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For more than a decade Fantastic Negrito has been disproving rumours that the blues, along with vintage soul and reggae, is dying a death in the 21st century. Tim Cooper caught up with Mr Negrito \u2013 Xavier to his friends \u2013 to talk to the \u201cself-produced, self-managed, self-financed, self-determined\u201d musician about his new album, the importance of protest music and the relevance\u00a0 of blues music today.<\/strong><\/p>\n Fusing traditional blues with elements of rock, funk and soul, and a strong element of political protest, the man born Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz has singlehandedly updated the genre, weaving in a thread of his social concerns for a mixed audience weaned on musicians as diverse as Bob Marley and Prince, Chuck Berry and James Brown.<\/p>\n Now, after seven studio albums and three Grammys, he\u2019s releasing his first live album, simply titled Alive!, capturing the special experience of Fantastic Negrito onstage, blending explosive musicianship \u2013 there are gut-wrenching riffs reminiscent of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath \u2013 with raw emotional intensity.<\/p>\n The songs on Alive! \u2013 recorded all over the world, but mostly in Leeds \u2013 combine deeply personal storytelling and protest songs about the cycles of violence and division shaping our lives today: police violence, war, greed, gun violence, and systemic inequality. And a powerful version of the traditional classic In The Pines popularised by everyone from Lead Belly to Nirvana.<\/p>\n TC: I love the way you have brought blues music into the 21st century and continue to evolve what was in danger of becoming a heritage music. Is that a mission for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n FN: First, thank you for such a beautiful compliment. I\u2019m not sure what I\u2019ve done, to be honest. I come from a particular tradition. Growing up Black in America, I inherited rock, funk, soul, rhythm and blues\u2026 and even some alligator shoes. That whole culture shaped me. I like to think of it as a garden that was planted long ago by people who came before me. I\u2019m just trying to do my part\u2014pulling a few weeds, planting a few new seeds, and leaving the soil a little richer than I found it.<\/p>\n Do you feel any sense of being a standard bearer for keeping blues music alive (while evolving it for a new audience)? Or even a responsibility to do so?<\/strong><\/p>\n Well, I think that\u2019s another compliment, so thank you. No, I\u2019m definitely not in either camp. One thing I learned from artists I admire\u2014people like David Bowie and Prince\u2014is to make your own sound. Leave your own handprint. Be yourself. Be true to the art form, stay humble, and hopefully some good things happen. I didn\u2019t really make it until I was 47 years old [when he won the inaugural Tiny Desk Cort Contest in 2015]<\/em>. By then I figured, why play it safe? Take chances. I usually do my best work when I\u2019m a little uncomfortable. That\u2019s usually where discovery starts to reveal itself.<\/p>\n I often hear people say there is no protest music any more, yet your songs tackle a range of social issues; would you describe them as protest music?<\/strong><\/p>\n I think there\u2019s still plenty of protest music. You just have to listen\u2026 I always say, if you\u2019re looking for me and you can\u2019t find me, it probably means you ain\u2019t really looking for me. As for my songs, I don\u2019t sit down and think, \u2018I\u2019m going to write a protest song.\u2019 I just write about what I see. I write about the people around me, the struggles, the joy, the contradictions. If that challenges somebody or makes them think differently, then maybe that\u2019s what protest music has always been.<\/p>\n