Adam Solomon & Tikisa

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Emmanuel (Fulani) Mutsune - Vocals

 

Born in Nairobi, Kenya to a family with a musical background, Fulani began rapping in school in 1991, and played and sang in the church choir.  He performs solo and with other African hip-hop groups in Kenya.   "Fulani" represents a paradox, which can mean "specific" or "undefined" in Swahili. He's currently working in the studio on his first Afrofusion-style CD (and has collaborated with Adam Solomon on some of the tracks).  The album combines elements of soukous, tarab, R&B, benga and hip-hop.  Fulani is a composer and singer, along with playing the drums, percussion and keyboard.  His influences include Youssou N'Dour, Stevie Wonder, Alpha Blondy, Wyclef Jean, Take 6 and Bob Marley.

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Suleiman Juma - Keyboards, Vocals

Together with his brothers, they formed the Mombasa Roots Band in 1976.  In the early 80s they toured Switzerland and Germany whileat the same time promoting tourism for their Kenyan coastal home.  In the late 90s Juma recorded and produced their successful CD "Lele Mama" which spotlights the chakacha beat.  He performed with his band for 2 years in Dubai and Oman.  While in Oman, Juma performed with French Zairian musician Papa Wemba, which was a great  experience for him. Currently when not performing with Tikisa,
Juma does solo piano performances.  He wishes to continue to compose, perform and produce African music, especially chakacha beat and Afro-Jazz together.  With 30 years in music, Juma hopes to share my musical experience here in Canada.

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Walter MacLean - Drumkit, Percussion

Walter MacLean was born in Cologne, Germany,  has lived in Ghana, West Africa and Germany.  He started playing drums at the age of eleven. He toured in Europe and performed with bands such as The Black Gospel Pearls band, Oloye, a Brazilian band, and Bubba Jammeh band. He came to Canada in 1995 and has performed with Ballet Creole, The AfroNubians band led by Tariq Abubakar.  He performs with Adam Solomon and Tikisa band. He has collaborated in recordings with Michael Brecker, The AfroNubians band, and Tikisa band. Walter is an expert in many styles and rhythms from Africa and the west.

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Nancy Barrett - Hand Percussion, Vocals

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Nancy came from a musically-inclined family and discovered a passion for hand percussion as an adult.  She has studied traditional West African rhythms and plays the djembe, djunduns, bougarabou, and other percussion instruments including shekere (shaker), clave, cabasa, and cowbell.  She is working on mastering more percussion instruments.

Nancy counts Mamady Keita (master drummer) and Giovanni Hidalgo (master conguero) amongst her inspirations, and has a love for traditional as well as more contemporary African sounds such as soukous, zouk, and  highlife. 

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Colin Campbell -- Bass and Rhythm Guitar

For over twenty years, Colin is born and raised in Toronto and has played guitar and bass with numerous artists in a diverse range of styles, including jazz, classical, funk, rock, bossa nova, samba, salsa, and soukous.

Colin has played with many African musicians and singers in Toronto, including Ugandan singer, Achilla Orru, South African-style group, Siyakha, and the late Mozambican band leader and bassist, Jamisse Jamo.

Colin is cofounder along with his wife, Guiomar, of Brazilian-style band, Parabolica and has also played with many musicians from Toronto’s Brazilian community as well as visiting musicians from Brazil. He has also played with Rick Lazar and Samba Squad and recorded on their self titled first CD.  

 He has performed in numerous ensembles large  and small, with talented artists such as Bill McBirnie, Michael Occhipinti, Eliana Cuevas, Amanda Martinez, Robert Michaels, and New York trombonist, Ray Anderson.

Colin has a degree in both music and education from York University, and is a certified teacher and academic tutor, as well as a music workshop leader.

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David MacLean -- Lead & Rhythm Guitar 

David is 15 years old and is the son of Walter, our drummer/percussionist.
He began playing the guitar 4 years ago and has had music lessons in guitar, piano, bass and trumpet.  David took dance and drumming classes at Ballet Creole for a year and has played with Fojeba and also performs with the Rosedale School of Arts band. He likes a variety of music like Linkin Park, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa etc.  Father and son often jam together.

 

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Guest Artist: Kofi Ackah:  Hand Percussion, Vocals

 

Kofi Ackah was born in Ghana, and exposed to music from a very early age as the son of Jewel Ackah, the famous Ghanian highlife performer. Kofi got his start playing with his father's band, touring through Ghana, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, before moving to Canada and joining the Highlife Stars in 1992. Since then, he has played with numerous bands and musicians, including the Afronubians, as well as with Alpha YaYa Diallo, Tikisa, and the African Guitar Summit.  He has also played as a percussionist and drummer on many recordings, the highlight being CBC Records' "African Guitar Summit". He has also released his own CD, "I'm Ready".

 

In addition to working as a musician, Kofi is a producer at Cool Stuff Studio in Toronto.  He also teaches classes in West African drumming. 

 

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Guest Artists:  Jaivah (formerly Nouvel Expose)

Jaivah (formerly Nouvel Exposé Dance Troupe) is a Toronto-based dance company specializing in traditional and contemporary dance from Ethiopia, Congo, South Africa and Egypt. Its artistic mission:  It aims to expose new audiences to dance styles whose beauty has for too long gone unseen or unappreciated among many.

 

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Guest Artist:  Naby Camara--Balafon

 

From the village of Kanteli in the coastal region of Guinea, West Africa, comes the master balafon player Naby Camara. Born into the griot tradition, Naby's musical journey took him into the griot lands of West Africa during his formative years. After studying extensively with his master Amadou Dioubate, Naby journeyed into Mali, Gambia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Cote d'Ivoire absorbing musical traditions to broaden and to diversify his musical as well as his personal knowledge. Several years later Naby returned to Guinea as an accomplished and well-traveled musician armed with a wide repertoire of griot music and incomparable experience on intricate complexities of the balafon. Naby performed with such groups as Les Ballets Africains de Guinee and Mande Yagha. 

His innovative balafon playing shows a continuous plan the new and old, modern and traditional music. He is also the two-time winner of Canada 's Juno Award for best Global Album of the Year, with the group Takaja in 1995, and for his playing on the top-selling African Guitar Summit album in 2004.  Naby currently makes his home in Seattle, Washington, where he performs with his group Lagni Sussu (loosely translated as black and white people living together). (Featured on album "Tree of Life")

 

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Guest Artist:  Muhtadi--Djembe Drum

Muhtadi has been performing professionally for over 30 years, both nationally and internationally, as well as devoting much time to community arts programs in schools and community centres. Trinidad-born, he immigrated to Canada in 1974.  In 2000, he founded the Muhtadi International Drumming Festival and has been artistic director from its inception.   As one of Canada’s premier percussionists, Muhtadi plays djembe, bongos, congas, timbales, steel pan, and a wide assortment of other percussion instruments. 

He has worked with such renowned performers as Mary Wilson from The Supremes; award-winning percussionist and composer Ralph MacDonald (’Where Is The Love”, “Mister Magic”); calypsonians Lord Kitchener, Duke, Sparrow, Super Blue and Baron; and many more. 

The International Drumming Festival has completed six successful years  supported by a community members, groups, and organizations with whom Muhtadi has collaborated in a variety of year-round, community-based activities and performances.  (Featured on album "Roots Rhythms")

 

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