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(1 votes - 5.00 / 5)
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Q1. Where are you from?
I am a South Londoner, born and bred.
Q2. Musical influences?
My biggest musical influence is my dad, UK reggae musician/producer, Dennis Bovell. My dad introduced me to music and musical instruments. One of my earliest childhood memories is of my dad showing me how to hold down a Fm7 chord on the guitar.
As a teenager I had the privilege of going on international tours with my dad while working as the sound engineer for his band, The Dennis Bovell Dub Band. Seeing them perform on the same stage as artists such as The Roots, The Wailers, and MC Solaar inspired me to develop as an artist.
I am also inspired by artist such as Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, and Miles Davis. I admire artists whose lyrics provide some form of social commentary; music that is not just music for music’s sake. My musical style is influenced by jazz, soul, reggae, latin, electro, funk, hip-hop, folk and a whole bunch of other genres. That’s why my album, ‘The Emergent EcleKtic’ is so eclectic.
Q3. What’s your song writing process?
I get inspired by a beat or a theme that I want to write for or about. Then I start messing around with melodies and messing around with lyrics. Some songs like, ‘New’, ‘Love, Hate’ and ‘Wrestle with Angels’ poured out of me like water. Others took more time and effort.
Once I have the melodies and lyrics I start forming the structure of the song. However, there are songs that I’d write then a few months later I’d revisit them to rewrite the metaphors or change the structure.
After I have the structure I record a rough guide of the song with the chords that I’m playing on the guitar or keyboards. Then I work with my producer to build the song around that rough guide, and produce the actual sound of the song that we want. This can also change during the creative process; ‘Rosie’ started out as a hip-hop/soul track and is now a reggae track.
Once we have the sound we want we then start working on way the song should be sung or rapped in terms of the emotion that needs to be conveyed based on the story we are trying to tell.
Q4. Most bizarre gig experience?
I haven’t really had any bizarre gig experiences… I did a street performance in Copenhagen and a little girl stopped to watch the entire performance then decided to drop some money in the guitar case. So that was sweet. Two-year-olds are really into my music which is quite bizarre. I guess I’m The Toddler Whisperer.
Q5. If you could share the stage with anyone who would it be and why?
If I could share the stage with anyone I would probably choose Marvin Gaye because I think he really knew how to interpret a song. Or maybe Bob Marley and The Wailers because as a band they really embodied that musical energy that artists should try to emulate today.
In their own words
If Bob Marley, Omar, and Kanye West were in the studio with Rev. Al Green they would produce that soul-stirring, head nodding, toe-tapping, infectious vibe that is Bobby Bovell’s ‘ecleKtic’ sound.
British-born, South London bred singer/songwriter/rapper/guitarist/trombonist, Bobby Bovell is the eldest son of UK reggae music legend, Dennis Bovell. As a teenager Bobby toured the globe while working as the sound engineer for The Dennis Bovell Dub Band. When not on the road Bobby was at work with his father in the studio. Of his experiences Bobby says, ‘My dad gave me an invaluable education in the studio while he was writing, producing and mixing for various artists from Wet, Wet, Wet to Alpha Blondy‘.
In spring 2011 Bobby Bovell released his debut album, ‘The Emergent EcleKtic’, which he describes as ‘a ready made playlist of musical genres uniting to tell one story’. Using ingenious storytelling Bobby presents heartfelt social commentary, through soulful vocals, over a tasty musical smorgasbord of reggae, soul, hip-hop, latin, pop/rock, folk, and electro sounds.
Having performed in the USA, Australia and throughout Europe, Bobby Bovell has spread his infectious vibe to gain an international fan base of reggae rockers, hip-hop heads, neo-soul lovers and acoustic folksters alike. Bobby continues to travel the globe on his mission to ‘create art that inspires us to believe that the impossible is possible. It’s my way of speaking about our world in the hopes that we can find a common story within our diversity’.
Bobby Bovell is currently headlining shows in Denmark and UK. His debut album, ‘The Emergent EcleKtic’ can be heard on UK radio stations Choice FM, Premier Gospel and Solar. The album is available now from bobbybovell.com, iTunes, Amazon.
[...] Well check out Bobby’s interesting interview with Rising Star. [...]