Ramon Alexander Asian Trio

RAMON ALEXANDER ASIAN TRIO
featuring Barry Likumahuwa on bass and Lewis Pragasam on drums

Ramon Alexander confesses that he “didn’t grow up in jazz”. Rather, the Mamre-born pianist and composer spent his first decade filling his ears with the brassy sounds of Moravian hymns and the surviving legacy of Khoi music in the community around the historic mission station. He has been playing piano since the age of ten and is classically trained. At the age of 15 he started playing his 1st gig as a lounge pianist. After he matriculated in 1997, he received his first jazz training under the supervision of Merton Barrow at the Jazz Workshop. Ramon has performed and recorded with numerous artists in a variety of genres. Notable collaborations include Ibrahim Khalil Shihab, Robbie Jansen, Tony Cedras, Spencer Mbadu, Schalk Joubert, Mac McKenzie Goema Orchestra, Errol Dyers, McCoy Mrubata and more.

“Ramon Alexander is a breath of fresh air, he takes you on a musical journey creating a landscape of rhythmic interplay that showcases his legacy and heritage” ~ Jai-jai Jackson of The Jazz Network Worldwide

website: www.ramonalexander.co.za

Barry Likumahuwa is a bass player from Jakarta, Indonesia. The son of a bossa nova singer and a jazz musician, Barry took to music at a young age. Currently, he is the leader of BLP, a contemporary jazz group incorporating hip-hop and traditional West Javanese, Moluccan & Balinese influences. BLP’s music addresses issues of identity, unity and other social issues facing Indonesia. He has performed at major festivals in Indonesia, such as the Java Jazz Festival, as well as international festivals, including the Taichung Jazz Festival and Vienna Jazz Festival, and renowned clubs such as No Black Tie in Kuala Lumpur and the Blue Note in Tokyo. In addition to being a sought-after bass player, Barry has produced and engineered numerous albums for up-and-coming Indonesian artists in his community.

Lewis Paragasam is one of the most highly-regarded musicians to emerge from Asia and has garnered international acclaim as one of Asia’s leading percussionists and an innovator of new trends in world music. Lewis is the founder and moving spirit of the pioneering Asiabeat project, which started in 1979, whose recordings and performances are now legendary in the merging of Asian and Western musical styles. He has toured, performed and/or recorded with many internationally renowned artistes such as Paul Jackson, Tony Levin, Andy Sheppard, and has performed at major festivals around the world including a Royal Command Performance for HRH The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles (Prince Trust Concert) in Edinburgh.