Keith Richards ya zama kakan kaka. "Gaskiya ne! Gaskiya ne!" in ji shi cikin zumudi yayin kiran bidiyo daga wani wuri mai zurfi a cikin Hit Factory—dakin rikodi na New York da Rolling Stones suka fara amfani da shi shekaru 46 da suka gabata yayin yin Emotional Rescue. "Makonni biyu kenan. Sabo ne a gare ni. Amma ni kakan ban mamaki ne," in ji shi cikin sirri. "Game da zama kakan kaka… Ina ƙoƙarin barin su su zauna tare da ni muddin zai yiwu, sannan in mayar da su. Na yi yawan zama kaka kwanan nan. Ina da sababbi uku ko hudu, ka sani. Lokacin da na ce sababbi, ina nufin… shekaru biyu ko uku. Ko hudu. Ko daya, ko watakila biyar."
Dakata, wannan yana da ɗan rashin tabbas. Ya ɗaga kafaɗa ya yi dariya mai raɗaɗi. "Na rasa gano su, ka sani."
Yana kusan zama kamar doka a lura da yadda wannan duk zai zama abin da ba zai yiwu ba a dā. Akwai lokacin da yawancin mutane suka yi tunanin Richards ba zai rayu ya ga ƙarshen shekara ba, balle haihuwar jikar kakarsa—ganin irin barnar sinadarai da giya da ya ci gaba da yi wa kansa. Amma ga shi nan, yana da shekaru 82, lafiya da ƙarfi, ya rayu fiye da waɗanda suka annabta mutuwarsa da wuri, yana maraba da zuwan jikar kakarsa mai suna mai ban sha'awa, Luna Richards-Von Bismarck.
"Na kasance ina sauraron jikina kafin ya fara kururuwa don neman taimako," in ji shi game da tsawon rayuwarsa. "Ina nufin, ban yi nisa da ƙarshen titin jirgin ba kafin in yi kururuwa don neman taimako. Amma kana yin hankali idan kana so ka ci gaba; kana daidaita kanka." Ya daina shan taba sigari shekaru shida da suka gabata. "Ba zato ba tsammani, bayan duk waɗannan shekarun shan taba—domin, ka sani, mutum yana shan taba—ina zaune da wannan abu mara hankali a bakina ina tunani: yaya yara. Wannan shi ne ya fi kowane abu ya sanya ni daina, ko da yake har yanzu ina shan wiwi da yawa." Ya ce ba ya sha a wannan makon, "amma in ba haka ba, eh, a matsakaici." Wata dariya mai raɗaɗi. "Don haka, eh, ton na heroin ne kawai a rana yanzu."
Bayan haka, akwai sabon kundi na Rolling Stones da za a tallata—wani yanayi da zai zama da wuya a dā. Lokaci na ƙarshe da na sadu da Richards shine a 2015. Ya fito da kundi na solo mai suna Crosseyed Heart, amma ya shafe wani ɓangare na tattaunawarmu yana gaya mani ba ya son yin kundi na solo kuma ba shi da sha'awar zama mai fasaha na solo. Yana "yin shi ne kawai don ci gaba da aiki" domin Rolling Stones "suna cikin barci." Ya yi matukar rashin jin daɗi game da wannan har ya gaya wa abokan aikinsa zai yi ritaya, yana ƙoƙarin girgiza su—"buga su a bayan kai," kamar yadda ya faɗa. Lokacin da na tambaye shi wane buri yake da shi, ya ɗan yi magana cikin baƙin ciki game da yiwuwar yin wani kundi na Rolling Stones.
A gaskiya, sun yi ƙarin uku: Blue & Lonesome a 2016, wani kundi na sake komawa ga tushe na rufe blues; sannan Hackney Diamonds a 2023, kundi na waƙoƙin asali da aka fitar shekaru biyu bayan mutuwar mai buga ganga Charlie Watts. Yanzu, ba ma shekaru uku ba, akwai Foreign Tongues. Wasu daga cikinsu sun riga mutuwar Watts, gami da waƙar "Some of Us" mai ban sha'awa da Richards ya rera, wadda ya ce ta koma kimanin shekaru 20 amma "an zaɓe ta daga gwangwani" ta hanyar furodusa Andrew Watt. Wasu waƙoƙi an yi rikodin su a cikin wani ɗan gajeren lokaci na wata guda na aiki a London. Waƙa mai suna "Ringing Hollow," wadda Mick Jagger ya bayyana a matsayin "wasikar soyayya ga Amurka," a zahiri tana zargin Amurka a ƙarƙashin wa'adi na biyu na Trump: "Kullum akwai wani mayaudari yana ƙoƙarin tayar da jama'a…"Kullum akwai wani sarki yana ƙoƙarin kwace rawani… Lady Liberty ba ta da kyau sosai lokacin da ta daure fuska.
Duba hoto a cikin cikakken allo
Rolling Stones da suka rage… (daga hagu) Richards, Ronnie Wood da Mick Jagger, 2023. Hoton: Toby Melville/Reuters
"Mick ya kasance mai yawan aiki kwanan nan," in ji Richards. "Wannan shine dalili daya da ya sa wannan kundi ya fito da sauri—domin ba ya tsayawa. Kuma karfin daga Hackney Diamonds ya yi karfi sosai har wannan kundi ya biyo baya kai tsaye. Na bar shi ya ci gaba. Muna da isasshen kayan aiki idan muna so mu ci gaba, don haka ni da Mick muka ba juna wannan kallon da muka sani muka ce, 'Eh, bari mu ci gaba da turawa.'"
Ya yaba wa Watt—mai shekaru 35 kuma a halin yanzu shine furodusa da ake nema ga masu sarautar rock, kamar yadda aikin da ya yi kwanan nan tare da Paul McCartney, Elton John, Iggy Pop, da Michael Stipe ya nuna—da "numfashin iska mai sabo da bugun wando. Ya san aikinsa na kiɗa da fasaha, kuma ba ya jure wa wani shirme—kawai ya ci gaba da aiki. Don haka na same shi mai sauƙin aiki da shi. Yana da ɗan gaggawa wani lokaci, amma menene?"
Lokacin da ka ce ba ya jure wa shirme, shin ya taɓa yi maka magana? Ya runtse idanunsa: "A'a. Amma watakila ya yi wa wani magana."
"AI tana kashe ni. Ina jin tsoron makomar kiɗa? Ina jin tsoron makomar komai."
A gaskiya, Richards ya ce, babu yawan wannan shirme da za a yi da shi kuma. Shekaru da yawa, kamar akwai yawa: ana yin kundin Rolling Stones sau da yawa a cikin yanayi mai tsananin tashin hankali, yawanci saboda rashin jituwa tsakanin Richards da Jagger. "Na san Mick, ina tsammanin, tun daga makarantar firamare—don haka bari mu ce tun yana shekara hudu," in ji Richards. "Kuma idan ka san wani tsawon haka, kullum kana cewa, 'Saurara gare ni, yaro, na san ka tun kana shekara hudu…' Kuma wannan yana da tasiri."
Amma kwanakin nan, dangantakar Jagger/Richards ba ta da yawan abin da Richards ke kira "fada." Har ma tana ɗaukar halinsa na rashin kula da aikin solo na Jagger, gami da haɗin gwiwa tare da masu fasaha kamar Skepta ko Tame Impala, wanda Richards kwanan nan ya bayyana a matsayin "karkata zuwa duniyar zamani."
"A'a, babu yawan fada. Ya karya takobinsa, ya karya mashinsa. Wani abu ne da ni da Mick muka bari, watakila saboda shekaru. Ko aƙalla bai zo mini ba na ɗan lokaci, don haka ina ɗauka mun bari. Amma ba ka sani ba—zan iya kasancewa daga dokina da garkuwata a sama, kuma zai iya soka min ido da…" in ji shi, ya yi shiru yana dariya mai raɗaɗi.
Duba hoto a cikin cikakken allo
'Bai zo mini ba na ɗan lokaci' … a kan mataki tare da Jagger a 1997. Hoton: Brian Rasic/Getty Images
A dā, wani ɓangare na matsalar shine sha'awar Jagger na zama na zamani yana cin karo da ƙaƙƙarfan al'adar abokin rubuta waƙoƙinsa. Ko da yake an rage shekarun Stones a dijital a cikin bidiyon kiɗan su na baya-bayan nan, kuma Jagger har yanzu yana "karkata" don yin aiki tare da taurarin pop na zamani yayin da yake rubuta rayuwarsa cikin farin ciki a Instagram, Richards ya "yi haƙuri da fasaha." Kuma game da al'adun shahararru, kar a fara shi: "Har ma jikokina," in ji shi cikin fushi, "ba su da wannan rashin sani." Yana baƙin ciki game da asarar kaset—"Idan ba don kaset ba, da babu 'Satisfaction,' domin na sami riff a cikin barci na, na danna rikodin, sannan washegari na sake kunna shi, kuma shine 'Satisfaction' a cikin wani tsari mara kyau"—kuma da alama ba zai iya faɗi kalmar "synthesisers" ba tare da ƙara "damn" a gabanta ba. Ba lallai ba ne a faɗi, an saita kiran bidiyon mu ta hanyar mataimaki. Richards ya ce dangantakarsa ta yau da kullun da fasaha ta kai ga "tukunyar lantarki kuma shi ke nan, aboki."
"Chuck Berry ya buge ni sau daya, a shekarun 60. Ina kallon guitar dinsa ne kuma ina shirin taba shi."
"Na tsaya ga tsoffin hanyoyi, kamar yadda mahaifina zai ce. Na ga rikodin sun tafi daga yin su a kan tef mai biyu da aka makala a bango, zuwa kwatsam takwas, sai 16, 24, sai dijital—kuma bai taimaki kiɗan ba ko kaɗan. Amma abu ne da kake rayuwa da shi. Da kaina, ina ganin duniya za ta fi kyau ba tare da damn wayar ba. AI tana kashe ni, ka sani. Ina jin tsoron makomar kiɗa? Ina jin tsoron makomar komai. Babu wanda ya san ainihin abin da take yi, don haka yanzu duk muna jira mu gani."
A gaskiya, Foreign Tongues yana yin kyakkyawan aiki na haɗa sha'awa biyu masu cin karo da juna a zuciyar Rolling Stones. A gefe guda, akwai waƙoƙi da suke jin kamar sake farawa na karni na 21 na Stones na zamanin disco daga "Miss You" da "Emotional Rescue," rufe waƙar Amy Winehouse "You Know I'm No Good," da kuma baƙon ba zato daga Robert Smith na Cure—wanda Richards ya yarda da rashin saninsa gaba ɗaya. "Yaya ya faru? Ban sani ba. Ban kasance a wurin ba. Andrew ya ce, 'Shin kana damuwa idan na saka wani?' Na ce, 'A'a, mutum, idan yanki ne da ake bukata, yi shi.' Don haka aka saka shi."
A gefe guda, yana da rufe waƙar Chuck Berry "Beautiful Delilah," wanda aka buga, kamar yadda Richards ya lura, "fiye da tsohuwar blues mai sauti, kamar an yi ta shekaru 30 ko 40 kafin Chuck ya yi ta." Wannan ya rufe kundi daidai inda Stones suka fara a 1963: waƙarsu ta farko ita ce rufe waƙar Berry "Come On," kuma Richards ya kullum ce Berry shine wahayinsa na farko.
"Akwai wani abu game da waɗannan rikodin na farko nasa," in ji shi. "Suna da sauƙi a kansu da kuma wani nau'in sophistication, musamman a cikin waƙoƙin, wanda kullum ya sa ni tunanin cewa rock'n'roll ba dole ba ne ya zama yadda kowa ya saba gani"—ma'ana ba shara ce kawai ga matasa ba. "Ina son yadda yake da dabi'a lokacin da yake wasa, yadda yake motsi—duk jikinsa ya zama ɓangare na guitar. Ya sa na mai da hankali ga abin da zai yiwu a gare ni a lokacin, wanda ya sa mahaifiyata ta saya min guitar lantarki. Na ji kawai alaƙa ta dabi'a da shi, ko da yake shi tsohon mai taurin kai ne." Ya yi dariya.
"Ya buge ni sau daya, shekaru da suka wuce, a shekarun 60, ina tsammanin. Muna cikin dakin tufafinsa, ina kallon guitar dinsa kuma ina shirin taba shi, sai ya ce, 'Babu wanda ya taba shi!' Kuma bam! Daidai ne, Chuck! Da zan yi haka. Ban taɓa yin haka ba, amma ban taɓa kama wani yana yin haka ba."
Kamar yadda rufe waƙar Muddy Waters "Rollin' Stone" a Hackney Diamonds, "Beautiful Delilah" ta zo a ƙarshen kundi—kamar wani a wani wuri yana tunanin wannan zai iya zama kundi na ƙarshe na ƙungiyar kuma yana so ya ƙare da kyau. Amma Richards bai yarda ba: "Ba zan ce da gangan aka yi ba."
Oh, zo, kun kasance a cikin Rolling Stones na shekaru 64. Dole ne ku yi tunani wani lokaci…
"Wannan zai iya zama lokaci na ƙarshe? Na rubuta wannan, aboki! A'a, ina tsammanin zai iya ratsa zuciyarka lokaci-lokaci—za ka zama wawa idan ba haka ba. Amma ba abu ne da kake tsayawa akai ba. Yanzu, na tsaya kan hanyata, kuma zan ga inda take."
Duk da haka, ya ce, yana yawan tunani game da abubuwan da suka gabata kwanan nan."Ba zato ba tsammani ka juya ka yi tunani, 'Christ, ina da shekaru 82.' Lokaci ne mai tsawo don dubawa. Amma yana da ban sha'awa, musamman yanzu tare da dukan abin jikokin kaka. Suna ba ka wani madubi don dubawa, yana nuna inda ka fito. Ban sani ba—wannan ne ake kira girma?" Ya sake yin dariya mai raɗaɗi. "Allah ya kiyaye," in ji shi. Foreign Tongues za a fitar a ranar 10 ga Yuli ta hanyar Polydor/Capitol.
Tambayoyi da Aka Yi Yawan Yi
Ga jerin tambayoyin da aka yi yawan yi bisa ga zance da mahallin da aka bayar wanda ya shafi rayuwar Keith Richards yana da shekaru 82, falsafarsa ta lafiya, da dangantakarsa da Mick Jagger.
Tambayoyi na Matakin Farko
1. Menene Keith Richards yake nufi da "sauraron jikina kafin ya fara kururuwa don neman taimako"?
Yana nufin ya koyi gane alamun gajiya ko ciwo da wuri kuma ya huta kafin ya yi rashin lafiya sosai ko ya ji rauni. Wannan darasi ne da aka samu da wuya bayan shekaru na tura jikinsa zuwa iyaka.
2. Shin Keith Richards yana da lafiya da gaske yana da shekaru 82?
E, abin mamaki haka ne. Ya yaba da barin magunguna masu ƙarfi, kasancewa mai aiki a kan mataki, da kuma wannan sabuwar hanyar "sauraron jikina." Har yanzu yana shan giya da shan taba amma ya yi hankali sosai don guje wa manyan matsalolin lafiya.
3. Shin Keith Richards har yanzu yana magana da Mick Jagger?
E, suna magana kuma suna aiki tare. Kishiyarsu ta shahara amma ta fi zama kamar tsoffin ma'aurata masu jayayya. Har yanzu suna yin kiɗa da yawon shakatawa tare da Rolling Stones.
4. Menene kishiyar da ke tsakanin Keith da Mick?
Yawanci ta shafi iko da girman kai. Keith yana tunanin Mick ya fi ɗan kasuwa kuma yana son zama shugaba. Mick yana tunanin Keith yana da hargitsi. Hakanan suna rashin jituwa kan jerin waƙoƙi da yawan yawon shakatawa.
5. Shin Keith Richards kakan kaka ne?
E. Yana da jikoki biyar da jikar kaka daya. Ya ce zama kakan kaka babban dalili ne na dalilin da ya sa yake son ci gaba da lafiya.
Tambayoyi na Matsakaicin Mataki
6. Yaya salon rayuwar Keith Richards ya canza daga shekarun da ya yi ta hauka zuwa yanzu?
Ya daina amfani da heroin da cocaine a shekarun 1980. Har yanzu yana shan jan giya da shan taba sigari amma ba ya yin liyafa duk dare. Yana ba da fifiko ga barci, yana cin abinci mai sauƙi, kuma yana yin hutu yayin yawon shakatawa maimakon ci gaba ba tsayawa.
7. Menene misali na musamman na sauraron jikinsa?
A cikin 'yan shekarun nan, ya soke ko jinkirta wasannin kide-kide lokacin da yake da mummunar mura ko ciwon baya. A cikin shekarunsa 20, da ya yi wasa da shi ta hanyar amfani da magunguna. Yanzu yana huta na kwana daya maimakon yin kasadar warkarwa na watanni uku.
