When you combine music with the things you see, it goes into the spirit
ONE of SA’s foremost jazz musicians, Carlo Mombelli, has just released his 12th studio album, I Press My Spine to the Ground. He is a bassist and composer who also teaches at the music school of the University of the Witwatersrand. His album features Kesivan Naidoo (drums), Mbuso Khoza (vocals) and Kyle Shepherd (piano). The Conversation Africa’s arts and culture editor, Charles Leonard, spoke to him about the album, its cover and how to juggle being a musician with being an academic.CHARLES LEONARD: Where does the title for your new album come from?CARLO MOMBELLI: I once worked in Paris with a composer called Jean-Louis Mechali — he is from Morocco originally. An Arab told him once that when there is a really dark sky he loves to watch the stars. In your darkest moments, when you’re really feeling down, only then can you see all the bright stars in the heavens. I took that concept and wrote a poem about it, I Press My Spine to the Ground.So I wrote this piece of music based on that...
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