Sola Akingbola Percussion Singer Songwriter Jamiroquai Percussionist

Check in to beautiful old-style hotel. Man is it ever hot here. The show was superlative; it always amazes me when the band, as a unit, gets musically tighter. It’s quite a privilege to be a musician and to try and conjure up magic with a group of highly talented players.
Good to meet a young and dedicated fan called Leo, who is an aspiring bass player; we correspond by email quite a bit.

Powerful show tonight. JK spot on.
Leo and Marcella and his crew came to this gig too.
Matt, Derrick and myself travel with Jay to an estate in Vorno which is owned by a friend of Jay’s. The estate is a place where tourists who want a culinary holiday go to learn Italian cooking. I loooooove Italian food.

A charming place. I have taken to wearing a lot of beads around my neck and today I bought a crucifix like the one Madonna used to wear, but it freaked me out and I couldn’t wear it. Because I’m not a Catholic I felt like an imposter: I can’t make a superficial fashion statement so I give up on that idea since religious symbolism is too important to me to play games with.

July 17
Spent the day in Pompei.

Left to right: Paul, Matt, Derrick, Nichola, Sola, Mark, Jay (ever the consumate actor) Zop (the main man - tour manager - keep the show on the road - massive BIG UP to Zop and his team) and Rob

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Wow, what an awesome place. Took lots of photos of the remains of the volcanic destruction. It seems incredible to see how well preserved are those things and even bodies that were not destroyed.

Preserved in the ash they are they for all time and it felt weird to be looking at those dead people and wondering what their lives were like in those days at that time. I wonder what they were doing at the exact moment that the lava hit.
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July 18
Rome Italy

Too much sun in Pompei – touch of heat stroke.
Didn’t get to see much of Rome, my favourite city in Italy. The show was at the horse racing track which was great. We borrowed jockey’s silks from the dressing rooms and galloped onto the stage to the joy of the crowds.
Difficult to wind down at night after the show – thank God for novels. Struggling a bit to copy with the historical context (WWII – not my favourite) of Andrea Levy’s Small Island but tapped into the theme which is racial and cultural dynamic in Britain. Could talk all night about that one!

July 19
Day off back in Portofino

Slept all day due to early morning arrival in Rome yesterday, after which I stayed up all night without sleeping because I was hanging out with Rob, reminiscing and watching movies - 28 Days Later – was a good one, directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland.

Love hanging out with the girls – the backing singers – Hazel, Lorraine and Sam – they are all gorgeous and great company – thank God it’s not all men on the road I think I’d go mad without some female company!
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Spent the rest of the night with Jay, chillin’ out and chattin’ the night away

July 20
Travel overnight

I was on Jay’s bus – it broke down – nightmare – say no more!

July 21
Nice, France

Had a great swim in the ocean with Matt. Feel completely re-energised despite having had hardly any sleep in the previous two days.
Great show – we’ve got our own PA system on the bus now so that we can listen to the play back of the gig – beautiful clear sound – but always room for improvement – I’m ever the perfectionist – driving people crazy with the question for perfection.

July 22
Nimes, France

All my thoughts are with my people in particular in London and Londoners in general following more scares about terrorist bombs. I can imagine that everyone must be in a state of high tension. Everything here pales in significance – rock n roll – what ?
I am thinking about how the UK security forces are going to manage or contain this threat without causing a state of fear about and xenophobia towards Muslims in general.
I can’t believe a man was shot on the underground – but it looks like he was innocent – what a tragedy. Can we justify a shoot to kill policy?

Meanwhile of course the show goes on.
An incredible venue – beautiful amphitheatre. Met some die hard fans after the gig – Alex Copin and Emilie Thorens

I have got totally addicted to drugs, no just kidding – I’m hooked on a DVD series that we watch on the tour bus called 24 which stars Kiefer Sutherland. It is wicked. I can’t get enough of it because it’s about my favourite themes – power and integrity, manipulation and corruption, vulnerability etc etc.

July 23
July 24
July 25

Absent without leave to the blog!

July 30th
Benidorm, Spain

Spain’s answer to Margate. Hot n Sticky. Harder to concentrate in the heat, missed a cue. Beating myself up about that one!!

July 31st
Aug 1st

Aug 2nd
Alicante, Spain

Glorious days off, but can’t take too many breaks - I just want to get the show on the road ‘cos it makes the time go quicker. Meanwhile I have been spending hours practising my sticking techniques using Horacio el Negro’s book called Conversation with Clave. I set up my own little studio in my hotel room and people don’t see me for days. If you want to catch me it’s soundcheck, catering, tour bus or gone. Mark (Jay’s security) takes the piss and tells me he’s going to have a t-shirt made which says on the front “I’ve seen Sola!” but on the back it says “No I Ain’t”

Went with Sam and Lorraine to a delicious rice n fish restaurant – mmmmmmm.

Aug 03
Bilbao, Spain

My birthday! Cold weather compared to the south of Spain but wicked gig and I was joined in Spain by a special lady: we partied all night c/o Jay Kay who threw an impromptu party in his awesome penthouse suite at the hotel. Big up to Mark (Jay’s security) for the wickedest DJ on Apple iPod! Danced til dawn – lovely vibe. All the band and backing singers were there getting merry n having a right old laugh – a night to remember – cheers Jay.

Aug 04

Aug 05
Travel to Mijas, Marbella

Back to the heat. Took a beautiful stroll up into the hills with some serious villas scattered here and there.

Met up with Diane Lamprey who used to be part of the crew on the Sony side of things. Diane moved to Spain a few years ago and man does she look good on it. She’s loving the lifestyle and it shows. She took us to a slick restaurant and club and then Rob and I and Dan (the tour chef – yes we have our own chef on the road – unbelievable food – big up to Dan and his team!) and Derrick went to a club called Panjeers in a swanky place outside of town near the sea – million pound yachts etc – then we find out that tomorrows’ gig is cancelled so there’s nothing stopping us from staying out all night!

HOMEWARD BOUND ☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻☻

"Marlon Brando eat your heart out" - Jay and Derrick - Boy Riders.
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