Many European and North American bands will cross the Atlantic to play shows far away from home. Bigger bands even commonly tour Asia and South America. How many many bands have you heard about that have played shows in North Korea, Pakistan and Iraq? Jason Carter hails originally from Britian and over his lifetime developed a huge appreciation for the power of music being able to put aside difference and connect people. In his twenty years of touring he has traveled the world and back. Here’s our interview with him where we discuss his adventures and his insight into being a truly international musician.
Which countries have you traveled to?
I have performed in over 90 countries including North Korea, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Siberia/Russia, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Saudia Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Jordan, Mozambique, Mexico, USA, Canada and almost all countries in East and West Europe.
Do you take any special precautions ?
In cases such as North Korea, Afghanistan or Pakistan, the security situation can change on a daily, if not hourly basis, and I would not travel to these places without the logistical support of the British Government. It could be suicidal to walk the streets of Kabul or Baghdad as a Westerner and the Taliban would pay a handsome price for the capture of a foreigner. So precautions, yes. In Afghanistan I had an armed driver with a bulletproof Range Rover. I stayed in a secure compound out of town guarded by the British Army, and the curfew was 8pm. But saying that, my work was with Afghan Musicians and students at Kabul University, so I was with Afghans every day. They made me feel incredibly welcome and safe when I was with them.
Can you tell us about one moment where you felt things could go bad?
In Pakistan, just after September 11th, I was in Islamabad, doing a handful of concerts which in fact was sponsored by the Pakistani Government. I had armed protection from day one, but when I was dropped off at the airport for departure home, I was just left to my own devices. Most Embassies (all European, US, Canadian) were closed due to high tensions in Pakistan at the time, so I really was on my own. I was the only foreigner at the airport. On lining up for security checks at Islamabad Airport, there were two lines, and the security officer on my line was just staring at me. He made me feel incredibly uncomfortable so I left that line, went for some tea, and returned to join the other line. Once he saw what I had done, he joined my line so I just had to stay there and see what was going to happen. Once I reached my turn, he aggressively emptied all my stuff onto the ground, and was waving my Spanish guitar in the air screaming ‘what the hell are you doing here?’ I remained calm and polite, (typical British thing to do!) and told him that I had been playing some concerts with Pakistani musicians on Pakistani National TV and now was heading home. Arrogantly he replied ‘So, will you play for me?” I went to reach for my guitar and he pulled back and said ‘No, not here, we have a special room for this”. Within five minutes I was ‘arrested’ and taken to an interrogation room, I knew very well that I could have just disappeared and nobody would have known where I was. To cut a long story short, I did get the chance to play the guitar for these guys. Within ten minutes I was back in the departure lounge. It was a very scary experience.
In a place like North Korea how did the crowd react to your music?
It was amazing. I played to 3,000 people per night, five nights in a row. Not even President Obama or any World leader for that matter, would be allowed to address any number of North Koreans in public, but as a musician, it was possible. The guitar had been banned in North Korea until recently as it was seen as a ‘western’ or ‘capitalist’ instrument. So for North Koreans, (and my audience were North Koreans off the streets), to see a long haired British guitarist in stage with orange flares, tapping away on a classical guitar was a huge cultural experience, and for me to play for those people was priceless. I believe that it is the small things that make a difference. Who knows, a young North Korean may have been inspired, gone home and started banging out new tunes on his guitar. Change comes about my the smallest of ideas, possibly and eventually manifesting themselves in all kinds of ways.

Any place in particular surprise you as particularly welcoming and enthusiastic to hear your music?
I guess in all concerts I am humbled by peoples’ appreciation of what I do. But the most surprising was recently in Novosibirsk, Siberia. I had made some arrangements of some of my 18 string Harp Guitar/Looping pieces for Orchestra and was invited to perform these pieces by the Novosibirsk Philharmonic. The Russian audience is one of the best, their sense of expectation and greatness is overwhelming and sometimes challenging. It was a ‘first’ as in, the first time the Harp Guitar had featured as a solo instrument with such an Orchestra, and secondly, live looping with Orchestra. Usually, when looping live, the ambience is pretty open, and if I want to do four, six or eight cycles of a particular loop, then I can. But when there is an Orchestra running on a score behind you, everything has to be perfect, so no mistakes, and no ‘undos’. The audience in the Philharmonic Hall in Novosibirsk are used to really highbrow performances of great composers, and I was overwhelmed by the response to what I did. A standing ovation.
Is there any venue, town or country you don’t plan on visiting anytime soon?
Somalia. Far too dangerous.
You play a lot of Spanish and Harp guitar. What kind of gear are you using?
Since the age of 9 of I have been playing Spanish guitar. As a teenager I played rock and metal, and sometimes on sessions I use electric guitars. More recently Harp Guitars, 18 string and 12.
I always travel with my trusted D-Tar Solstice and in fact have been running my Neumann KM184 mics throught before it hits the Apogee Ensemble, for both recording and live work. The Solstice gives me incredible control over whatever I put through it. I run the Brunner 18 string Harp Guitar through the Solstice in concert, the Ground Lift has been incredibly useful in places with a bad earth, such as old Churches in Italy and run down venues in Afghanistan. I am having two new Harp Guitars built by English Luthier Sean Woolley, and I will fit a combination of Seymour Duncan Undersaddle Pickups in those. These are classical/nylon Harp Guitars. For recording, the Solstice adds a presence and controllable brightness to the higher Harp Guitar Strings, and a certain fatness to the Bass of the Harp Guitar. As predominantly an amplified acoustic player, the need for gear is less when searching for a clean, warm sound, but the gear one has in the chain has to be of great clarity and quality to bring out the best in terms of warmth and dynamic range.

What are your upcoming tour plans?
I am off to Abu Dhabi in two weeks to play a concert with musicians from the region, for the pre-opening of the Louvre Museum. It’s a big gig for royalty and diplomats alike. I will do a handful of other concerts in Dubai and whilst there, seeking film partnerships for a ‘Buena Vista Social Club’ style documentary in the region. May and June I am mixing and mastering my new album ‘Like You’ve Never Heard’, a collection of well know classical guitar tunes with beats and samples, and releasing the Audio Book ‘Making In-Roads’, stories from my concerts and journies to places such as North Korea, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other places. In July I hit the road with full force, doing concerts in Italy, Finland, Estonia, UK, France, Holland and Germany. September 21st sees my first concert in Iraq with the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra, doing the live looping thing, and collaborations with Iraqi musicians for Global Peace Day. October to December will be take up with touring the new album, extensively in the Middle East, including Calcutta Guitar Festival in India, and hopefully a concert in Iran. Watch this space, and thanks for listening!
Fore more information on the music and adventures of Jason Carter, visit: www.jasoncarter.net