The Beat Goes On
HELEN MURPHY AND NICK PELLING
On 20 February, the polyrhythms of Afro-beat are coming to the Kino-teatr, in the form of the band Samaki. The band has a jazz-infused style which turns the beat inside out and upside down with protean relentlessness. They are undoubtedly a band built for people who love to dance, but you might just prefer to meditate inside their ever-expanding orb of sound.
Christopher White
The co-founder of the group is Christopher White. We managed to get him to sit down and give us some inside info on his life in music. He explained that he went to school in New Zealand where music was “all very colonial, in that examiners for the various grades had to come over from the mother country to check that these Kiwis were getting it right.” But one day, a British group, led by Trevor Watts, came to the school and gave the pupils the musical curve ball of Afro Jazz. In a sense, a life-path, carrying his trusty sax, opened up before him. As soon as he could he headed for London.
ENTERING THE STRATOSPHERE
But it would be wildly wrong to see Chris as someone meekly and slowly clambering up the rungs of the British music scene. His technique and feel was so brilliant and sensitive, that when he arrived in the UK, he rapidly shot into the stratosphere of top session players. In fact his rise is somewhat breathtaking.
For many years he has been a regular part of the horn section in Van Morrison’s band – and indeed took up the almost dangerously demanding role as Van’s musical director. He has worked with many of the greats, including Paul McCartney, Billy Ocean, Taj Mahal, Noel Gallagher, George Benson, Gregory Porter, Mavis Staples and many more.
Of course, no one likes to name drop (but we will), he also played with Van the Man at Martin Scorsese’s star-studded, surprise 80th birthday bash at the über-glamorous Casa Cipriani in Manhattan. There the kid from New Zealand rubbed shoulders with Benicio del Toro, Leonardo DiCaprio, George Lucas, Julian Schnabel and Robert De Niro. Evidently, a mellifluous saxophone can charm open any shiny door.
BE HAPPY
However, the glittering world of fame can also be quite stultifying. Hence, Chris has always had his own creative projects. Alongside Samaki he has a jazz group simply called The Christopher White Collective. Jazz seems to be the magnetic force in his musical life. But, he adds, Samaki is where both band and audience can “just be happy”. It is that pure joy that the gig here promises to deliver.
If Christopher’s journey sounds glitzy and high-flying, it should also be pointed out that, above all, he is a very serious, multi-instrumental musician, composer and producer. We are certainly not talking about grade eights issued by tweedy British music teachers. He is now, officially, a Professor of Film and Music at the Guildhall School of Music and Dance. He teaches twice a week and helps to guide students through the complex paths of creating sounds for cinema. As he says, “the students are incredibly inspirational and rewarding to work with.” He has composed much film music himself, including the music for the Irish film The Sparrow, the Hungarian animation White Plastic Sky, soundtracks for two film pieces by and about the sculptor Antony Gormley, and countless other projects.
CAN ROBOTS PLAY THE BLUES?
Does he worry about the future, given the way that AI is now apparently capable of stealing the work of creatives with impunity? “It is a concern, but I would like to see a robot play the saxophone.” It is a good point and maybe that reveals the vital importance of live music. If you want music live, indeed if you want to hear some incredibly talented live human beings play some great music, get along to Kino.
Tickets for Samaki available from kino-teatr.co.uk
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