Sam Strouk’s passion for different genres of music is as refreshing as the single shot espresso he orders, scalding and packed with a punch. The lead singer and guitarist of the world-renowned world music Gypsy Jazz band, Sam Smala, who toured India as a part of the Fete de la Musique, is still in the process of growing accustomed to this country’s bright colours and the depth of its traditional music.
“India is so big, I’m still getting used to it, though it’s my second time here,” he laughs, his arms stretching wide, adding, “I’m starting to get the feel of it. It’s amazing. The people, the culture, its music, everything is just beautiful. And people here appreciate jazz. It’s a nice crowd and they know what they are listening to.”
The singer, who was a part of France’s street music scene, named his band Sam Smala (Smala means ‘family’ in West African) because of the many years of friendship he shared with his band members.
“I’ve known all the members of my band for years. I have known my bass guitarist for over a decade. The first time we met, it was when we played on the streets. I found the others of my band in similar ways and when I came up with a concept to fuse jazz with other kinds of music, I picked those people whom I thought would understand it best,” he explains.
The musician, who has been passionate about Gypsy Jazz from a young age, incorporated a way of making it mainstream, to connect with a wider audience.
“Usually, if you don’t know jazz, you don’t buy a CD or go for a concert,” he shakes his head, adding, “I wanted to come up with the kind of music anyone can listen to. My band members are into a variety of music. And we all bring in our influences to make a completely different genre that sticks out but blends too.”
Sam Smala’s themes generally speak of love and brotherhood, but Sam struggles to explain why.
“In France, we miss love and family a lot. It’s a fast world and no one has time for anyone,” he sighs, his eyes crinkling, “Everyone just wants to make money and brotherhood no longer exists. We just want to spread the message of humanity and love through our songs.”
The depth of traditional Indian music has made a deep impact on Sam and his ‘fusion’ sessions with Indian musicians have left him thirsting for more.
“Indian music is very vast. There are so many different scales and ragas. There are about 150 rhythm roots and it’s amazing. It’s quite complicated from what I’ve seen but I’m getting greatly influenced by it,” he smiles.
At the mention of jazz, Sam’s sea-blue eyes light up. “Jazz is the most liberating form of music. You play out of passion and when you are true to yourself and whatever you play, you can be on a roll. But the purpose of my music is to tell the world that there’s more to life than money, like sharing a laugh with a friend or a day out with your parents. Music can teach you that, like nothing else can,” he signs off.