Interview with Bluesman Rev. Rabia. An interview by email in writing.

Dear readers, get to know more about our US/EU Jazz – Blues Festivals and the activities of our US/EU Jazz – Blues Association in the capitals of Europe, we will soon publish program for 2024, enjoy in the July – August – Brussels, Berlin, Prague, Warsaw, Sofia, new addreses this year, also in Amsterdam, Budapest.

JazzBluesNews.com: – First, let’s start out with where you grew up, and what got you interested in music. How exactly did your adventure take off? When did you realize that this was a passion you could make a living out of?

Rev. Rabia։ – I GREW UP IN SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA. IT’S THE CAPITAL OF THE STATE IN THE CENTRAL AREA. IT IS A HOT AND DRY DELTA FED BY TWO RIVERS.AS A YOUNG CHILD, I WAS ALWAYS PLAYING RECORDS WHILE OTHER CHILDREN WERE OUTSIDE RUNNING AROUND, I WOULD BE SITTING AT THE HUGE RECORD PLAYER. I BELIEVE THAT THIS HAS ALLOWED TO RECOGNIZE SONGS CHORD CHANGES QUITE EASILY.

OUR US/EU Jazz and Blues Festivals 2024

JBN: – How has your sound evolved over time? What have you been doing to find and develop your own sound?

MY SOUND HAS GROWN FROM FOLK TO COUNTRY BLUES, AND FINALLY ROCK AND JAZZ. MY DEVELOPED AS MY GUITAR PLAYING IMPROVED.

OUR US/EU Jazz and Blues Festivals 2023

JBN: – What routine practices or exercises have you developed to maintain and improve your current musical proficiency, in terms of both rhythm and harmony?

I PRACTICE SCALES, CHORDS AND THE SONGS THAT I PERFORM. I ALSO WORK ON SONGWRITING BUT NOT AS CONSISTENTLY.

JBN: – Have you changed through the years? Any charges or overall evolution? And if so why?

I PLAY BETTER, MY SINGING RANGE IS STILL GOOD. I GAIN CONFIDENCE IN RELATING TO AUDIENCE.

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JBN: – In your opinion, what’s the balance in music between intellect and soul?

THE BEST I HAVE EVER HEARD WAS PENNED BY JOHN HIATT. THE TUNE IS PERFECTLY GOOD GUITAR. THE LINE IS” YOU DON’T GET OUT UNTIL YOU GET SOME SOUL.” MIND YOU, SOUL ISN’T TAUGHT BUT IT MUST BE LEARNED.

JBN: – There’s a two-way relationship between audience and artist; are you okay with delivering people the emotion they long for?

I ALWAYS SING WITH EMOTION. I SING SONG ONLY THAT “WORK” FOR ME : I CAN ONLY DELIVER A GOOD EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT IS TRUE TO ME.

JBN: – How can we get young people interested in jazz when most of standard tunes are half a century old?

I BELIEVE THE LOCAL SCHOOL HERE HAVE GOOD JAZZ TRAINING PROGRAMS. THE YOUNG FOLKS HAVE A LOT OF TECHNIQUE, NOT TOO MUCH FEELING GENERALLY BUT THAT CAN BE GAINED THROUGH LIVING.

OUR US/EU Jazz and Blues Association 2023

JBN: – John Coltrane once said that music was his spirit. How do you perceive the spirit and the meaning of life?

MY MUSIC IS MY AIR, CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT AIR. MY HUSBAND AND I PRACTICE NICHI REN BUDDHISM. WORKING ON BEING THE MOMENT WITH MUSIC AND LIFE.

JBN: – If you could change one single thing in the musical world and that would become reality, what would that be?

MUSICIANS NEED BETTER PAY FOR STREAMING. AND MORE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE.

JBN: – Whom do you find yourself listening to these days?

LATELY I’M LISTENING TO PRINCE, JAZZMIA HORN, MARK MURPHY.

JBN: – Let’s take a trip with a time machine: where and why would you really want to go?

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By editorial։ Since its inception in 2012, JazzBluesNews.com has become the leading Jazz and Blues platform in Europe, United States, Asia, Latin America, Australia, Nordic countries, Afro – Eurasia.

Interview by Emmanuel Bolton