A twelve-year-old runaway who grew up among gangs, an underground pianist, an artist who lost a million-dollar contract, and a survivor of a horrific accident. For Fantastic Negrito , every scar in his life, and his body is littered with them, is pure sound.
On July 3, Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz, born in Massachusetts at 58, the eighth of 14 children and a three-time Grammy Award winner for Best Contemporary Blues Album, will bring his monumental groove and socially charged themes to Cagliari's Lazzaretto for "Vibes in Black," an event organized by Vox Day under the artistic direction of Davide Catinari. Heir to a legacy spanning blues, funk, and hip hop, he will be the featured guest—along with Sa Razza and Casino Royale—at an event that celebrates African-American culture and the roots of global music through meetings, exhibitions, and live painting. While waiting for an unmissable show, he talks about himself from his farm in Oakland, California.
Life on the streets, a debut album with stellar collaborations but a catastrophic flop, a tragic crash, and a three-week coma. How did he get back up each time?
I come from a tradition, the African-American one, that has always transformed problems into art. That's how we gave the world jazz, R&B, electronic music, and rock 'n' roll. I'm certain that in Italy, too, folk art is born from suffering. Because through suffering, we heal.
After the 1999 accident and the years spent away from the music industry, how did you manage to get back into performing?
"I stopped trying, and only then did the connection with my creative voice return. I learned my lesson: get out of the way and let it happen."
He won his first Grammy at 48, when he's usually considered an "old" artist. A factor that has given him more freedom?
Absolutely. After eight years on my farm, cultivating the land, I started performing again on sidewalks and subways: I was tired of trying to please, of fitting into someone else's fantasy of who I was supposed to be.
Then he signed with Blackball Universe and exploded globally as Fantastic Negrito. What was the hardest song you've ever written?
"I haven't written it yet, or maybe I'm writing it right now, who knows. With every song, you're overwhelmed by insecurity, which is why I loved recording the new live album, "Alive," which will be released in July."
In his latest studio album, “Son of a Broken Man,” he exposes himself very...
"I'm tackling one of the oldest themes of all time: the relationship between father and son. As children, fathers are our heroes, even if they're complicated or worse. Exposing yourself is difficult but necessary to function as a human being."
How would you describe your music?
"It's rooted in rock, funk, soul, and blues, with a punk aesthetic. I've never stuck to just one genre: when inspiration strikes, I jump on the bandwagon."
You often talk about racism and inequality. Who are you addressing: the oppressed or the oppressors?
"Everyone. If there's a problem, let's sit down and address it together."
What, in your opinion, is the greatest illusion of the American Dream?
"The American dream exists, and I'm proof of it: I started playing on a station at 46 and became a world-renowned artist. But greed corrupted it."
What kind of man are you trying to become today?
“A person full of gratitude and who gives something back to the world.”
He played in Sassari last year and will be returning to Sardinia soon. Are you happy?
"Every time I receive an invitation from Italy, I immediately say yes. I love everything about it: the energy, the climate, the food, the people, the music. And that feeling that Sardinia leaves you with: the importance of living with less pressure."