Interview with Singer/Songwriter Ade Fabola
By Mick Michaels
The Cosmick View: Hello, Ade and welcome to The Cosmick View/MBM Ten Pounder! Thanks for taking some time to chat with us!
CV:
Describe your definition of the band’s sound and style and how does that
definition uniquely describe
the music?
AF: My music is a blend of
folk, blues, Jazz and world music. It’s predominantly acoustic and driven by warm
nylon string guitars that produce intricate melodies. My sound is warm and characterized
by soft, soulful vocals paired with precise guitar finger-picking. My vocal
timbre is similar…as I’ve been told, to that of Tracy Chapman and Jack Johnson,
and my guitar style is somewhat evocative of that of Passenger and Tallest Man
on Earth. These are all fairly loose comparisons, of course. They’re influences
and sources of inspiration.
I believe it uniquely describes me because of my background. My West-African heritage, my exposure to Reggae, classical and folk, and my love of Blues and Jazz music all make their way into my music and it all blends together into something that probably won’t fit nicely into any one of these genres. This is why I just identify as a singer-songwriter, and when I’m pressed to pick a genre, I say folk because a lot of what I do is storytelling.
CV:
Today, everyone talks about artist and audience connection. Is such a level of
connection actually achievable for an artist and if so, how have you made the
connection to your fans?
AF: I think it’s important
to connect with people in general, not just for artists. Nobody exists in isolation,
we live in communities/societies, have family, friends, co-workers etc. It’s
important to be able to share one’s life with people, and for artists, this is
so important with audiences. I try to speak my truth, to be honest about my day
to day, and not just to pop up on socials when I have some new music to plug.
CV:
Is fan interaction an important part of the band’s inner culture?
AF: Yes, music is all
about the fans. I know a big part of making music is the cathartic process, how
it helps me process my thoughts and put feelings/words into song. But once
something exists as an art form, the next best thing that can happen would be
for it to be consumed. In this case, once you make music, you want to share it
with people who would interact, vibe with it and appreciate it. This is why fan
interaction is important in my view.
CV:
Can a band truly interact with its fans and still maintain a level of personal
privacy without crossing the line and giving up their “personal space” in your
opinion?
AF: In my opinion, yes,
it’s possible, but can be tricky for obvious reasons. I think bands and artists
need to decide on what they’re willing to share with the world and what has to
remain absolutely private. True connection, with audiences, doesn’t necessarily
come from the quantity of information you share, but rather in the quality and
approach. True connection is difficult to fake. :)
AF: I think music is universal in the sense that anywhere you go, there’s always a deep appreciation for music and it always plays a big part in the culture and society. That said, there are differences in how music is consumed, as well as people’s relationships to music as tangible entities. I can’t speak authoritatively about this because I’ve not undertaken some sort of expedition to conduct research on this, but from the cultures/societies I’ve been exposed to, I feel like the explicit value placed on, and sense of ownership of music is a reflection of the society’s values and practices. In short, it varies across societies, and also appears to be changing with time…especially with the advent of streaming. In much of the developed world, streaming is rife, but this isn’t the case in the developing world. People still want hard copies, or at least download and save when they get access to the Internet because constant Internet access isn’t guaranteed for streaming. This fosters a different relationship to the music a person chooses to download and save in their finite storage space, compared to the person who has access to the world’s entire music on the go :)
CV:
Do you feel that a band that has an international appeal, will tend to connect
more so to American audiences? Would they be more enticed or intrigued to see
the band over indigenous acts because of the foreign flavor?
AF: This is a double-edge
sword. As a person who’s usually labeled as “foreign” or “different,” sometimes
it feels like I’m being invited for the token diversity slot or to add variety/flavor/&
insert other buzzword here. I don’t mind too much when this happens, because it
gives me an opportunity to get my foot in the door and prove myself, to show
that I’ve got depth and I’m more than just an artist that adds “flavor”. In
other words, the most part this works for me. But on the other hand, it can be
difficult to break into certain spaces because I’m not like the others; I’m not
a safe choice that everyone else is used to. In some spaces there’s a cliquey mentality
that makes it difficult to get a chance to prove myself, which is why when I’m usually
so thankful for the spaces I feel welcome in. :)
CV:
Has modern-day digital technology made everyone an artist on some level in your
opinion? Have the actual lines of what really is an artist been blurred?
AF: An artist is someone
who makes art. Art is…subjective, in value, in conception, in execution, in almost
all facets I can think of. I think there are a lot more people who consider
themselves artists now by virtue of technology compared to previous decades,
and I think that’s great.
There’s something to be said for quality though, which is partly subjective but also has an objective element. I can write an entire essay on the subject, but I think that the advent of tech which empowers so many people and makes art accessible, is a good thing. It means there’s something for everyone to make and there’s something for everyone to consume.
CV:
How would you describe the difference between an artist who follow trends and
one who sets them?
AF: I think that the act
of setting trends should happen organically and shouldn’t be a conscious effort.
I mean, artists should strive to stay true to themselves, make the music they
enjoy, speak their truth and hope to connect with fans on a deep level. If they
happen to do something innovative in the process, then that’s great, However,
if a band sets out to set a new trend, it’s likely that they’ll abandon their
values and lose sight of why they got into making music in the first place,
unless they got into making music to become popular or to be known as trend setters,
in which case I can’t begin to fathom the artist’s relationship with their
“art”. As for following trends, I get that there’s always the temptation to do
what’s popular in order to stay relevant,
and perhaps everyone does that to an extent, but as an artist I’m always
conscious of “the line”, the point beyond which I’m in danger of no longer
resonating with my art. If I can’t recognize myself in the mirror when I make
art, how can I expect other people to connect with my art? With this in mind,
blindly following trends doesn’t seem like a good idea for me :) This isn’t to
say we shouldn’t adapt and
evolve with the times, but that we should do so consciously.
CV:
Has music overall been splintered into too many sub-genres in an effort to
appease fan tastes in your opinion? And has such fan appeasements, in
actuality, weakened music’s impact as a whole by dividing audiences?
AF: I think that the availability
of many more genres, compared to decades past, is an indicator that tastes are
evolving and new ideas are becoming popular. It means a lot of people are
innovating and pushing boundaries, which is a good thing in my view. That said,
sometimes it feels all a bit much and it can be difficult to identify suitable
festivals/line-ups etc from fans’ perspectives. The trick is to not pay that
much attention to sub-genres. If a new band sounds like they’re anything remotely
close to one of the many genres I listen to, I’ll give them a chance. I may end
up having a new favorite underground band, or they won’t be my cup of tea, but
either way there’s no harm done. :)
CV:
What can fans except to see coming next from you?
AF: Some new music, some
old re-issues and some re-branding….
We’re planning to release a bunch of tracks we recorded in 2020, so there’s new music on the way. In addition to that, we’ll be re-issuing some of the older tracks on my old music profile before my artist name change to Dr. Fabola, so it’ll be nice to give these songs a new life. I’ve also been writing new tracks that I’m looking forward to recording and sharing with the world. :)
CV: Thanks again Ade for taking some time and talking. It is greatly appreciated.
Check
out Ade at:
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/drfabola
Facebook: facebook.com/drfabola
Twitter: twitter.com/drfabola
Official: adefabola.com
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4e25TiassbJrW4UZkOlA5e?si=zwGdHf8pTG-hBv2li-eb2w
The Cosmick Voice
Music, Talk & Nothing But Business
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