Yoga and Music, the dream combination, but not always something that has necessarily gone hand-in-hand. One man making this happen is Michael Franti, with his Soulshine shows. Michael is a regular visitor to Oz with his band The Spearheads and will be out again for Byron Bay Bluesfest and a heap of sideshows. We had a chat to him about what he’s been up to and how he plans on joining these two concepts.
Hi Michael, thanks for taking the time out to chat with Forte, how are you and what are you up to at the moment?
Just got back to San Francisco after being Bali, for the past month. I’ve been up all night from jetlag. Today, I’m getting back into the studio to work on a new record!
So it’s been a little while since you’ve been back to Australia, are you looking forward to getting back here?
Yes, Australia is one of my favorite places to travel to as a world citizen and as a musician. I love the country and the blend of cultures and I LOVE the ocean.
I imagine your music would go down pretty well with us Aussie’s, do we make a good audience?
As a musician, Australian audiences are the most open to music that is heart based – more so than I’ve experience anywhere else in the world.
You’ll be playing Bluesfest when you come down too, are you looking forward to that festival?
Yes, Bluesfest is my favorite festival in the world. This will be I think our nineth time performing at it. Through the many years we have created many friendships through Bluesfest. We have become close friends with promoter, Peter Noble, as well as created friendships with other artists and fans. We always look forward to coming back.
You’re known for using music as a vehicle for positive change, what’s been the best moment for you in how your music has influenced/changed something?
It’s hard to pick just one moment but at almost every show I meet someone who tells me how the music has affected their life in some way. I have had many moments in my life where music has done that for my life. Songs have been there for me during the happiest, most painful, and most significant moments of my life. I know that feeling so well so when someone tells me that my music has affected their lives it means alot to me.
You also change a lot of people’s lives by simply inviting them up on stage and interacting with them in your live performances, how important is it for you to have that connection?
e strive to create three-dimensional performances. We try to break down the barrier between the audience and the stage. I love bringing fans and other musicians to join us during our shows. We are constantly trying to find new ways to involve the audience.
Your shows are also unique in the sense that you do a bit of yoga as well, where did the idea originate for this?
I started practicing yoga on tour in 2001 as a way to take care of my body and mind. I have kept a regular practice since that time. I started inviting our fans to practice yoga with me before our shows. At first it was just a handful of people before every show but it has grown bigger and bigger. We played the Red Rocks amphitheater in Colorado and 1,800 people showed up to practice yoga with me while I played acoustic music.
I believe that yoga has extended my longevity as an artist. It has kept me physically and emotionally connected. The best part is that yoga gives you a chance to look at your strengths and weaknesses. In order to write good songs you need to have that emotion and vulnerability.
And you actually get on stage and do that yourself, have there ever been any accidents while doing the yoga?
Yes, but not on stage. I’m 6’6” I was in a crowded yoga class in New York. I toppled over while doing a handstand and took out 3 rows of people.
Given that your live shows are so high energy, do you come off stage feeling utterly exhausted or does it give you a buzz?
I always come off feeling buzzed. There are times I am tired before a show on tour because we’ve been on the road for months but my enthusiasm never wanes. When I come off stage, I am full of the energy from the music and audience. It’s always an uplifting experience – sometimes it’s hard for me to sleep because the vibe is so high.
It seems you put 110 per cent into everything you do given you released your eight studio album not too long ago and you’re already working on the next one, do you ever get to take time out and relax?
I take moments out to relax but I’m a creative person and I enjoy coming up with new ideas and creating when I relax. In Bali this winter at my Soulshine Bali Yoga Hotel (soulshinebali.com) I met with film writer, Tony Briggs, every day by the beach and we relaxed by talking about new ideas for films.
I imagine it’s still pretty hush hush, but what can listeners expect from the new album?
Right now it’s a challenging time in the world and people are wanting to find ways that we can all make a difference. Sometimes the challenge is to not feel so frustrated by all the pain we see in the world. On this record that acknowledge that pain but try to find hope and optimism about where we can all go in the future.
I’ve also just wrapped up a new documentary titled, “11:59”, about 4 people that have inspired my life. When I feel really down about the state of the world I meet people, like these four, that make me feel that is it possible to keep going and make a difference in the world.
When&Where: Ulumbarra Theatre, Bendigo – April 1 & Soulshine Festival (Festival Hall), Melbourne – April 2 w/ Soja and Trevor Hall