Page 45 - FULL BOOK Isata Kanneh-Mason Childhood Tales
P. 45
Yes. Isata and Sheku performed together as a duo at the 2020 BBC Proms.
What does Isata like to do when not playing piano?
‘I sleep,’ Isata told Jessica. ‘I like to be with people,’ she added, ‘because playing
the piano, you're by yourself, and you travel alone. It's a lonely lifestyle. I like to see
my friends, I love the cinema, long walks and reading and just socialising. And I also
like being active because I'm sitting for such long hours, so I go to exercise classes,
like biking and Pilates.’
Who are her musical heroes?
'Growing up in the classical world, I loved Martha Argerich, Vladimir Ashkenazy
and Jacqueline du Pré,' Isata told Jessica. 'These are my big musical heroes of
childhood.
'Also I loved Beyoncé, Bob Marley and Michelle Obama, who are my Black heroes.
And Rachmaninov I find inspiring as a composer and pianist. They all inspire me in
different ways, and either I see parts of myself in them, or I want to absorb into
myself parts of what they represent.'
