BANGALORE: In the world of blues-rock, there were some songs that created history and then there were those that celebrated the crudeness of reality. This hybrid music genre has attracted scores of musicians over the years.Resonating in the minds and hearts of music lovers for decades, Bobby Whitlock, a former member of the band Derek and the Dominoes (which also featured the legendary Eric Clapton), has composed brilliant soul music in the past. “It is hard for me to imagine a world full of people without any music. History has been passed down through melodies since the beginning of recorded time. The earth would be a very dull place to live in without a song in our hearts,” said the blues-rock giant, who is better known for co-writing and producing one of the most important rock and roll records in history, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. City Express talks to the artiste to find out more about his love for the blues.How have you evolved as a musician over the years?I have become the experienced version of the musician that I was in the beginning. I have always held simplicity as the key to my abilities. Should I try to play outside my realm, I would most certainly fail. I have never really sought to achieve anything with my musical abilities, other than telling the truth.How important is music to our existence today?Music and its rhythm are the common threads that run through all of mankind. It really does soothe the soul of the savage beast and will cause a lion to lay down with a lamb. It is the unspoken word that we can all relate to. There doesn’t even have to be an understanding of the words to comprehend the meaning.There She Goes had some interesting melodic layers to it. Tell us about this song.This is very difficult for me to write as this song was about my daughter leaving home and me having to start a new life all over again. She was visiting my farm in Mississippi one day and as she turned to leave, it occurred to me that it would be a very long time before I ever saw her again. That was over a decade ago and I am yet to see her. It breaks my heart.Do you think art instills a sense of hope in mankind or does it open up a whole new dimension of escapism?I believe that art in all its forms provides hope for mankind, when the art is that of integrity. Integrity is a matter of the soul and that could never do any harm. Every picture tells a story, and so does every song.What do you think is the future of blues?I think the future will not be so blue. I believe that the whole world is changing every moment. Not reverting, but moving forward. There is a change of consciousness taking place for the whole of mankind. A spiritual evolution and worldwide awakening will soon take its course. We are all being drawn closer to a common source in search of harmony, peace, love and understanding. We will still sing the blues, but hopefully we won’t be living them.Tell us about your journey with Derek and the Dominos.It began as an innocent call from me to Eric Clapton asking if I could visit him for a few days. He told me to come over and I showed up two days later. It would be a year before I was to leave Hurtwood Edge to move into my home in England. During that year Eric and I wrote all of the original songs on the Layla album. We played on George Harrison’s monumental three disc record, All Things Must Pass. Soon, we put together Derek and the Dominos and toured all over Europe and the United States. The rest as they say is, Rock and Roll history. As a matter of fact, the story has never been told and is so long that it had to be a part of my book Bobby Whitlock — A Rock ‘n’ Roll Autobiography.Any future projects we need to look forward to?I hope to be a big part of the future of music in India. It is my heart’s desire to be the link through which new artistes from all over the planet who sing and play real soul music and rock and roll, will be brought to you all. There are some really great artistes in the world whose music and message would be of great benefit to us. There are unsung musical heroes that the world needs to hear. Given a chance, they will be able to bridge the gap between two different worlds of music. All I can say is that we will bring something to India that is manna for the soul. A complete Rawthentic rock and roll and rhythm and blues experience.Bobby Whitlock will headline Purvankara Indigo n Blues alongside Texas legendary blues rock heavyweight Van Wilks Band at Palace Grounds on May 18 and 19.
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