The original lineup of ACIABLE began in 2006 when drummer John Skoczen casually mentioned to his guitarist friend BT that he'd always wanted to play Soukous music. BT responded that strangely enough, the soukous sound had been a favorite for a couple of decades.
Skoczen was already deeply into the African rhythms with his group BOKOSO! and so he drafted his wife Amy and keyborardist Pepe from that group. John next called upon bassist Jim and the core of ACIABLE was in place.
Several vocalists and a few extra instrumentalists came and went before singers Jean Claude and Leigh solidified the lineup and the band set about polisihing their sound before debuting in May of 2008. The band's mix of reggae and Afro-pop rhythms won the crowd over, and several shows followed over the coming months. With offers rolling in, the future looked bright for the band.
Unfortunately, it was all over too soon as the band played their last gig in December of that year. Personal issues sidetracked the band and John Skoczen opted to return to jazz while BT and Jim went off in other musicaal directions.
Jean Claude, Amy, Leigh, and Pepe vowed to keep the band going , and a new lineup of Aciable is in the works.
This page features recordings by the original lineup of the band, we hope you enjoy them and will come see the new band sometime!
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Jean-Claude Lessou - Band Leader/Vocals
Jean-Claude ("JC") was born and raised on dance in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He began dancing competitively and professionally at age 15, and performed with the Dante Theatre Company for five years before touring the U.S. as Principal Dancer with Ballet Jolem.
He regularly performs and teaches at dance camps and festivals throughout the U.S. He produced a special event for children at the Kennedy Center, performing masked dances from his own village. During the part 10 yeards, he taught at Lisangua Ya Bato Dance and Drum Camp in Woodstock, New York and worked with students and faculty at Goddard College, Saint Michael's College, Middlebury College and Norwich University in Vermont.
For the past three years, he has choreographed and taught classes at "Africa in the Ozarks" a West African dance camp in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Most recently, he was the choreographer for the Lannaya West African Drum and Dance Ensemble in Austin.
Amy Skoczen - Vocals/Percussion
Amy has been playing drums for several years with her husband John. Starting on djembe, she also plays djun djuns, bata, and congas. She is a member of Bokoso West African Drum Ensemble and has also played with Miss Vala Cupp in their duo Chicken Plate.
John Skoczen - Drums and Percussion
John Skoczen has an incredible passion for music. Not only is John the drummer for Aciable, John is also the percussionist for the Mosaic Latin Jazz group and the Cabo Bay latin jazz, as well as the leader of the Bokoso West African Drum Ensemble. John has a bachelor's degree in music education and performance. He has played throughout the caribbean for two years with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines where he met his wife Amy. John is in the process of publishing an instructional drum book, "Foot Coordination for the Conga Player."
ACL rocked, but there is NO time to rest... Art Outside starts Friday!
Featuring musicians like Wine and Revolution, Suzanna Choffel, Freq Nasty and 62 other acts across three stages, over 100 visual artists ranging from photographers to jewelry-designers, film shorts by Austin Underground Film Society, on-site yoga and acrobatic training, DIY craft demos, fashion show by Rene Geneva, fire dancing performances and much more, Art Outside is an unforgettable, full-sensory art adventure. Art Outside also makes a special effort to reach out to families, and will offer interactive earth-friendly projects, storytelling, and a variety of arts and crafts workshops for children at this year's event.
Since its inception in 2004, Art Outside presented this year by Art Seen Alliance has played a significant role in shaping Texas' vibrant art and music community. By moving creative works from inside gallery walls to an outdoor setting with open sky and wild environs, Art Outside challenges guests to rethink the way they view art, fostering an environment where no genre is off-limits, no medium left unexplored.
SITE INFORMATION:
Gates open Friday, October 9th at noon. All children 12 and under will receive free admission. In addition to camp ground privileges for full-weekend participants, Apache Pass offers RV parking and on-site shower facilities for guests, as well as music performance areas, a cantilevered stage over the San Gabriel river, and tents for participating artists and attendees.
Online Now!
