Bollywood Blues Man Aki Kumar on Gratitude, Humility, and Band Dynamics (Ep 113)

Bollywood blues artist Aki Kumar sees gratitude and humility as key to managing his music career, creative challenges, band dynamics, and life. He returns to the podcast for a second round of depth conversation of this and more. Episode Highlights We start by discussing his cameo in Solange and go on to talk about: San Jose and its influence on Aki's career His love for the musicians he plays with How to manage occasional band conflicts Writing music in Hindi and the integration of ska  Privilege and humility  The drivers that keep him passionate about music How creativity feeds more creativity. Making time for songwriting and the challenges therein 3 Key Points  Practice humility. You could have a high flying moment followed by a stumble. Keep going. Stretch yourself. Experiment with your music by mixing genres, languages, politics, etc.  Gratitude is key. Being on a stage with an appreciative audience is a privilege.  Shareable Quotes "Once you have that musical bond, it makes music-making easy. Everyone is speaking the same language. Maybe with a slightly different accent, but the same language." –Aki Kumar on creating strong band dynamics.    Mentioned in this Episode Aki Kumar's Website Aireene Espiritu & A Color-Coded Symphony  San Jose Summer Jazz Fest 2019  Johnny Cat  Aki Goes to Bollywood Charlie Musselwhite Band  El Amansa Guapo Pub Panameño  Little Village Foundation  Solanch Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for Bonus Q&A Content