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Alain Samba

TENOR/SOPRANO SAX PLAYER, COMPOSER AND PERCUSSIONIST.HE WAS BORN AND RAISED IN POINTE NOIRE (CONGO BRAZZAVILLE). HIS MUSIC IS A MIX OF MODERN JAZZ, TRADITIONAL AFRICAN MUSIC SUCH AS POLYPHONIES AND POLYRHYTHMS. HE IS LOOKING FOR CONTACTS EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND MEET EVERY KIND OF PEOPLE!

ALAIN SAMBA/

Alain Samba is a saxophone player, composer and percussionist. He early began to play different kinds of percussions in his native region such as sanza (kalimba), kikongui, marimba and drums. He was influenced by listening to both african and european music. At the age of 8 he moved to France where he studied saxophone and harmony at the American School of Modern Music in Paris. Tenor saxophone and soprano saxophone are his main instruments. His music is inspired mostly by jazz ("Duke" Ellington, John Coltrane, Charles Parker, Wes Montgomery, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and Wayne Shorter) and the music of his native region of Congo such as bantous’ music, lari , téké , mbochi and of course the pygmies polyrhythms and polyphonies. He defines his music as a weaving.

He has recorded 2 cd's: "The African Trilogy"(1999) and "The Two Seasons"(2006). He played with musicians such as Cheikh Tidiane Seck (organ), Steve Mc Craven (drums) and Tony Allen (drums).

Since the 90's he performes in Paris clubs, in France and all around Europe, and at the great and important cultural exposition at Paris Town Hall in June 2005 he promoted congolese art musically by being the composer of the music of this event patronaged by the great Papa Wemba and where famous and important painters and sculptors exhibited their unique artworks of the region of Congo.

Since one year back he has created the Art Ensemble of Africa. As an african artist and citizen of the world he wants to take part of the struggle of world citizenship with the same love of music and sharing.

Since several months, installed in Stockholm, he teaches saxophone, harmony and polyrhythms and he had already played with great musicians based in Sweden such as Rene Martinez ( Puerto Rico), Celso Paco ( Mozambique), Pepe Espinosa ( Cuba ), Tropicana se, Marianne Fuglevaag, Igor Boyko, Carlos Amado ( Sao Tome), Simone Moreno ( Brazil), Eduardo Velasquez ( Cuba), Felipes Robles ( Chile), Mary Ndiaye, Max Schultz, Marianne Fuglevaag, Derrick Walker (USA), Emilio Estrada (Cuba), Jorge Arruda (Brazil) and more.

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Primary Instrument

Saxophone

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