Shabaka Hutchings explains decision to stop playing saxophone at the end of 2023
completemusicupdate.comShabaka Hutchings – of bands including The Comet Is Coming and Sons Of Kemet – has issued a statement elaborating on his decision to stop playing saxophone from the end of this year.Hutchings first announced his plans to take a “hiatus” from the instrument on New Year’s Day, telling fans that – once this year is up – “I don’t know when or if I’ll return to the big metal horn”.Now, six months on from that announcement, he has provided a lengthier explanation of his decision, writing on social media: “What I do on stage when I play the sax is intense both physically and emotionally”.“I’m able to undertake the kind of intense touring which finds me on the road consistently”, he goes on, “treating the performance of a spiritual practice as a commodity to be sold repeatedly because of my enthusiasm towards what I’m doing.
The moment this enthusiasm wanes in the slightest is the moment it’s time to reassess artistic orientation. This is the point I’m at”.“The safe option would be to just do less gigs on the sax and not take the extreme option of ending my association with it”, he admits. “Unfortunately I’m not that guy”.“I’m deeply grateful to be able to channel energy from a source that resides outside myself while undertaking the ceremony of ritual performance.
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