Currently touring India with his album Soul Tropical, musician David Walters discusses bringing Afro-Caribbean rhythms to the audience
David Walters. Pic/Instagram
Travel changes an artiste in quiet ways, and for French-Caribbean artiste David Walters, every city he visited has shaped the way he crafts music. So, as he takes his album Soul Tropical across India through his multi-city tour, he can feel diverse influences seeping into his Afro-Caribbean rhythms. “So far, the concerts have been extraordinary,” says Walters, who kicked off the tour with a performance in New Delhi on June 18. “I was surprised to receive such a warm welcome from an audience that barely knows me. The audience was across all ages, from as young as three-year-olds to those in their 80s.”
Walters’s latest album draws from a deeply personal experience. He says, “In the song Soul tropical, I was referring to my mother’s death. We danced at my mom’s funeral; [it was] a way to free her. We have traditions where we accompany the departures with rhythms, song, and dance.”
The spirit of collaboration is another key force behind the album, which features musicians like Ballaké Sissoko, Seun Kuti, and Flavia Coelho, among others. Human encounters drive his desire for collaborations, states Walters. “Music has no borders, it’s a universal vibration. I also wanted new collaborations focused on Indian classical music. I have a deep respect for the meaning and depth of Indian classical music,” he shares.
That has led him to his constant exploration of Indian classical music. In 2016, he collaborated with the indie music band, Rajasthan Roots. He recalls, “The ideas came naturally like the flow of a river. It remains one of my most beautiful live music collaborations.” Although he hasn’t yet had the chance to fully explore Indian instrumentation in studio sessions, the desire is strong, as he says, “I hope the gods of music will grant me this opportunity because there is a definite connection between India and the Caribbean.”
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