Experience the World
When Gouché says he’s been everywhere barring Antarctica: believe him.
From China to Japan, New Zealand to South Africa, where the band was required to fill out a form stating that they were honorary whites because black people still didn’t have equal rights. Gouché was mad about this and the frustration escalated at a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant when he was approached by a man who commented, “you’re not from here.”
Lowering his head and eyes, Gouché’s shoulders hunched, explaining that was how black people walked in South Africa. He stood out because he never needed to hide himself, and always had the confidence to walk tall and not step out of the way for whites passing by in the street. He says California has always been “kind of isolated” from that temperament so that was his first experience with such attitudes.
Then there was Russia. Former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, used the term ‘Iron Curtain’ in his March 5, 1946 speech, just before the Cold War (1947-1991) to explain the invisible barrier the Soviet Union was creating as a means to close off contact with the West. It later became a physical entity as border defenses arose and different types of barriers were erected.
The Iron Curtain was essentially designed to prevent citizens from leaving and stop information from entering. Military personnel were assigned to outposts along the borders to watch for signs of escapees.
Before the Iron Curtain was removed, Gouché was playing with Bebe and Cece Winans in Europe, England and Poland before being told they were going to Russia. Gouché recalls being hesitant for two reasons: the Iron Curtain and the little knowledge he had of the country.
“We hear our own version of the news,” Gouché says. “But you can go somewhere and it’s a whole other thing.”
They ended up taking the train from Poland to Russia, which he says was incredible. Gouché remarks that because Russia was so hypervigilant of being invaded, they made their train tracks larger than the standard used in Europe. This led to the group waiting two hours for a machine to literally pick up the train and place it on the specific tracks into Russia!
“Which was absolutely amazing to me,” Gouché says of the process.
Once in Moscow, they boarded a plane to their next destination. Gouché laughs as he explains the airline has the worst track record for flight crashes in the world. He learned it was common knowledge, but the crashes were never actually reported publicly.
The group landed in Novosibirsk, a city where the artistic community was banished from the mainstream. Gouché explains that Russia was “anti-everything during the years of communism” to a point that even music required approval and had to be state sponsored.
Jazz music, and similar styles, were not approved at that time. However, he remembers going to a jazz bar where he heard absolutely incredible performances. He even remembers wishing he could bring them back home so they could freely do what they love.
The group themselves performed in Novosibirsk and it was astounding for Gouché. He still remembers as if it were yesterday.
They played in a one ring circus, directly in the centre, for five nights straight. This is when he realized music transcends language barriers. The crowd didn’t know the words to their lyrics but would still come forward, every single night, and place roses along the front of the stage.
“It was really, really beautiful.” Gouché smiles, his memories taking him back to that moment. “It was one of the best experiences I ever had.”
