Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mark Kavuma. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Mark, so great to have you on the platform. There’s so much we want to ask you, but let’s start with the topic of self-care. Do you do anything for self-care and if so, do you think it’s had a meaningful impact on your effectiveness?
I am a big advocate and believer in self-care. My approach is centered around fitness and looking after my body. I am big on running. I run mostly every day and believe it has really transformed my life for the better. It is a way for me to switch everything off, breathe and rejuvenate my mind, body, and spirit. It helps me develop and maintain a neutral mindset. Why is this important? Well running a record label, leading a band, teaching, and staying creative is fairly challenging and with a neutral mindset I can deal with most anything that comes my way, but also take on challenges head on.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am Mark Kavuma, musician, band leader, teacher/educator, creative enabler, and the man behind Banger Factory Records.
Banger Factory Records was born in 2021 as a natural evolution from The Banger Factory, an ensemble I started in 2015 from a weekly residency in Brixton’s POW. Over the years the band has developed and nourished a truly unmistakable sound, leaning heavily on original material. After releasing two very well received albums, Kavuma (2018) and The Banger Factory (2019), it was clear to me, there was something very special developing in our corner of South London. We have always been about spreading love and good vibes. The core band has been with me from the beginning but is regularly augmented by young lions and some of the most gifted musicians on the scene, encouraged to pitch their own sound into the mix. Everybody brings something to the table, whether it’s verbally, conceptually, or musically and everybody has a part to play. Thus, The Banger Factory has become more of a collective that brings together and unifies the local London jazz scene.
After the release of the 2nd album and launch show at the Jazz Café, we began to gather momentum and were going from strength to strength. Performing regularly at many of London’s top venues and evolving as a unit. We had just recorded the third album ‘Arashi No Ato’, when the pandemic hit and put a halt to all our live shows. Though the ensuing months were difficult, they also turned out to be quite fruitful as they allowed me the opportunity to reflect as well as time to examine and evaluate where we were. We had many guests on the third album, and I realized my unique standpoint within the London jazz community and my access to both young and older creatives. The scene was and is flourishing and there is a lot of attention on the young scene, which is great, however, it does somewhat isolate the older jazz scene. I realized what we’ve been able to do with The Banger Factory— is bring these two worlds together and what makes our sound unique, exciting, and special is the ability to bring together seemingly disparate elements from within the bubbling jazz scene, uniting sounds, and players from across generations. This led to the decision to start a record label, expand horizons, and develop the Banger Factory sound. Arashi No Ato (BF001) would be our first release.
I was blessed to have a lot of support from the community. I received some mentorship and guidance from other UK based labels. Emily Moxon from Brownswood was amazing. I also got support and advice from Edition Records. Everything came together however when I got in touch with Elaine Crouch who is a highly experienced project and label manager. She is the best. Elaine really believed in my vision and was onboard to help me realize it. Helping me get set up and advising me on the dos and don’ts with regards to running a label. With her guidance I was able to get things in place, educate myself on the technicalities and inner workings of the label and start preparing our first release.
Shortly after, I was approached by Kinetika Bloco, a performance group of musicians and dancers that draws on the carnival traditions of Brazil, the Caribbean, Africa, and New Orleans, to release their debut album ‘Legacy’, celebrating the 21st anniversary of the carnival group founded by Mat Fox. I couldn’t believe it. Kinetika is where my musical journey really began after having started trumpet in secondary school. Kinetika is very dear to my heart, I had been going since I was 13 years old, and I couldn’t believe that I would be in a position to release their first album 15 years later. Usually around 100 strong, the scaled-down group of Kinetika alumni led by Mat’s son Ruben Fox revisited some of the Bloco’s iconic pieces on the landmark album ‘Legacy’ (BF002) released in December 2021.
Artie Zaitz and Mark Kavuma: Back To Back (BF003) was released shortly after in March 2022. It was around this time that another key partnership was taking fruition between myself and Theo Erskine, strengthening the labels artistic reach and sparking ever more creative ideas. Theo is an incredible musician, engineer, and core member of the team. He has a beautiful studio in Forest Hill, South London, which has become a hub for The Banger Factory. We also happen to be very good friends, having met when we were both studying at Trinity College of Music back in 2012. We spent hours and days together during the pandemic – hours and days that turned into time spent plotting, planning, and putting in place future musical collaborations and projects. All Banger Factory Records releases are now recorded at Theo’s studio. The Banger Factory – Warriors (BF004) released in November 2022 being the first release we worked on together.
The label was officially launched at Milton Court, London Jazz Festival 2022, with a showcase featuring music and performers on the first four releases. It was a dream, a dream. An unforgettable night of music, positivity, joy, and love. A celebration.
We have been busy since then and have some very exciting projects/releases in the pipeline. We have Artie Zaitz’ Debut album nearing completion and due for release in mid-2024. Emerging as one the UK’s top guitarists, Artie is a musician of taste, imagination, and rare fire. His album ‘The Regulator’ was tracked live in the studio, deep in parallel with classic organ recordings, full of blues and grit. It sounds incredible. Groovy originals recorded in full analog glory. A triumph. The album features: Steve Brown (drums) Dave Patman (conga) Ross Stanely (Hammond B3 organ) and Artie on guitar. Moreover, we have recently recorded Mussinghi Brian Edward’s debut album. A veteran of the British jazz scene, I am honoured to be able to work on this record with Mussinghi, a big mentor of mine since I was 18 years old. Though Mussinghi has been on the scene for years it is extra special that we get to release his debut album. Featuring his brother Trevor Edwards (trombone) , the great Jason Brown (drums), Artie Zaitz (Hammond B3 organ) Marcina Arnold (vocals) and myself on trumpet. Also due for release in 2024.
The next project to be released on Banger Factory Records is Erskine & Kavuma – ‘UltraSound’ (BF006) due to be released 1st December 2023. With the first single ‘It’ out on Friday 6th October 2023 on all platforms. The project, led by Theo on saxophone and I on trumpet, features Noah Stoneman on piano, Michael Shrimpling on double bass and Shane Forbes on drums. The five tracks on UltraSound (four written by members of the quintet plus ‘The Loneliest’ by Russell Hall) capture the zeitgeist of a unique moment in time when musicians starved of creative, collaborative music-making during the pandemic met again. Each track is suffused with that palpable joy yet tinged with reflection. The recording celebrates getting back: to each other, to the music, to a definition of ‘normal’.
Banger Factory Records has recently partnered up with ECN music, working with Emma Perry (marketing & PR) who has been a key figure in most Banger Factory Releases to date, Elaine Crouch (strategy and label management), Claire Martin and Nadja von Massow. UltraSound will be the first project we work on together.
I am truly excited about what the future holds in store for ‘Banger Factory Records’. I want to unashamedly showcase the London jazz community and its herds of exceptionally dexterous, accomplished, brilliant players and singers. My vision for the label is that it will inspire and empower those within the community and provide a platform for uncovering new artists and up-and-coming musicians, enabling them to not only hone and finesse their craft but to innovate, flourish and realise their full artistic potential, ultimately shaping the future of music beyond genres, genders, and borders. And thus, I look forward to the prospect of further collaborations with more outstanding musicians and artists.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I would say discipline, patience, and resilience.
Discipline is the key. I believe if one is to achieve anything extraordinary or succeed in one’s endeavours, discipline is a must. There will be days or periods when you’re just not feeling up to it, but developing the ability and skill to do the things that you don’t feel like doing but doing them anyway because you know it’s the right thing to do is one of the essential ingredients to success.
Starting small helps. This along with consistency is how I’ve managed to build discipline as a habit, and you also can. Start with small and manageable chunks and be consistent with your effort, whatever the endeavour.
Patience is needed when trying to achieve something. A lot of the time the things we want to achieve or attain require a big effort to achieve or attain and it is important that you are patient along the way so you can maintain the effort and not get burned out or discouraged. Patience and persistence will take you a long way.
There will be obstacles and unexpected turns along the way. Sometimes things don’t go your way, but you must keep on moving forward. That’s resilience. You have to keep on keeping on.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
Allow me the freedom to pursue a career in music. I am not from a musical background or family and though my parents didn’t quite understand what it was all about and had their concerns about music as a profession, they have always supported me and allowed me the freedom to go for it. I am proud to become the first musician in my family. There is now a little army of musicians behind me. It’s beautiful to see.
Contact Info:
- Website: markkavuma.uk
- Instagram: mark kavuma
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.kavuma.1
Image Credits
Mark Allen Emille Holba Alex Kurunis
