About Jacques Schwarz-Bart
‘Sone Ka-La 2: Odyssey’ is the sequel to Jacques Schwarz-Bart’s album ‘Sone Ka-La’, released in 2005. Where the first album digs into the pain of the slave experience, the second celebrates triumph over struggle. Jacques says it’s about finding the resolve to overcome.
Raised mainly on the island of Guadalupe in the French Caribbean, Jacques says the history of slavery there was similar to the history of the US. Slavery was first abolished in 1794, but then re-instated by Napolean I between 1802 and 1848. It was a tumultuous time, when slaves that had been free for 8 years were enslaved again after a revolt and a bloody clash between free slaves and Napolean I.
While that may sound dismal, the music on the album does not, celebrating the strength to rise above. Jacques integrates elements from Gwoka music, native to his island of Guadalupe, with more modern groove and instrumentation for a perfectly blended and unique style. Jacque credits his time with artists like Roy Hargrove, D’Angelo and Chucho Valdez for giving him a taste for many music styles. The combination of these different colors blends together to create a beautiful new mosaic that you can enjoy on Sone Ka-La 2: Odyssey.
“There is something uplifting even in the most quiet pieces. It wants to express finding peace and balance within yourself.”
Jacques Schwarz-Bart
Never Miss an Episode — Subscribe to Our Newsletter!
Get new episodes sent directly to your inbox with exclusive content about upcoming episodes!
Resources
Learn more about Jacques Schwarz-Bart on his website and support his music by purchasing the album here.
And if you have three minutes, we would LOVE for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Just click this link, then click on “Listen on Apple Podcasts.” It will open a new page in either iTunes or Apple Podcasts, then you can scroll to the bottom and tell us what you think! Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform to stay up to date with our interviews!
[…] Jacques Schwarz-Bart – Episode 32 & Aaron Goldberg/Yes! Trio – Episode 08 […]