Music "Choices" in London

 Davide Mantovani website

Music is the soul of Britainand you can feel, hear and share it all around. No wonder why is the birthplace of many wide word famous bands and singles such as The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Elton John, George Michael or Spice Girls. Nevertheless, Britain is also the birthplace of another kind of music, music for those who are in the loop looking into other sounds: the sounds of the word. It is how Davide Mantovani defines his album "Choices", which was launched the last 24th September at Pizza Express in Soho. The Italian musician, settled down in Londonsince 1991, brings together in "Choices" Brazilian, West-African and Latin styles with a touch of Jazz and Cinematic elements.


The ones who were lucky to attend the concert, we could not only enjoy of the fantastic musicians but the joyful atmosphere. In fact, it was a celebration, the celebration of releasing many years of work, in one album.

I had the great pleasure of interviewing Davide at one of his favourite’s cafés in Muswell Hill, a neighbourhood in North West London, where he lives.

Why the name of the album, "Choices"?

 Because it is long chain of decisions to make it happens. This album is made by many compositions taken from different periods of my life an I had the difficult job of choosing from my portfolio as musician. The album is also influences by the trips I have done in recently years, specially West Africa and Brazil, which I love, mixed with elements of cinematic music and Bach, cello...

How would you describe choices?

It is an album made of different stiles but there is continuity given by the musicians who play in the album. Great musicians, band’s leaders themselves. They understood what I meant and what I wanted to achieve with this album and they play in a way, even though there are many different styles, all the musics follow a common line.

What does this launch means to you?

This album is for me like putting together different pages of the same diary in one single unit. But it also means to get into the London scene like a composer, like a creator of music.

Why London for the launch and not Italy where you from?

Because London, together with Berlin, Paris or New York, is one of the most important places in the word where music is created and promoted. In Italy I couldn’t express myself as a musician, so I decided to come to London and I couldn’t go back because I realized that London was the place to be if you want to be promoted and you want to put your music in a better position.

Do you think this is the peak in your career?

No, no, it is not the peak of my career, it is the beginning. I have done other albums in the past but this is now a very important turning point because I have created my own label and I am going to put slowly all my albums into my label. I am not just someone else’s bass player anymore, now I am my own band leader.

What is the public you are targeting?

Because it is a very eclectic album with different kinds of music, I would like it to go as far as possible. It is not a Jazz album, but there are elements of jazz, some of funky. In sort appeal to any people who has a good taste of music (laughs).

 

I thanks to Dávide for the interview but he likes to add a word

 

Can I add something? In Italy when they ask me "what do you do?" and I say "I am a musician", they say "yes, but what’s your job?" That doesn’t happen in London, here it is rewarding and considering as a job.

We nodded and we finished our coffees thinking of the future....in London.