Karolina’s ‘All Rivers’ Inspirations

Could you please tell us when your musical journey began? What are your first memories of music?
I grew up in Eilat, a small city in the south of Israel on the Red Sea Bay. Eilat is a tourist city and hosts a big Jazz festival once a year, with some very famous artists from all over the world. In my teenage years, I went to see a lot of live concerts. I even used to go and see musicians jamming together in hotel lobbies. I once muscled up the courage to get involved in a jam with Bobby McFerrin, who was a major inspiration to me. I felt like he connected me to the ‘musical seed’ in my soul.   

Do you have a career highlight?
As a successful singer-songwriter in Israel, I’ve had many highlights in my career but a very special and memorable moment for me was five years ago in LA. I participated in the debut concert of the Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Mohamad album ‘Something About April II’. In this concert I performed four songs that we wrote and recorded together a year earlier that were included on the album. To perform on such a stage and to share it with leading artists of our times such as Kendrick Lamar, Bilal and Laetitia Sadier (Stereolove), felt like a real peak for me.  

You have collaborated with an incredibly talented selection of musicians on ‘All Rivers’ and in the past. How did these collaborations come about? Which collaboration are you most proud of?
The Jazz-Indie scene here in Tel Aviv is not that big, so over the years you get to collaborate with many of the musicians in the scene and even become good friends with some. When I asked Avishai Cohen and Uzi Ramirez – such great musicians and real friends of mine – to come and play some parts in my new album they were thrilled to come and take part and create music together.  

Lyrically, where do you take influence for your music and writing?
My influence for my music comes from life itself. I tend to think about human complexion, human behaviour… basically everything surrounding me finds a way to enter my songs. I also find poetry has a big inspiring influence on me, and of course music. Both of them are trying to fill the same emotional gap we all have as humans.

What classic albums have influenced you the most?
Cymande – Dove 

Curtis Mayfield – Superfly 

Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On 

Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill  

Other artists that have had a huge influence on me are Elizabeth Cotton, Fela Kuti, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Amadou & Mariam and Antônio Carlos Jobim.  

What are your favourite new releases?
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly

Orion Sun – A Collection of Fleeting Moments and Day Dreams 

Kutiman – Open  

Kevin Morby – Harlem River 

Lee Fields – Sentimental Fool