Interview with Suphala
Monday, July 23, 2007
The Blueprint Interview by eSpire writer KendallYou have a beautiful name, what does it mean?
In Saskrit, Suphala literally means "producer of good fruit", and symbolically means "one who leads to excellent results."
How did your collaborations with artists such as Edie Brickell come to be?
I met Edie in the studio when Harper Simon had an idea to have us all collaborate. Edie, Harper, Sean Lennon, Yuka Honda, and I had a great jam session that day and discovered there was a wonderful musical chemistry there. Since that day, Edie and I collaborate on each other's music whenever we get a chance.
What is your hope for the future female musicians in Afghanistan?
Young girls should be given a chance to learn music just like everyone else. Music is much larger than ourselves and anyone who has the ability to tap into it, should be supported.
Did you know you were changing history by being the first female to play in Afghanistan since the fall of the taliban?
No. I went to play a concert just like anywhere else. I was very interested in visiting due to the fact that Afghanis share the same Hindustani Classical music with us. It was lovely to meet the Tabla artists especially, hear their stories, and exchange rhythms. I didn't know there hadn't been a big concert since the fall of the taliban.
Your current album has an interesting title "Blueprint", is there a story?
The concept behind, "Blueprint," is that recordings are blueprints or prototypes. Each finite recording is interpreted in an infinite number of ways. Just as each listener has there own unique moments and mood with the songs, as musicians we can play these pieces in several different ways. And we do.
Who were some of your musical influences growing up?
Its hard to say who my influences were, but I can tell you some artists i listened to: N.W.A., Prince, Chopin, Michael Jackson, Beethoven, and Bhimsen Joshi.
What are the benefits to having your own production company?
I can roll out of bed and start working in my studio....that's the main one.
Being in the music business, you are surrounded by so much of everything, how do you stay grounded?
Practicing Tabla is like a meditation.
What can we expect from you in the years to come?
More music you've never heard before.
What is in your ipod/cd player?
Recordings of live concerts made by my ipod mic.
For more information about Suphala, visit her website:
http://www.suphala.com/
Interview by Kendall. For more interviews and reviews at eSpire, visit http://www.e-spire.blogspot.com/.
