Seamlessness #1
From a 10 Magazine interview with Miuccia Prada:
Creativity is when whatever you touch, even if you touch everything from the past, you must add something that creates something new. And that’s difficult. That’s why there are so few great artists, so few great designers, so few great architects, so few great writers. Because it’s a very rare thing. You can do the job, but the real creative person is the one who puts something ‘wrong’ into the mix, something different or an extra level of understanding.
I have come to deeply appreciate the beauty of seamless experiences. The fascinating aspect of seamlessness lies in its ability to go unnoticed, quietly existing in the background without drawing attention to itself. Everything flows naturally, all the parts align harmoniously, creating an impression of effortless execution for the audience. This quality conceals the extensive effort, planning, and coordination needed to create such an experience. Whether it’s staging an event, running a city, maintaining personal relationships, or launching a successful product, the more seamless something appears, the more work has gone into making it so.
Recently, I attended a concert that left me in awe, not just because of the artistry on display, but due to my realisation of the many factors without which the event wouldn’t have been possible. The show featured the duo of Ballaké Sissoko and Derek Gripper. Ballaké, who doesn't speak English, and Derek, who doesn't speak French, gave a spellbinding performance that transcended language barriers and left us mesmerised. The audience, unable to contain their excitement, responded with claps, whistles, and roars, as if they were at a sporting event.
Ballaké comes from a long line of griots, a class of poets and storytellers dedicated to saving and sharing the rich traditions and history of their community. In oral cultures, griots are the essential custodians and transmitters of cultural heritage. They preserve genealogies, tales, songs, proverbs, and other invaluable pieces of knowledge for future use and reference. Before the era of government archives and ancestry.com, if you wanted to trace your lineage, you simply asked your community griot. At naming ceremonies, the griot would announce the child’s name, serving as both witness and chronicler.This is important for keeping the community’s record updated with each new member. By linking each person to their lineage and clan, they ensure the continuity of family histories.
When they are not doing that, they are playing their kora or balafon at all sorts of parties. Just as they can sing people’s praises, they can also shame those they deem deserving through their words and music. Come to think of it, griots are somewhat like a media organization. They preserve the collective memory of their community, which is the content, and they also act as the communicators or platforms that distribute this knowledge. Like most media platforms, griots accumulate power and status due to their influential role in the community. Additionally, like a public relations company, griots have the ability to enhance the reputations of others through their music and storytelling.
Sadly, one can be born into a family of griots and not truly appreciate the art form or the responsibilities it entails. Every society, I believe, has distinct roles that anyone can inhabit — be it in media, law, technology, defence, medicine, finance, religion, and so much more. In today’s world, these roles are remarkably permeable. If you have the flexibility, you can switch between or combine them depending on what you’re trying to achieve. In the past, these roles were inherited and for good reasons. Skills and knowledge gained through acting in the world will always be power. And families that hoped to maintain their relevance would focus on perfecting and protecting their specific skills within the family, rather than widely sharing them with outsiders.
This is similar to modern-day trade secrets, which give companies a competitive edge— think of the Coca-Cola recipe or KFC's unique combination of “11 herbs and spices” that makes its chicken finger lickin’ good. The issue arises when you try to pass down these competencies to family members who either lack interest or the necessary aptitude. In such cases, it might be wiser to transfer the knowledge, resources, or status to the most competent individual, even if they are an outsider. I am a firm believer in merit-based leadership.
When Ballaké's father, the esteemed kora player Djelimady Sissoko, passed away when Ballaké was just 11, the responsibility of continuing the family’s musical legacy and fending for the family fell upon him as the firstborn. Funnily enough, just as wealth is often passed down to the firstborn, so too are family problems. If you’re lucky, you inherit only the former and not the latter. Ballaké's father had founded Mali’s national instrumental ensemble in the 1960s. When he passed away, Ballaké joined the same ensemble, stepping into the role with unwavering dedication. In such circumstances, you have no option but to prove to everyone that you deserve the position; otherwise, you won’t hear the end of it. And prove it he has.
Not only is he a master of the kora, but he has also become a global cultural ambassador in his own right. He has collaborated with musicians from all over the world, and collaboration lies at the very heart of his musical practice. If music is a form of communication, then increased conversations—collaborations—between different musical traditions and cultures will make people more receptive and willing to learn about and appreciate those who are different from themselves.
Ballaké’s recent collaborative partner is Derek Gripper, a guitar master player who skilfully explores different musical traditions. From playing South Indian classical music to transcribing kora music for guitar, his range is impressive. Like Ballaké, he too started young — both string virtuosos who take great delight in collaborating with others. Exploration comes with complexities and responsibilities. When you incorporate elements of different cultural practices into your art, three things sometimes run in parallel: appreciation, promotion, and appropriation. Appreciation means recognising and valuing that cultural element. Promotion involves sharing and evangelising these elements to a wider audience.
But, there’s also the risk of appropriation, which happens when you misuse or exploit these elements without respect, credit, or compensation to the originating creator or culture. When you approach cultural products, you always have to show up in good faith, with sincerity and integrity. Interestingly, as Derek was playing, all I saw and felt was just someone who genuinely loved music and was deeply curious about the other and their modes of being.
I mostly sensed a high degree of appreciation for the music and musicians of the culture he was engaging with and was actively trying to promote both, rather than be exploitative. I suppose when you’re a white dude, people from other cultures, because of historical, economical and social dynamics, will forever be cautious about your motives. I bet that realisations influences how he collaborates. But that doesn’t mean that sometimes, certain people won’t accuse him of cultural appropriation. If he’s genuine, he won’t let that worry him too much.
When they both stepped on stage, the audience clapped. Derek’s clothes reminded me of the Tuaregs and the Nigerien musician, Mdou Moctar. To clarify, Mdou is from Niger, not Nigeria—if you speed-read that sentence, you might miss the distinction. I’m sure I’ll write about Mdou’s music one day, but that day is not today — even though I am quite tempted. If you want to dig into his work, start with the song ‘Afrique Victime’ and then listen to the album of the same name. You can thank me later.
As duo sat, Derek said a few words that I can’t remember now. But I think it was something about how happy and thankful he was for the turnout. And just before he could finish that sentence, someone behind me yelled, “no, thank you.” I thought that was incredibly sweet. Derek had a way of putting the audience at ease with his humor whenever he paused to speak into the mic. He shared quick stories about their tours, and you could sense the camaraderie between him and Ballaké. Their friendship and mutual respect were evident despite the language barrier, as neither spoke the other’s language. I bet Ballaké likely speaks of Derek with the same fondness when they are performing in French-speaking countries.
As they began playing, I felt a bit of unease because I wasn’t yet in the headspace for the music. I think I had been listening to a different genre on my way to the performance. You never notice it, but because of the frenetic pace of our lives, we sometimes walk around in pop-music, action-film, or fast-food mode. To truly enjoy certain types of music, you might need to switch from a hurried, distracted state to one that is calmer and more receptive to complex and differently-paced experiences. You wouldn’t eat a meal at McDonald's the same way you would at a fine dining restaurant. At McDonald's, you might quickly grab a burger and fries on the go, while a fine dining experience involves savouring each course, appreciating the flavours, presentation, and ambiance.
A few minutes into their play, I was in sync with the pace and noticed the discomfort I had felt earlier slowly dissipating. From then on, the music sent me into a meditative state. The duo’s music struck a fine balance between novelty and predictability, a blend that, as I have found over the years, soothes me. Too much predictability, and I get bored. Too much variance, and I go nuts—so it’s that sweet spot for me. As I enjoyed the music, others were bobbing their heads, but the woman behind me unintentionally disrupted my experience by hitting her legs against my seat. Just as I was about to say something, she stopped.
Since I was in a flow state, I was making various connections between the performance and other things I had been thinking about. I knew I had to capture those thoughts immediately for fear that I might—more likely, will—forget. If not for God’s grace and love, I think I would have died a long time ago because of how easily distracted and absent-minded I can get. It's such a struggle for me to remember dates or appointments. I know how annoying it can be for friends who have scheduled things for us to do together. Often, they’ll call to remind me, saying, “See you at 2 PM,” and I'll have a moment of confusion, thinking, “What's happening then?” before I finally remember our plans. Dear homies, I am working on it — please be patient with your boy.
When I did take out my phone to start taking notes, I was careful not to let the phone’s brightness ruin anyone else’s experience and thankfully, my phone was in dark mode. I typed out in bullet point format any thought that crossed my mind as I was listening to the music.
The goal was to quickly jot down the ideas as they came, with the intention of fleshing them out in my journal later. I haven't managed to do that yet, so I'll attempt to expand on some of the points here, in no particular order
I: EXCELLENCE (ALWAYS) SEEKS OUT EXCELLENCE …
Those who strive for excellence in what they do will naturally attract and seek out people who are on the same wavelength. When these individuals find each other, they almost always form collaborative partnerships. Sometimes, they also seek each other out for competition—because, as the saying goes, iron sharpens iron. But whatever manner they choose to engage, whether through collaboration or competition, they will set a new bar for what’s possible in their domain.
These people have the ability to identify and assess competence in others. Derek and Ballaké, for instance, are both highly skilled musicians and are fully aware of each other’s remarkable talent. Not many people reach their level of expertise. If it were easy, many would have done it. Competent people value and appreciate the hard work, discipline, and perseverance that go into mastering a skill. It's also hard to fake competence around them, as their keen sense for true talent makes it clear who has genuinely put in the effort.
A few to-dos:
Focus on becoming skilled in a domain or two — just the amount of discipline will help you stay focused and reduce distractions.
Enter the orbit of people who naturally elevate your standards and ambition levels. They’ll constantly inspire and challenge you.
Position yourself so that other skilled people can find — don’t be shy about showcasing your work.
Keep your ego in check when people approach you for collaborations. Be open and humble for your own sake.
II: BEAUTY AS SHARED COURAGE
Creation is an act of courage. When you present your work, you expose yourself to judgment and critique, not just from others but from yourself. Think about it: you can’t critique what doesn’t exist. You first have to birth it to talk crap about it. So, the creator must deal with the psychological roadblocks that are forever trying to deter them from doing so. In a way, creation is a battle between the self and the self, as well as the self and other selves.
Creation and creativity are not confined to the arts. They span all spheres of life—from sports to politics. Anyone who presents us with more potentialities and modes of being is creative. The creative act can manifest itself in any form. When you see Derek and Ballaké playing, you realize how hard it must have been to create the music you’re now enjoying.
Through their collaboration, they essentially say, “Look at us, we did it. We didn’t die; it’s not that hazardous. We have explored and are still exploring together. If you were hesitant to do something you know would bring you joy, we are proof that you should go for it. Here’s some courage for you: go learn that instrument, start that business, do that hard thing you’ve been putting off. If we can do it, so can you.”
Susan Rogers, in her book This Is What It Sounds Like, describes how her interest in sound engineering was sparked by a photo she found on the back of a Sonny and Cher album when she was very young. The image showed a "man sitting in front of an elaborate console of knobs, buttons, and sliders," with the label below him reading "sound engineer."
However, the real impetus for her to pursue her dream came after she attended a Led Zeppelin concert. She couldn’t stay to watch the band perform their classic hits because if she returned home late, her husband would fly into a jealous rage. Right there at the concert, before she left, she vowed to mix live sound for amazing bands. And that she did. Eventually, she divorced her physically abusive husband, moved to Hollywood, and became the recording engineer for one of the greatest of all time, Prince. She ended up working on many of Prince’s hit songs, from "When Doves Cry" to "Raspberry Beret."
These kinds of stories are not limited to just musical experiences. Sometimes when someone witnesses something beautiful or awe-inspiring, they are motivated to make significant changes in their own life. It’s like the experience has given them the permission to re-orient themselves. They are now encouraged to create something or live a life that’s equally as beautiful or great in response.
… To be continued
Thanks for reading. If there's anything you'd like to chat about, or if you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email. I'd love to hear from you. :) 🍿