9+1 Q&A with Orchestra Gold

Answered by Erich Huffaker (guitarist) and Mariam Diakite (lead vocals)

What inspired you to first start making music? And how did you come to be in your current incarnation? Or if you prefer, a brief bio about you.

Mariam: When I was a little girl, after composition class there would be songs and singing in Arabic. I looked forward to this time very much. And at Mosque on Fridays, there was a style of singing called “evoking the name of god.” From my home I used to hear the sound of the djembe in evening. Me and my younger brother would sneak out of the house to hear the music in the streets. The people asked, “Hey are you guys gonna go dance?” And we said yes, of course. I jumped out to start dancing and danced the whole night. They kept putting me in front. I was very encouraged and decided to come back the next day. That is how my artistic journey started. “We would sneak out every night to go to the ceremonies.

Until one day, they had a competition, different dance and drumming competitions between different neighborhoods. My neighborhood won! That gave me a lot of encouragement to keep moving forward. In order to be part of these events me and my brother had to sneak out because her father would never have let them do it. My father was against the music. I remember how we would trick out our beds to make it look like we were sleeping. A lot of Muslims don’t want their kids to do music. They are afraid of men and women getting together in those places. Before things used to be stricter, it wasn’t accepted; it was looked down upon.

Mariam: Erich and I first became friends in Mali, around 2005. He was living there at the time. I was a dancer and would frequent ceremonies and other cultural events to earn money, singing and dancing. I would see Erich around town as he was a drummer. We kept in touch. In 2010, we started playing music together. We recorded demos and started writing music together, culminating in some of the demo recordings you can see in the “O” album on Bandcamp.

I came to the states in 2017, and we formed the band together with other like-minded musicians here in the Bay Area.

Provide us with some info about your latest release…

Erich: Our upcoming album, Medicine is about how our own personal journeys have led us to seek medicine through music. It’s about the destiny that binds us.

For Medicine, a lot of the inspiration for the lyrics came from Mariam listening to me playing guitar. She would be thinking of a melody that fit, or a song she knew, or a melody she had already written that would fit.

Mariam: Music is medicine because soul exists inside of music. There is music that can calm you when you’re feeling anxious or upset. Maybe you’re thinking too much about your problems, and you listen to music, and you find your worries start to melt away. Music is powerful medicine.

Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?

Erich: When I was little there was a lot of Arabic music around. My mother used to take me to her belly dance classes. But my dream of music was based on the American experience. But the musical influence from my mother’s side of the family caused me to seek out different genres and musical cultures. In high school, I was very into rock, funk, and heavy metal, bands like Santana and Red Hot Chili Peppers were very big influences at that time.

For the Malian music, I put together a playlist of as yet unreleased music that inspires me : https://youtu.be/Pliuu9Id970

In what way does your sound differ from the rest genre-related artists/bands and why should we listen to your music? In other words, how would you describe your sound?

Erich: The band is really about the intersection of two dimensions: Mali and California. At the core of it, though is a human story. It’s told through the partnership between Mariam Diakite, a Malian singer, and myself (Erich Huffaker), an Arab-American, mostly white-passing Californian multi-instrumentalist.

Our music is at the cross section Old music from Mali, and American 70’s psychedelic rock. The vibe is undeniably vintage. Our songs are simple. There is a psychedelic vibe as well which is dark-sounding, and yet also very danceable. But I think our music is different because our personal stories are different. It’s really just the coming together of these two worlds that rarely intersect.

Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…

Erich:
One Hot Minute – Red Hot Chilli Peppers
The Vodoun Effect – Orchestra Poly-Rhytmo de Cotonou
Signana – Super Djata Band

Do you prefer studio or performing live and why?

Erich: I love recording, and producing music. But connecting with audiences is super special, and there is nothing quite like it.

Is there any funny-unique story you would like to share with us, always in relation to your music ‘career’?

Erich: The creative collaboration between Mariam and myself requires an open dialogue as I work to understand what Mariam talks about in her songs, unlocking the deep well of wisdom that guides Mariam, demonstrated by her voice and her lyrics. For me, this means digging deeply into not just what the songs say but what they mean.

Our story is told through Mariam’s retelling of these songs. Each song demonstrates many facets of Mariam’s personal journey. Her deep commitment to the Baye Fall Faith and the deep spiritual wisdom that she holds as a devotee of that religion.

So there is this ongoing experience of translation happening as part of this project as we bridge the gap between our two worlds.

Which track of your own would you point out as the most unique and why?

Erich: I like “Keleya”. It’s got a really driving rhythmic feel that moves the body, first. I also think the interplay between the horn lines, and guitar is really special.

When I asked Mariam about the meaning of “Keleya,” she said, “It’s about jealousy in the context of polygamy/polyamory.” It illustrates how destructive it is when partners pit one another against each other for selfish reasons. It’s told in parable format where the protagonist (a woman) is the second wife of a man, and the husband is playing them against each other. To me, even though it’s talking about a polygamy situation, it could apply to polyamory as well. I think it’s speaking to how easy it is for jealousy to arise in situations like that.

Would you like to share with our readers your future plans?

Erich: After releasing the album on January 20th, we’re planning our first tour. The tour is going to start with a very special venue that you’ll definitely recognize when we announce. I’m only being cryptic because we actually aren’t supposed to mention it publicly yet. But follow our socials below and you’ll be the first to hear about it.

Free question!!! (Ask yourself a question) you wish to answer and haven’t been given the opportunity…

–

Curated by: Christos Doukakis

Recommended listening: