16 January,2019 10:02 AM IST | Mumbai | Karishma Kuenzang
Bianca Love at a performance in New Orleans
Not many in their late 20s can boast of being an integral part of the music scene in New Orleans. But Bianca Love, who grew up listening to gospel, blues, jazz and Motown, is living every jazz musician's dream at the heart of it all. Currently touring India and gigging all over the country, Love spent a part of her childhood here. Her music brings flavours of traditional jazz, dabbled with contemporary soul, hip-hop and electronica sounds.
We caught up with Love, who has already performed in Pune, Kolkata and Mumbai's The Quarter, before her last gig in India, after which she will head back to Louisiana.
Bianca Love
Tell us about your songwriting and composition process.
My inspiration includes D'angelo, Syd the Kid, Mahalia Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Anderson Paak, Robert Glasper and Erykah Badu. I keep jotting down ideas and phrases all the time as they come to me, and some of them inspire themes for my compositions. I sit down at my piano or guitar to arrange my ideas into music, or I produce the instrumentals. Most of my current song themes are about the people I care about, as well as political or feminist-driven ideas, which I feel strongly about and feel should be talked about. The aim is to tell a story about my life through each composition.
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What's the music scene in New Orleans like, especially in terms of surviving as a full-time musician?
The music landscape in New Orleans is a melting pot of versatile cats who can play an array of different sounds. And it is difficult and treacherous to lead a full time career in music, especially jazz. A lot of the venues are geared towards tourists and don't have a lot of room for originals (we live off tips). Those venues that do accommodate original music and underground/experimental sessions do not yield a lot of income. The most adept musicians find a balance between both to earn a living. Street musicians, on the other hand, can be extremely seasoned at their craft and make up a huge part of the city's culture. They can also earn a decent living by busking.
What are some of the techniques you will be introducing the audiences to?
I'm playing my trumpet for the first time at a set of shows. I've been studying it for two years and staying in New Orleans has helped me grow and learn exponentially. I'll also present some of the new vocal techniques and applications I have picked up over the past year.
ON: January 22, 9.30 pm onwards
AT: The Little Door, Shri Siddhivinayak Plaza, off New Link Road, Andheri West.
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