Lionel Loueke

Lionel Loueke has been tearing up the traditional jazz scene since coming to the attention of jazz critics in early 2001. This phenomenal guitarist hails from the West African nation of Benin and the music he writes and performs is infused with his native culture. For Lionel Loueke, the guitar serves as a link between his African music roots and his current, high-profile gig as a sideman for jazz legend Herbie Hancock’s band.

With four critically acclaimed albums already under his belt and a growing legion of fans, Lionel's new album Mwaliko is said to be his catchiest and most mature to date was released in February 2010. Lionel's powerful lyrics and music are incredible timeless masterpieces that have a powerful message and strong imagery tune in and listen. In December 2009, Lionel was awarded the prestigious USA Fellowship for his outstanding musicianship and for continuously pushing boundaries.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Lionel Loueke while on tour about his music, shows and his mentor, Herbie Hancock and future plans. I would like to thank Cem Kurosman at Blue Note Records/EMI Music for making this interview possible.

Your current album Mwaliko features collaborations with the likes of Angelique Kidjo,Richard Bona and Esperenza Spalding among others. The album opens with the African classic “Ami O” with Angelique Kidjo. How did you and Angelique arrive at the re-recording of this song?
I played the guitar and served as a co-arranger on her (Angelique’s)'Oyo' album. After that, I asked her if she would sing two songs on my album. I did not want to impose anything on her, so I asked her to propose something. She came up with “Ami O”, and at that juncture I knew we weren’t going to cover it the way Ebanda Manfred did it originally.

Let’s start right there. How did you go about forming the Lionel Loueke trio? How did you find the other two members of your trio?
We have been playing together for 11 years and met at the Berkley College of Music in Boston. Indeed what brought us all together was the fact that we all have international backgrounds. The drummer Ferenc Nemeth is from Hungary, and the base player Massimo Biolcati is half Italian and half Swedish. That is how I met them and decided to form the trio. To add to that, each member has maintained their cultural identity. I have kept my African style, Ferenc also comes in with a Europe style of arrangement, and you know Massimo has a classical background. So this trio is a mix of different styles of music.

You have recorded 4 critically acclaimed albums (Mwaliko being the second for Blue Note Records). Many music critics have stated that “Mwaliko” is your best work so far. Could you briefly describe what went into the music-making process for this album and in your opinion what makes this one different from the rest?
To begin with, the personnel used on this album are completely different from the earlier ones. Up until now, the trio was featured on all of the tracks. However, with this new album, I performed with the trio on only three songs and that it the difference. I want to be progressive musically and that is why I chose to experiment and explore other angles with this album. Fortunately it turned out right and I am glad everyone likes it.

Lionel, the first album was titled Karibu, which means “welcome” in Swahili. This current one is titled Mwaliko which also in Swahili means “invitation”. Is it sheer coincidence or did you pick out these titles because Swahili is the most quintessential African language? Do you speak Swahili by chance?
(Laughing) For me Swahili is the most beautiful language we have in Africa. Too bad, I do not speak Swahili. If this is anything to go by, about two or three years ago, I did a tour of 15 countries in East Africa, and specifically I spent some time in Kenya. I enjoyed it and fortunately I have a few friends from Kenya. I just love the sound of the language and I think the language by itself is great. To be perfectly honest with you, I did not purposefully go out and pick out those names because of their Swahili meanings. I just happen to love the way they sound.

In a number of previous interviews, you have mentioned Herbie Hancock as your mentor and also stated that working with him on stage is always a learning process. You have toured with him for a number of years, worked with him on the albums Possibilities, The Joni Mitchell Letters, and he returned the favor by working with you on the album Virgin Forest. Do you care to share with us what you have learned from Herbie over the years?
Well, you know I learned… (Pause). I am still learning. Playing alongside him, I would say I am learning life in general. He is a visionary as well as a down-to-earth person. I love being around him because I learn so much. Like Herbie, I am a Buddhist. Besides the music, I have learned from him life’s experiences, be it on the road or on the bus. I think those issues exactly reflect who he is, how and why he plays music at such a high level.

Your musical style is an amalgamation of several West African influences from King Sunny Ade to Fela Kuti. Would you mind telling us which genre of African music or African musician has had the most lasting impression on you?
Well, I guess I like most African music. I can’t say there is one specific artiste that has had the most influence on my music. There are a number of artistes that I fancy and some that don’t really grab my attention. I would say Doudou Diallo from Senegal is one of my influences. He is a good representative of African music in the way he uses the percussion (African drums) to tell the story. It is my opinion that the drums are a medium to tell African stories and definitely represents Africa.

While we are still on the role of percussion in African music, I will like to know how you gravitated to the guitar, since most genres of our music are percussion based (with the exception of palm wine music)
I picked up the guitar simply because my older brother (Alexis) played the guitar in an Afro-pop band. It could very well have been the drums or bass. Don’t forget that in Africa there is a big tradition of guitar style; African guitar style which is based on all these string instruments such as the Kora, Balafon and Sanza. These are instruments that some musicians, guitar players try to imitate.

In your opinion, what is the future of African music? Do you think collaboration with the likes of Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon and Neneh Cherry by African musicians such as Youssou N'Dour and Ladysmith Black Mambazo is the way to achieve more acceptance worldwide?
I think the future is bright. However, I must add that due to exposure to many types of music I realize that our grooves and melodies are organic. But I hear steady harmony that doesn’t give that much room to explore or go out of the box. The African harmonies are very straight and doesn’t (inaudible) with the rhythm. It doesn’t have to be that way. On collaboration, I think that someone like Paul Simon playing with African musicians exposes the rest of the world to our music. This would allow people who otherwise don’t know about African music to get a feel for it. So collaboration is always a good thing and the way to go.

You have achieved much popularity here in America and Europe. What has been the reception of people back home to your music and have you had the chance to perform your music for the people of Benin?
I go once a year to Benin to perform. Actually, I go every year during winter just to see my folks and I take the time to play a concert. I have been doing that for the past twelve years. I have always had good reception to my music especially when I use certain lyrics or melodies they recognize from local Beninois music.

In concluding this interview, I would like to know if there are any new projects on the horizon.
Yeah. I am always thinking about new things. I have a few projects in mind. I will like to record an album with a string quartet, acoustic guitar and some percussion. This would allow me to get some improvisation, real collaboration and exchange between the musicians. The other project I have in mind is recording a live album. I like the way the trio sounds live. However, it is hard to capture those moments in the studio. I am more of a live performer than in studio. Although I love both situations (in studio and live performances), if I had to chose one, I would opt for live performances. I like the moment and the studio for me does not allow that. With the studio you always have to go back and redo something. Live performances allow you to feed off the vibe of fellow musicians and the crowd.

It has been my honor to talk to you today. I wish you all the best and thank you for your time.

The Afrikan Child © Copyright 2010. All Rights reserved. No part of these pages, either text or image may be duplicated without the author's permission. Also, reproduction, modification, storage in a retrieval system or retransmission, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise is strictly prohibited without prior written permission. General inquiries should be directed to our Web feedback box, accessible from this link or from the footer at the bottom of most pages on our site.