really, and it keeps flowing and moving. My left hand is my weak
hand, so even during live performances I'm continually developing it. I want to keep
stretching myself, and live is the time I can do that, because there's room for
spontaneity." Moving
around from the bongos, we get to your favourite piece of gear - the Bata. Why is this
particular drum so special? "It's
a beautiful sound, and represents the Yoruba sound rhythmically. Even though I take time
to study the styles, I am not a Cuban-oriented player, I am a Yoruba oriented player, and
I want to have a distinction as a percussionist that reflects my influences and
background. There should be a set of three bata drums - father, mother, child - but I
can't have three, so I use the Bata lya with the quinto, to get the phrasing going
on." "On
the Travelling Without Moving tour, I'd come out front and play a solo on the Bata, to
introduce 'Use The Force', but for this tour I've decided to include it in the whole hand
drum range." Tell
us a bit about what's happening on your right. "I've
got a foot-operated cowbell, to free up the limbs and develop independence, and then
timbales and the other array of cowbells. Cymbal-wise I'm using Sabian. I love the sound
of their products and there's a fantastic range to choose from. I've picked sized that
work for the way I want to express myself. At the moment I've got a splash - I like the
tight, crispy sound of splashes - a 14" crash and 14" china crash - just so I
can be as loud as Derrick, if not louder - and a Zodiac gong. Finally, on the far right,
there's my table of toys, which always gets bigger when we are touring, because I'm
constantlu on the lookout for new things. This year or next year we'll be in South-east
Asia, so I'll be going out to see what I can find there. That's a great way to meet local
musicians, too." How
much of you percussion collection will you be using for the tour? "About
seventy-five percent of my stuff. During final rehearsals like this, I experiment with a
few new things and expand on the things that I'm comfortable with." What
would you say is the most unusual piece of gear in your collection? "I'd
say my whisper. It's like a set of tyre tubes and when you squeeze them they sound like
whispers. It's beautiful." |
It's eleven o'clock in
the morning, and the plush rehearsal studio at Music Bank in London is already a scene of
furious activity. With only a few days to go before they kick off an extensive UK tour to
promote their latest release, Synkronized, the members of Jamiroquai and their crew are
busy putting the final touches to a set that will take them around the world during the
course of the next twelve months. 
"I was the last
person that they saw," he remembers. "I arrived late, and expected to be in and
out within half an hour. Two and half hours later I was still playing, and Jay (Kay -
vocals and Jamiroquai main man) had got all the guys from his record company down to see
me." 
Hailing from Islington,
North London, Derrick was the first member of his family to be born in England. His
parents and older sister had emigrated from Jamaica in the Sixties, and with strong ties
to their homeland, Derrick was bought up on a steady diet of reggae. Not surprisingly, it
proved to be his biggest influence when he first started playing drums. 
After meeting Nigerian
composer Gasper Lawal, Sola was asked to join his traditional Nigerian band to provide
backing vocals in Yoruba. At rehearsals, Sola found himself becoming more and more
interested in the percussion rig and all its toys, and it wasn't long before he started
tinkering away himself. 
Our responsibility live
is to drive the band," Derrick adds. "I try to keep what I'm doing simple; that
there's no intricaties or flash stuff, all that comes from the horns and strings." 
Work started on
Synkronized in mid 1997, but the project wasn't completed until early this year. At first
the band found themselves waiting around for the completion of a new studio at Kay's
mansion in Berkshire. Later, when the recording was finally under way and everything
seemed to be running smoothly, bassist Stuart Zender announced out of the blue that he was
quiting the band to spend more time with his girlfriend (Melanie Blatt from All Saints)
and their baby daughter. 
Rather than working the
music around his lyrics though, Kay tends to wait until all the music is completely
finished. 
It certainly doesn't,
and Sola is determined to expand his arsenal even further. 
Both players feel that
the ability to listen to musicians you are working with is one of the most important
skills a player can acquire. Their advice is to use your ears. 
"For the new
album, I just used a four-piece kit and three cymbals: 14" hi-hats, 14" and
15" crashed, 22" ride, and 10" amd 13" toms, snare and bass drum. I
really stripped it down to basics because nothing else was required. When I played with
Candyland, all I used was a bass drum, snare and hi-hats; it's just a case of adapting
your set-up to what the situation demands."