Flashmag! Issue 147 January 2024 Flashmag! Numéro 147 Flashmag! Issue 147 January 2024 Flashmag! Numéro 147 | Page 34

In general , the projects I get involved in correspond to the ideas I have about music , and it ' s only natural that afterward , we can easily agree on our violins .

Robert Downey Jr . is an actor best known for his role as Iron Man . How did you come to collaborate with him on his 2004 album , e Futurist ?

Robert Downey is actually a friend of Sting . After a backstage concert , he came to see him and told him about his project . And Sting said to him , " This is the best you can get in your project ." So that ' s how I came to work with Iron Man . We did several shows and stages , including the Oprah show and others .

I ' ve always thought that there ' s something altruistic about artists who write , compose , and accompany others on stage , because in the world of stars , it takes a good dose of altruism to put your talent at the service of others . What makes this character so easy — the desire to contribute to something positive or simply art ?

Humility first : when I ' m called upon to work on a project , I ' m grateful for the recognition that I ' m capable of contributing something di erent that will enrich the quality of the finished product . And it ' s always an honor for me to contribute to the success of a project .

You ' re African , and African music , at least as far as Afrobeat or South African rhythms are concerned , seems to be doing very well on mainstream platforms . Why do you think the North American market is increasingly open to African sounds ? I don ' t think that Americans have suddenly decided that they like other people ' s music . Americans in general are very chauvinistic , but we ' re at a period in the history of the world when the decision-makers in the United States thought it was necessary to bring to the forefront this music called Afro Beat , which in fact is very di erent from the original Afro Beat played by Fela and others . In fact , this music has been simplified to such an extent that it can be played by any musician who understands modern tools .