Ari Joshua Is A Pioneer In Music & Talks More About New Track “Tagine”

Intro:

American guitarist Ari Joshua is a recording artist & music educator who’s worked with many styles like Jazz, Rock & more. Born in South Africa, Ari developed into a natural musician even after moving to the United States at a young age & he’s achieved many accolades over the years with quality music. In 2024, he embarked on an ambitious project to release 24 new recordings featuring collaborations with renowned instrumentalists such as “Tagine”. He’s also expanded his career too into music education after founding The Music Factory where students can learn from quality artists & develop their careers. Before reading our full conversation below, you can also follow Ari on Facebook, Instagram & X (Twitter) to stay connected with the artist.

Meet Ari Joshua

Me: What first got you into making your own music?

Ari Joshua: My family’s record collection, and a deep need to connect to my feelings and emotions as a very young kid collided with the energy and excitement of growing up in the crossroads of the 90's Rock n Roll explosion and having access to see a lot of great shows in a short period of time.

How supportive are your friends and family now when it comes to your career?

In some ways yes and some ways no. That's a really challenging question something I may have to save for my memoirs. Even the people sometimes that are hurting you in a way can fuel your art. My GF right now is extremely supportive, I am finding the balance of family and work to be very much a part of my joy and happiness.

Yeah, I see exactly what you mean. Also, a lot of artists never forget their first song. Do you remember yours?

The first song I wrote was with my sister when we where 5 and 6 years old on a road trip. I mean I still write silly songs like that, many songs I have written with my young students in a similar fashion.

How would you describe your music in ONE word to someone that's never listened before?

Trippy

I completely agree! Would you care to explain that further for those who are curious about your style?

In some ways, my style really hasn't changed that much. It was always there, a spark of desire to express my emotions, and a constant drive to be able to access more ways to express myself. In some ways, it has always been the same, but in other ways, it is evolving. I am more likely to sing songs now and share music I never thought was ready. I also know more about what it takes to get things up to my standards and more about letting go and accepting things as they are.

Are there any artists you would like to work with around your area?

I really would love to work with any legendary jazz players or any members of any bands I loved growing up. That's a wide net. Being that there is a big crossover as well, playing with any members of The Grateful Dead, or Phish would be a big dream.

And who are some of your favorite musicians to work with currently?

So many people but Stone Gossard stands out as someone who continues to inspire me, and who really keeps surprising me with his depth and range of capabilities. It was also really special to work with Michael Shrieve who produced my first release, a trio called AriSawkaDoria, named after the members of the band. I have a special place in my heart for those two, a lot of love there. I have been blessed to work with a lot of special people.

Where does your stage name originate from? Have you ever changed your name?

My full name is Ariel Joshua Zucker, so you can see at some point I started to use my middle name as a stage name. My dad’s family name was Peshischa which was later changed to Zucker (which is sugar in German). I was born in Cape Town. It is notable there was a mountain there I was born under that was called “Lion's Head” and my name means Lion.

Outside of music, what are some other talents & hobbies that some may not know?

I love to jump in the water and swim on a hot summer day. I love to clean up and do handy work around my school when I have days off. I also like to edit videos and make art and posters for fun.

How was it working with Marco Benevento and Joe Russo on your latest release Tagine? How did that come about?

Marco was introduced to me via David Tiller a fantastic mandolin player virtuoso that I met when I moved to NY. We would sit and just exchange riffs and song forms on park benches in Brooklyn and one day he was like hey this free jazz keyboard player Marco would be a really good fit for you. I think we may have met initially at Tagine? I was immediately taken by his playing, I had met a lot of great jazz players living in NY but none that were my age, and that had a deep knowledge of Phish or The Dead as well as the Rock n Roll that came from that time. We started doing some organ trio gigs, and he was a regular member of this band The Fort Greene Project that we had back in the day.

Joe was similar, but I had met him through his bass player Jonti Simon who was a friend of the family and was in Fat Mama. I remember being at The Wetlands, it may have even been on the last day there ever, and jumping on stage for a jam at the end, my memory is that Marco sat in with Fat Mama and it turned into a jam after. Joe was a real natural player, he had an ease about his style that made it so much fun to play with. I have a lot of really great memories from that time playing with my friends from The New School and playing around town with my best friends. I am really grateful we got to record when we did. It's been hard to make more time with those cats they are all over the place doing great things.

Why has it taken so long to share some of the music from your vault? What have you learned in this process that you can share with others?

I privately went through some really hard times. Between processing some personal things and trying to navigate the industry, I think I went through a lot to get to where I am. There were some years of addiction, and from this, I went through some things that I haven't really fully yet decided to share. I am beyond grateful to be alive and to be able to share this music and art that I made along my journey and to be able to make and create new art. I am obsessed with art, I have a passion for the arts, and for sharing my love for it.

My advice would be to relax and be grateful for where you are and to share your work when you are able. I also would advise that you follow your heart and do what you believe you must do as an artist. As humans we can be misunderstood, the truth has a way of hiding, but music is a true expression of truth and if your journey is blessed with moments of joy and even euphoria there must be something there for you to explore and something of value there. I have learned that it is through family, and loved ones, and through those times making music expressing true feelings in the moment that some of the most incredible things have happened.

Where can we find your news and new releases?

I have a blog at www.arijoshua.com where we post news and blogs and share reviews and thoughts. You can download and pay for songs there directly or you can the same on Bandcamp or you can just go to the streaming sites as people do.

Additionally, what does a world without music look like in your imagination?

In a world of no music, I would imagine a swirl of colors with no names and no forms and a soup of matter with no density without sound. Sound is part of how things are, part of how it all vibrates. No music no time no harmony, just a swirl of light.

Do you have any more advice for anyone thinking about getting into music today?

SO much. Call me and set up a lesson, and I will share it all. But before that, I would say save your pennies and get a teacher. You need a teacher to move forward, I would say it needs to be one-on-one in person as well. But at least a weekly session. There are too many ways people try to skip steps, a teacher can really help you find your way and stay focused. Of course, I am also biased as I own and run a music school, but we are at www.musicfactorynw.com if you are looking for me or one of our amazing teachers.

And last, do you have any future plans you’d like to share with the fans?

I am always looking for more ways to share and connect through the arts with more people. I hope to keep progressing and working with more amazing people.