INTERVIEW : THE ALCATRAZ
Interview by : Benjamin Leboyer
Pictures by : DR
on Thursday, March 21st 2013 - 7 724 views
A change of scenery on our journey. Apart from the name, we knew nothing about Kazakhstan before discovering it. It is a country of contrasts, a mix of wild nature and cutting-edge modern cities, thanks to its mineral resources. The same goes for the music, between traditions and openness to the world. Reggae is in its infancy here.
After some research, we meet the band The Alcatraz in Almaty, the country's main city. The band has just released its new album, titled "La prison devenue reggae", twenty tracks in a variety of styles. The Alcatraz welcome us in the snow and in their own studio, where they are recording new tracks. The welcome is friendly and warm, like the inhabitants of this land, halfway between Russia and China.
Reggaefrance / Can you tell us a bit about the band and your story?
The Alcatraz / Arsen: The band's name obviously comes from the American prison that later became a museum; we find this concept strange and interesting... In fact, it is the title of our album. We think Babylon is a kind of prison, and we hope this system will soon turn into a museum too! As for how we came together, ten years ago three members of the band met, and we started our music with a mix of gospel and hip-hop. In 2008, we turned to reggae, adding a touch of our first influences. There are four of us in The Alcatraz: Andreï (AKM as his stage name), hip-hop singer, Vitali (Otto), reggae singer, myself, Arsen (N-Stain), on beats, riddims and guitar, and my little brother Nerses on bass. A Russian, an Armenian, a Kazakh and a German, that's our band!
How did you come to reggae?
Arsen: We started by singing gospel in church as teenagers, like apparently a lot of Jamaican artists, and little by little we added hip-hop and new beats. We listened to a lot of reggae at that time, Bob Marley especially, and we liked the style, so we built ourselves around that.
Is this music popular here?
Andreï: It's a fairly recent style in our country and it is successful with the younger generations, but it is still quite niche. There are only two other bands of this kind in Almaty, Hadn't tea and DaGuddaJazz. We feel that it is going better and better and that the audience grows at every gig, so we're on the right track...
 Un Russe, un Arménien, un Kazakh et un Allemand, c'est ça notre groupe ! 
Can you make a living from it?
Arsen: We have our own recording studio, which is also our workplace since quite a few bands come to record here. It helps us keep our own band going and pay ourselves. With album sales and concerts (a tour of Kazakhstan last summer was sponsored by a major brand, ed.), we manage to live from it, but it's not with reggae that you can make money here, more with pop and the stuff you see on TV! We use the internet for our promotion; it's the easiest way and our audience is of that generation, so it's not a problem.
Can you tell us about your country, Kazakhstan?
Andreï: Normal (a popular expression in the country, ed.)! It's a pleasant place despite the difficult climate, a mix of nationalities who live together and respect one another.
Arsen: They say that in the former Soviet Union, Kazakhstan is the best country to live in. We feel free, we are developing and the traditions are still present.
But your president has been there for a very long time and he presents himself as the "leader of the nation", a special status that could keep him there a while longer?
Arsen: Yes, he has been there a long time, but he has done good things. In any case we find him better than others who would like to take power, so why change?
And if I mention Jamaica, what does that evoke for you?
Andreï: It's very far away for us, but it's the cradle of reggae! A place of creation and relaxation; we'd love to go there for a holiday, and for work too, of course...
Let us come back to the music: do you play live often in Almaty? What is the scene like here?
Arsen: There are only small venues in this city, the sound and the equipment are of very average quality, a few clubs have us play from time to time, and we did a tour of Kazakhstan last summer, through 17 cities, at outdoor festivals and on big stages. Another big concert took place for the anniversary of Bob Marley's death. The shows are lively and there is a positive atmosphere; our audience is aged 20 to 30, and they want to have fun!
Let us talk about your lyrics: what are your favourite subjects?
Andreï: We talk a lot about love, between people, between peoples, very positive songs; we also have a few tracks about the social problems we have here. It's actually quite varied. Our best-performing reggae track, Positive, is about moving forward, with a smile.
And have you had any musical encounters, have you played with other artists?
Arsen: Yes, we recorded five songs with Uprooted Sunshine, a good band from Shanghai in China, who had come here on tour. We would love to do the same and go to see them over there. The Alcatraz in China! We'd of course like to play everywhere, in Russia and in the countries of the former USSR because our lyrics are written in Russian, but also elsewhere for the musical encounters and discoveries.
What's new with you?
Arsen: We are still recording, with another album in mind. We are also composing, and there is a project under way, an electro/reggae album with hip-hop lyrics; we're trying new things. We will also have a few gigs after the winter; it's too cold to play at the moment!
The Alcatraz's official website offers many tracks to listen to and download for free: http://alcatraz.kz.
The video for Positive:
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