Pan Afrikan Peoples Arktet LP Release Party
Pan Afrikan Peoples Arktet LP Release Party
Fuasi Abdul-Khaliq (ts), Ghasem Batamuntu (ss), Regis Molina (as, fl), Joel Holmes (p), Charles Sammons (b), Mekala Session (dr), Nirankar Khalsa (perc)
African American Classical Music, Modern Jazz, Originals
Horace Tapscott and his approach are the condensation nucleus for this project. Tapscott brought the Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra to life in 1961 in Los Angeles. Sixty years later and right here in Berlin, we are building a contemporary project with a spiritual energy for the 21st century and the challenges we face today. Headed by Arkestra member Fuasi Abdul-Khaliq, the octet brings together the largest number of Tapscott´s disciples living abroad, including the current conductor of the Pan-Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, Mekala Sessions, direct from Los Angeles!
Fuasi Abdul-Khaliq
Composer, Arranger, and musician, Fuasi is the driving force and anchor behind the project. Fuasi began performing professionally in 1972 after graduating from college while during his post-graduate studies with the late great African-American pianist, Horace Tapscott and his institution called, „UGMAA“ (Union of God’s Musicians and Artist Ascension) in Los Angeles, California. This led to a lifetime relationship with Tapscott’s Pan-African People’s Arkestra („PAPA“), during which time he served as assistant conductor, arranger, composer, copyist, and player of saxophone, clarinet, and flute during his tenure. He has performed from coast to coast in the U.S. In 1992 he relocated to Berlin where he became well-known in the city’s music scene. During the last 30 years abroad in Germany, he as toured throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, the South Pacific as well as South and Central America. Fuasi’s career continues on. He is a leader of his own ensembles which include, Fuasi and Ensemble, The Ebony Big Band, Fuasi’s Latin Jazz Connection, the Horace Tapscott Tribute Ensemble, Fumatikelo, and The Jazz Crusaders Tribute Project & Beyond. He has shared the stage with such greats as Walter Bishop Jr., Jimmy Garrison, Sam Rivers, Benny Golson, Hal Singer, Rudy Stevenson, Ed Blackwell, Arthur Blythe, Joe Bowie, Sugar Blue, Abdu Salim, Dick de Graaf, Abraham Burton, Omar Sosa, Kelvin Sholar and Winard Harper to name a few
Regis Molina
Regis is a musician and composer from Havana and Berlin. Since the age of nine, when he began his classical training, his primary instrument has been the alto saxophone. Now a multi-instrumentalist, he plays the baritone saxophone, flute, clarinet and Afro-Cuban percussion as well. Based on Cuban traditional rhythms and Jazz, his playing style is flexible, with strong improvisation skills in any genre, be it World Music, Reggae, Hip-Hop, Soul or Pop. “My musical vision combines elements of many sacred musics of all world cultures. When I’m playing and composing I mix the flavour of different music traditions and melt them into other sounds and vibes.“ Molina is an energetic saxophonist and band-leader. With his bands he also is on a quest for the spiritual values within the music. In the Cuban culture music, dance and spirituality are interconnected to each other, principles that Molina translates to thru his music: ”You can´t really separate them from each other and I think about this in my playing and writing. I first learned how to dance rather than to play music, so I guess that’s why I love to have a sense of ’dancing’ in my body while I’m playing. It helps me to connect and interact more with other subtle elements in the music. Then I try to make them all sound like mine.“ His passion and dedication to music has seen him receive several awards as well as share the stage and the studio worldwide with several renowned musicians and bands, such as Ojos de Brujo, Aloe Blacc, Jimi Tenor, Tony Allen, Chucho Valdez, Stars of Buena Vista Social Club, Afrocuban Allstars, Helene Fischer and Samy DeLuxe
Ghasem Batamuntu
Los Angeles native Ghasem Batamuntu has a long history of musical collaborations and associations which include Jackie Mclean, Julius Hemphill, Sam Rivers, Bobby Hutcherson, Horace Tapscot, Eddie Henderson, Sonship Theus, Tootie Heath, Eddie Moore , Eddie Marshall, Rasul Siddik, David Murray, Omar Sosa, Pharoh Sanders, Archie Shepp, Sonny Simmons, Julian Priester to mention but a few. World stage performance credits include The InJazz Festival 2018 (nl), The North Sea Jazz Festival (nl), The Bimhuis (nl), Lantaren Venster(nl), The North Sea Jazz Festival Around Town (nl), Rotterdam Jazz Festival (nl), Womack Music Festival (sp), The Jewish International Festival of Art and Culture (Amman, Jordan), Jazz Club Minsk Belaruse, Berlin Performance Podiums, San Francisco Jazz Festival (Ca), Oakland Jazz Festival (ca), The San Jose Jazz Festival(Ca), The World Stage (Ca) and a wide variety of international clubs, theaters, radio broadcast.
Charles Sammons
Charles Sammons is an American instrumentalist, composer, and instructor world renowned for his innovative techniques and approach. Equally at home behind the double bass, electric bass, and cello, Sammons pushes the outer boundaries of the idiom and the instruments while retaining a firm footing in tradition. A consummate collaborator, Sammons has been featured on dozens of recordings from jazz through electronica, and rock through pop. As a performer and sideman, Sammons has played and toured with a host of the world’s most excellent artists including members of Parliament Funkadelic, and touring in support of the Indigo Girls. Ever inquisitive and curious, Sammons’ musical journey has visited vast terrain and he may be found performing Contrabass or Cello with an exciting variety of ensembles ranging broadly through classical, jazz, Americana, Latin, Caribbean, and a spectrum of genres. This endeavor has taken him to far corners of the globe where he has performed for stadium audiences and art enthusiasts including at “Documenta (13)” in Kassel, Germany where he recorded his current album in conjunction with a student residency. Currently, Sammons resides in Berlin where he contributes his unique voice to this hotbed of creativity.
Nirankar Khalsa
Nirankar Khalsa – drummer, percussionist and singer – is a native of Chicago, Illinois – coming from a family of African American musicians (Jazz, Blues, Gospel etc.) which traces back generations before the „known“ beginnings of Jazz. His first teacher and great inspiration is his father, William Henderson Jr., a professional drummer and percussionist (now retired). His family inspiration is shared by his brother William III (drummer, guitarist), Uncle Jake Johnson (Delta Blues man), Aunt Mary (Gospel pianist & singer), John McCorkle – formerly Johnson ( guitarist), and others. With the desire to continue this family tradition and honor to cultural legacy, Nirankar perceives this „connection“ with Gnawa tradition in rhythm with a natural progression, continuance, and expression of common shared roots, and a manifestation of world cultural solidarity, now and beyond. It’s also a „continuance“ of other great collaborations, such as in the works of the great Randy Weston and many others. Khalsa has performed with such artists as Horace Tapscott, Billy Higgins, Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Jeanne Lee and Juno Lewis.
Joel Holmes
Joel Holmes is a four-time Grammy-nominated concert pianist, composer, producer and arranger. Over the last 15 years, Joel has toured the world with Grammy-winning jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove, vocalist Nnenna Freelon, and saxophonist Javon Jackson who is an ex-Jazz Messenger with Art Blakey. He is currently in Detroit Techno’s Ambassador Carl Craig and his Synthesizer Ensemble. Joel has performed in such places as Italy, France, Taiwan, Japan,Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Greece, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Holland, England, Spain, Chile,Ecuador, Uruguay, Canada and his home country the USA. Joel Holmes has played with Curtis Fuller,Terrace Blanchard, Gary Thomas, Jimmy Cobb, Victor Lewis, Roberta Gambarini, Azar Lawrence, Tim Warfield, Greg Osby, Tim Green, Butch Warren, Reggie Workman, Cecil Mcbee and many more. With such a diverse educational and performing background, it is no surprise that his music blends so many styles and influences.
Mekala Session
Mekala Session is a drummer and musical polymath raised in the fold of the multi-generational Los Angeles jazz band The Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra. He now guides the outfit into the future while keeping the light of its founder Horace Tapscott shining bright. Mekala graduated in 2017 with a BFA from the California Institute of the Arts. He plays drums/percussion on albums with Zeroh, Qur’an Shaheed, Kenny Segal, Jamael Dean, and others.
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