Buddha, Ravi Shankar, early Pink Floyd (and lots of early european prog rock bands like Soft Machine and Gong), Airto Moreira, Candomble and Santeria Music, Mother Nature, Baba Olatunji, Eric Bibb, Michael Franti, Trilok Gurtu, Hafiz, Adama Drame, Tagore, Gurdjieff, Castaneda, my wonderful mother Cholita, my kids, early Pat Metheny, Love in all it's mysterious forms, John Coltrane, my beloved Candombe, Steve Reich, Hozan Yamamoto, my Sensei John Kaizan Neptune, my Guru Trichi Shankaran, el Troesma Carlos Gardel, of course The Beatles.
Sounds Like
Acoustic Trance. Spirit into Music, Organic Grooves and Archetypal Dreamscapes.
Music for dancing, meditating, making love or deep listening.
No electronics or loops... just wood, metal, skin and bamboo.
Deeply rooted in Tradition but moving into the Future.
Pepe is available for Corporate work, Drum Circle Facilitation, School Shows, and working with Teachers in the School System.
He can offer Workshops and Private Instruction in African Drumming, Latin Drumming, Brazilian Samba, Healing Sound, Shamanic Drumming and Afro Latin Chanting.
Pepe can perform Solo, with his band Drum Prayers, Trio setting, or in large ensembles assembled for specific events, including Dancers.
The performances can be adapted for Festivals, Concert Halls, School Shows or Dance Events.
Pepe is also an award nominated composer for events, film, dance and theater. He is in the process of authoring a book on Rhythm and Drumming. He runs a studio from his home in Vancouver where he has already produced an album by drummer/composer Kocasalle Dioubate from Guinea and his own upcoming albums "Serious Trance Mission" (drumming) and "Closer to Silence" (meditation and healing).
Pepe is also available as a Producer, World Music Consultant and Lecturer.
Joseph 'Pepe' Danza is an electrifying percussionist and multi- instrumentalist. A native of Montevideo, Uruguay, he began classical guitar studies at age eight, and started his professional career at thirteen. He continued his studies in guitar as well as in piano, composition, music history and the physics of sound at the National Conservatory. All along he was naturally immersed in his native Candombe rhythms, the national groove of Uruguay and a fundamental element in the identity of all Uruguayans.
Pepe developed an early keen interest in world music and different expressions of spirituality which led him to spend three years in Japan studying Shakuhachi and Buddhism, another two years in India and Sri Lanka for Indian music, Yoga and Tibetan Buddhism, Brazil for studies in Afro-Brazilian practices, Samba and Bossa Nova music, and shorter periods in Indonesia (studying gamelan), Korea and the Philippines. He also has lived several years in Europe and the USA, performing and recording Latin, Jazz and Contemporary music with a number of local ensembles and studying systems such as Sufism and the Gurdjieff Work.
Moving to Canada in 1989 he specialized in the study of world percussion while quickly establishing himself as one of the foremost drummers and band leaders on the West Coast. His credits include performances with South Indian master drummer Trichy Shankaran and percussion virtuoso Glen Velez, singers Ann Mortifee and Christine Ducan, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Choir, and concert tours throughout Europe, Asia and New Zealand. In his extensive touring he has shared the stage with the likes of Ani DiFranco, Oscar Lopez, the Dalai Lama, Jane Sibery and David Lindley. Pepe is the leader of his own groups: Drum Prayers, a multi-cultural drumming ensemble, and the recently formed Roots/Blues group The Blues Poets. He has been featured for several years at the Seattle World Rhythm Festival as headline performer and workshop leader.
As a teacher Pepe has been working with Vancouver's School Board, teaching Samba music to children of all ages. He also conducts group and private percussion lessons for adults at home, and travels across British Columbia giving two or three day intensive workshops.
Pepe is also an active studio musician, composer, arranger, producer and Musical Director, presently working and touring with jazz-funk supergroup Soulstream, as well as with his world music group JouTou, the Vancouver Intercultural Orchestra, First Nations choral group M’Girl , and Latin/Pop group Pacifika. For four years he was Artistic Director for the Vancouver Sacred Music Festival. He has received countless award nominations including Musician of the Year in 1999 (West Coast Music Awards), Juno for his work with Asza, Leo awards for his work in film music, and Jessie awards for his theater scores.
hi Pepe, I just finished my new cd and I have a few tracks up on my myspace page. The cd features several special guests including Gordy Ryan, Bill Matthews, Tor Dietrichson, and Judy Piazza. Check out the tracks and see what you think.
happy father's day my space brother. i'm going to baltimore to hang with the muffins before they take of to france to play at rio (rock in opposition).
Thanks for the add. It's STARBELLY JAM MUSIC FEST'S 10th anniversary this year! July 18-19, 2009. Crawford Bay, BC, Canada. Online early-bird tickets available now & ticket hotline open. THANKS FOR SUPPORTING OUR FEST WITH YOUR PERFORMANCE IN 2005! PEACE
Thanks for the add, it was a pleasure to be in your workshop at the Seattle Rhythm Festival and to watch you play on stage. You are truely a great drummer.
Hola amigo/a como estas? Antes que nada quiero agradecerte por todo el apoyo que me brindastes en este 2008.
Ya se acerca el 2009 y seguro que se viene con muchos cambios en tu vida: A lo mejor vas a cambiar de automovil, de casa,
de ropa, de zapatos, de look, de trabajo; pero hay algo que seguro nunca vas a cambiar y eso son los amigos.
Es por eso que en La Diosa este Sabado 27 de Diciembre nos juntamos todos los amigos para despedir el año a lo grande en lo que llamamos "La mejor noche del año", un exito que se repite por cuarta vez consecutiva. Por ultimo quiero pedirte que me respondas a este mensaje con un comment confirmandome tu presencia asi el resto de mis 50 mil contactos en myspace se animan a unirse a nuestro festejo.
El Miercoles 31 de Diciembre festejas con tu familia!
El Sabado 27 de Diciembre festejas con todos tus amigos en La Diosa!!
!!FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!! - !!BIENVENIDO 2009!!
Online Now!
Cosmic Tara Blessings
OM Carol
a
