Throw Down Your Heart: The Bela Fleck Interview

The official title of the annual happening that takes place at the Trumansburg Fairgrounds every July is the Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance. But, hey, we’re from here, so we just call it Grassroots. Need I say more for you to generally know what to expect? I think not. The specifics of this year’s festival are a different matter, though, and do need a little further description.

So what to expect at Grassroots 2009? Well, first off, you’ll find the great performers that play the festival every year. Sim Redmond Band, Donna the Buffalo, The Horseflies, and other great local performers such as Thousands of One, Hank Roberts, Kevin Kinsella, Jennie Stearns, Samite, and Mary Lorson will all be there. Just on its own, this is a killer group of musicians to get to see. But in total there are going to be 70+ groups playing at Grassroots between July 16 and 19—many of whom music fans would have to work pretty hard to see otherwise. And as with every year, there are going to be a couple of killer headliners. This year it’s the super-tight soul band Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings on Friday and banjo legend Bela Fleck solo and with Oumou Sangaré and her band on Saturday.

Dynamic Meter recently got the chance to ask Bela Fleck some questions about his music, career, and most recent (and fabulous) album, “Throw Down Your Heart, Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Africa Sessions.”

Dynamic Meter: What first drew you to the banjo?

Bela Fleck: I first heard it on the Beverly Hillbillies, and the sound blew my mind. I was growing up in New York City during the 60s folk boom, so there was banjo around, once I became aware of it.

DM: Your career has been so diverse, who are your influences?

BF: My influences include Earl Scruggs, Tony Trischka and all the great banjoists as well as many jazz players and classical composers, and musicians from around the world—Joni Mitchell, the Beatles, Mile Davis, Chick Corea to name a few.

DM: How do you define your style?

BF: If I describe myself to a stranger, I say that I play banjo in unconventional settings such as jazz and classical music. Although I have a solid bluegrass schooling, the things that might set me apart would have to include a certain flexibility and daring. Also having a solid technique allows me to present my ideas with confidence.

DM: How did the new album, “Throw Down Your Heart” come about?

BF: I have wanted to go to Africa for a long time, to research the roots of the banjo. I also wanted to throw myself into a musically dangerous situation that I would have to rise to. And I have been loving acoustic traditional African music for a good while. In 2005 my group Bela Fleck and the Flecktones went on hiatus and I had the time to do something ambitious and time consuming.

DM: How was it recorded?

BF: We did much of the recording on location in town centers, outdoors, and in people’s homes, occasionally in recording studios, too. We had two small multi track recorders and mikes and we made some pretty amazing recordings in primitive situations, no power etc.

DM: How did you pick the musicians you recorded with?

BF: Some I picked before I went, and some I chose when I went to Africa. We always left a few days open for the unknown to have its way with us. Some of these unplanned sessions became highlights.

DM: “Throw Down Your Heart” is such a great image. What does it mean to you?

BF: Throw Down Your Heart is the literal translation for the town of Bagamoyo in Tanzania. This was where slaves were processed on their way east to the Arab
Countries. When the slaves saw the sea and the ships, they realized they would never see their homes again and ‘threw down their hearts’ in this place . . .
It is a haunting name, and very sad. When I used it for the project, I liked the power of it, and also the way it could have a variety of meanings, depending on the interpretation. I for instance ‘threw down my heart’ for African music, which could mean I fell in love with it.

DM: You made a documentary about your musical journey in Africa that led to the making of “Throw Down Your Heart.” Can you please talk about that?

BF: Yes. The album and the film are complimentary. There is some overlap, but the album is much more than a soundtrack, with much additional material, and the film is much more than a ‘making of’ doc. They each have their own point of view.

DM: For your show at The Grass Roots Festival, you’ll be playing solo and then joined by Oumou Sangaré and her band. This is a departure from your most widely know work with the Flecktones. How has it been to make this transition?

BF: I have performed now with several African artists since the making of the project. Recently I did a run of dates with the kora great Toumani Diabate, which was incredible. Earlier this year I had 4 artists over and we did several weeks of theatres in the US.

In January I did a concert with Oumou in Glasgow Scotland, our first and only one so far (at the time of this interview). Oumou is one of my favorite artists of all time, and I look forward to performing with her and also just watching her perform!

She very rarely tours in the US and I can’t encourage everyone enough to come and see her perform. The festival will be our 6th show, so I feel certain we will know what we are doing together!

Who are you listening to now?

BF: Check out a great new performer called Sarah Jarosz. She is great. I am listening to a lot of Indian music, due to my new friend Zakir Hussain’s influence. We will be playing together this year as well. In my iPod right now are Oscar Peterson and Stan Getz, Norman Blake and Tony Rice, and the new Dave Mathews album.

Thanks!
Bela