Jazz artist Jon Batiste shares the secret to success after Grammy award wins
ITV News Entertainment Reporter Rishi Davda spoke to Batiste, the Grammy award winning musician who has seen how music can drive meaningful social change.
Jon Batiste's endearing charisma and charm is only exceeded by his exceptional musical talents. Speaking to him on Zoom, Jon reflected on the Grammy Awards which took place on the 4 April. The classically trained Jazz musician was up for 11 awards - and ended up talking home five - including Album of the Year for 'We Are'.
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When you've got 11 chances to win, you've got to fancy your chances, but Jon went to the ceremony with no expectations. He humbly said: "Given where I started and what my interests are... It's not something you could look at an algorithm or a spreadsheet and say, oh yeah, black jazz guy from New Orleans - that's the guy who is going to win album of the year." Well, he did just that, not only did Jon win Album of the Year, but he also claimed Best Music Video for 'Freedom'.
The song 'Cry' earned him Best American Roots Song and Best American Roots Performance, while he picked up Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media for his work on the movie 'Soul' - a comedy Pixar film about a music teacher looking to reunite his soul with his body. He already had an Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA film award after co-composing the score for the film.
Batiste has always seen the power of music, bringing his soulful sound to the streets during civil unrest in 2020.
The singer/songwriter organised peaceful protests in New York against police brutality following the murder of George Floyd. Jon believes "that it's okay to opt out of saying something about these things - but that's not my way. I choose to use this platform in a way that is even more engaged than what is required."
His Grammy wins were tinged with a element of sadness. Around the time of the nominations, Jon's long-term partner Suleika Jaouad was diagnosed with leukaemia for second time.
The pair secretly got married in February just before she was scheduled to undergo a bone marrow transplant. Despite the difficult circumstances, Jon says: "it's a beautiful thing to walk in partnership with someone you love. It's the greatest duet of all time."
He's an artist whose creations seemingly transcend music, simultaneously raising spirits and driving change. For others looking to make it in the industry, Jon believes it's all about determination - "9 times out of 10, if you don't quit, the tide will shift in your direction."