On stage with Steward Copeland during a Concert at the Symphony Orchestra of San Diego on August 27 , 2021 I was pretty normal ; I wasn ' t really thinking about it , playing in front of 750,000 or even a million spectators in New York ' s Central Park . In fact , I saw things as simply as possible . My arrival in the United States indeed broadened my horizons and my potential even more . I used to think , and still do , that it ' s all about hard work . You just have to keep on working hard , learning , and moving forward all the time , in all humility .
Many people know you as a studio shark and star accompanist , but very few know that you are also a composer , arranger , singer , and even producer . For example , in 1993 , you composed two songs for John Patitucci ' s Grammy-nominated album Another World . My question is this : What added value does composing bring to your art ? As for the bulk of your career as a bassist on stage with other musicians , how does this influence your performances ?
Composing allows me to understand the dimension of the artist ' s project . It allows me to get to know others better and , above all , to bring a special touch to their project , because when I ' m called in for a project , it ' s because they need me to imprint my way
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of doing things . on the finished product , which has often been successful Several of my projects have been nominated for Grammy awards . You know , there are what we call faceless musicians . Musicians with no face and no label who , when they come into the studio , simply play the score given to them without adding their own personal touch . And when I collaborate on a project , I don ' t come just to play , but to add my own stamp to the project .
e list of your collaborations is very long : Stewart Copeland , Herbie Hancock , Robert Downey Jr ., Paul Simon , Ringo Starr , Stanley Clarke , Jonathan Butler , Lady Smith , Black Mambaso , and I ' m sure there are many more . What do you think is the decisive factor in accepting a collaboration ? e convergence of ideas , the discovery of new horizons , the exploration of new encounters , or , of course , the sinews of war , because artists have to make a living from their art ? Of course , nobody works on a project for nothing ( laughs ). In fact , in all modesty , I always feel honored when artists ask to have me on their projects . Especially when it ' s other bassists like Patitucci or Stanley Clarke , it ' s a mark of consideration for me and my art .