Who's that? Why am I writing about him? You are asking yourself these questions. The simple answer is....it's not to often that you can say that you watch quietly from the side as a friend starts to really shine.
(And those that know me well also know that I am hardly ever quiet about anything !Thats why you're reading about this here!LOL)
Leo, as I know him.... is working on a solo album and over the course of our friendship, I am always asking him questions. Learning bits and pieces. I thought it might make for an interesting article for you all to read.
What is the first memory you have of the sounds of music touching your soul?
"Strong melodies ... can't remember the songs or the titles but I remember strong melodies, stuff that my dad used to listen to ... it was peaceful music, sweet, it sounded like Harry Belafonte, with an Carribean flavour .. in one of those songs the chorus used to be "amigo, amigo, amigo" beautiful song lol .... and also instumental music ... same as traditional music from my country that my mom used to play ..."~ Popo Leboy
You are involved with 2 groups ( AfroConnexion and ZPN) as well as branching out with a solo sound of your own.
How did you meet the others in the groups?
"ZPN is my cousin ... so I met Lynx through another buddy musician ... we started by jammin' ... me on the bass and him on the guitar ... then he met ZPN through me and the rest is history ... "~Popo Leboy.
When did you decide you wanted to try something musical on your own?
It's always been a plan .. but the trigger came when I realized that I was putting a lot of energy and talent on stuff that were not necessarily coming back to me or me not not getting the proper recognition, u knowow, just being in the shadow of other people .. so I had to confront my fears and make the big jump .. very happy that I did that ... should have done it before, but hey, everything will have its own timing .. so I guess the time was right."~Popo Leboy
How do you decide the songs you record?
The feel, the vibe ... the songs come from what I call the D Channel or divine network ... we are all logged in to it, and we download stuff such as sounds, melodies, lyrics etc ... the chorus of my song "The Way of the Groove" came straight from a dream ... I woke up right away and wrote it ... the original song was in French ... I wanted to do an English version but didn't put my mind into it yet .. and it came by itself in a dream :) ... so I'm only being a doorway from the divine, I leave my heaven gates opened and let songs come through and the recording is only the materialization of what's already there ...
Do you write your own songs? If you do, where do you find your inspiration?
yes I write my own songs ... inspirations, well, see previous answer ... and I should add that sometimes an instrumental will tell u the words .. some words come out on their own to match a melody or vice versa ... but sometimes I also decide that I wanna write on a certain subject such as sex, love, or specific subjects in the human affairs etc ... and then let my spirit download what I need ...
Do you come from a musical family?
kind of ... there is music in my family for sure .. it comes from my mom ... she always sang and still sings all the time .. at home at church etc ... I have a little brother who's in music as well in Europe ... a little sis who flirted with music a lot .. but now works for the world bank in Brussels ...
How'd you decide to start playing bass? Play anything else?
well bass just came to me as an obvious thing ... I think that even while being a kid, I always picked on the bass lines while listening to music ... I also play percussions ... used to play drums but lack practice big time now ...
What style of music do you listen to in your home?
Brazilian jazz, bossa nova, latino jazz, salsa stuff, instrumental music, lounge music, Zairean music (or Congolese music since Zaire is now called the Congo) old school stuff that includes Michael Jackson etc ...
Name 3 artists that influence your style.
Bebel Gilberto (brazilian) and various brazilian artists, Various artists in zairean music, various artists in urban/soul/neo soul stuff, some great french lyricists such as Joe Dassin, Serge Gainsbourg etc ... the influences are pretty wide .. but again I don't rely on them when I write or compose. I guess it's what comes out of me ... a combination of my background, upbringing, and the melting pot of different cultures and life experiences that I have within myself ... I lived in a lot of different countries, I speak 5 languages, I guess I have multiple download sources ... LOL
What do you want folks to come away with when they listen to your music?
While I write and compose, the music belongs to me ... the minute it's out there, it no longer belongs to me, it becomes your property and belongs to you all ... so make it personal, make it your own personal experience, make it your own and see what you see, hear what you hear and enjoy it, cause at the end of the day, that's what really matters :)
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I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek....or I guess the right term would be sneak listen.....to a few of the songs. He is in the midst of recording more and I look forward to hear those as well. The ones I have heard, I've enjoyed greatly.
Popo Leboy.....my friend Leo......is going to touch many folks with his words and energy.
I bless you with nothing but well wishes on this journey you embark upon and I like being able to watch as you soar!
Xo
Tracy
