Press Article

2005 Feb   "A Chat with Concord Nkabinde"
Publication: www.bassplayers.co.za
Byline: Martin Simpson

Concs, your debut solo album, "The Time, The Season", has been in the shops since late 2003 now. How has it been received?
I have been encouraged a lot by the positive reception of my debut recording. As an independent record label it also makes one feel that there must be something right we are doing. The album has received attention from the general public, who are not really musical analysts. It has also been enjoyed by musicians, academics and by music critics. The album has also crossed racial & cultural barriers. All this success has been translating into sales, and it continues to do so. I am really strengthened and excited by the success of “The time, the season”.

Are you looking at releasing your second album soon?
I have started writing more material for the next one. I also have about 4 tracks that never made the first album. So we could say I am not far from the next album. However, I feel that “the time, the season” still has a long life ahead and needs to be given space to breath. I am exploring it quite a lot by placing the song’s in movies, documentaries, other albums, etc. Besides, I’ve only assembled a band recently and live gigs will also give the album a newer life. I am not looking at releasing the next one within the next year. It is still going to be the “time & season” for a while.

You’ve started your own record company, DROCNOC MUSIC (whose name is Concord spelt backwards). How has it been, running an independent label and being the artist? It must take up a lot of your time.
This has been a route I will never regret. It has been a school of business for me. My eyes were opened to a lot of hidden aspects of the industry. What this has done is help define my purpose, not only in music but in life. I am beginning to understand how we affect people through our music and what a responsibility it is. My networking skills have grown amazingly. It is not easy balancing the business and the artistic worlds. The business has grown so much that I have now employed someone to take care of things as I bring the artistic side up to speed. All this is time consuming. However, you don’t really feel stressed because you are investing into your own future, your calling and your own business. I would encourage those artists that can afford it to give this route a try. There is so much to learn.

You’ve made an interesting video recently. Can you tell us a little bit about it?
That was also a whole new world for me. Watching people running up and down, setting up lights, getting coffee, creating a set, all for my video…I thought they were doing all this unnecessarily, but now I know.
We decided to go with the song “Canciones de amor” as it is the one that received more attention on the album. I basically gave the song to the director and she came up with a concept. I really loved her ideas and the final product. It has become a very important marketing tool. This was yet another area of education for me.

You’ve been working with Johnny Clegg for a few years now and this has given you a great opportunity to see more of the world. Can we expect to see Concord touring the World as a solo act some time in the future?
Definitely yes! Playing and touring with Johnny Clegg has been an eye opener for me, both musically and on the logistics/admin side. I have plans to travel the world with my music and do collaborations with other musicians. I have done a number of cross-cultural collaborations and I have a great passion for that. I have also been getting in touch with a number of festivals & promoters overseas to try and be in their programme.

Along with Graeme Currie and Kai Horsthemke , you’ve been spearheading the South African Bass Players’ Collective. Do you think you are achieving the goals you had for starting S.A.B.P.C.?
You too Martin are part of that team. Yes I think we are achieving our goals. The intention was to have a forum/base on which bass players can bounce ideas off, a premise where we can deal with our challenges as bass players and as musicians. We also saw this as an informal school, where we share information without judgement. We also intended this to be a platform of exposure for members.
I must say we have succeeded in holding regular meetings. We have been running workshops by members or guests. Many bass players have been getting booked through our website. Young and experienced bassists have been sharing as to how they are benefiting from the collective. The educational aspects are also covered through our regular newsletter through articles. We also run a programme where we collect used & new strings and send them to those that are in dire need of them both in SA and in neighbouring countries.
I believe we are yet to see bigger numbers joining up. Like anything when it starts, people want to see tangible results before they join. I still maintain, it was an excellent idea to start the bass players’ collective. It is the first in South Africa. I am glad to see the guitarists have started theirs too.

You’re playing a five string Lakland almost exclusively these days. What other basses do you have and do you use them very often?
I have a Fender (Heartfield) 5 string, which has been discontinued. I also own a Pedulla Pentabuzz 5(Fretless). I have a Kay 5 string double bass (which I don’t get to play that much). These 3 wives of mine I don’t play very often. I play them at home from time to time. As you said, LAKLAND is the one that has found a place in the corner of my heart. I really love those basses and I am very comfortable playing them. They have a broad tone spectrum. They are light in weight but big in sound. I get asked a lot why my sound is different from many bass sounds you hear everyday. I think LAKLAND has a lot to do with it. There are many great bass players that use LAKLAND Basses. Visit www.lakland.com/artists. LAKLAND Basses have now been made more accessible through their Korean made version, the Skyline series, Still sounding & feeling great.

Are there any endorsement deals that you have in place?
I have been blessed to have the LAKLAND endorsement, where I can get the basses at a discounted price. I am looking forward to get the LAKLAND Fretless. Recently I also received an endorsement deal with ELIXIR Strings. Strings are a crucial part of one's sound and ELIXIR does it for me. Elixir strings last a very long time as well.