Yeshe - Biography

Multilingual singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Yeshe is a world nomad and has lived in over 20 countries embedding himself in their music and culture. His family of friends span the globe and he feels a profound personal allegiance to all of these people and their cultures.

Born in West Germany, Yeshe was passionately interested in other cultures, especially Africa, from early childhood. Until the age of 12 his musical taste was strongly influenced by his older brother's love of artists such as James Brown, Bob Marley, Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix.

As a young teenager Yeshe became involved in the flourishing 70s African music scene. By the age of 14 Yeshe was performing with a variety of percussion ensembles guided by his mentors Rolf Exler and world renowned Ghanaian master drummer Mustapha Tetty Addy.

By the age of 17 Yeshe hit the road as a drummer, percussionist and bass player with a variety of bands, playing a wide range of styles including Reggae, Funk, Blues, Latin and South African Jive. He also frequently accompanied African dancers and dance troupes. Yeshe While spending his winters in different West African countries, furthering his musical studies, he toured extensively through Europe from spring to autumn. During this time Yeshe met and worked in a variety of ensembles with his next mentor Tefo Hlaele of the South African performance troupe Iphi Nthombi

In the early 80s Yeshe met Canadian lapslide legend, singer, songwriter Harry Manx who remains a powerful influence and great friend to this day. They have worked together frequently and still do so. In 1985 Yeshe left Europe to explore Asia and its music. He spent 5 years living in Japan where he worked as a session musician for a variety of Japanese and international artists while also teaching percussion. During this time he travelled throughout Asia to study different percussion styles and was fortunate to be invited to study with the Peliatan Gamelan Orchestra (Bali), the Kodo Drummers of Sado Island (Japan) and Samul Nori of Korea amongst others.

From the early 90s Yeshe has been based in Australia, playing and touring with numerous bands there and internationally. Currently Yeshe tours with Harry Manx, U.S./Mozambique based Afro Funk band Panjea, Didgeridoo virtuoso Ganga Giri (Real World recording artist), his own band World CitiZEN as well as building his own solo career. His festival favourites include Parihaka (New Zealand), Glastonbury (England), Sziget (Hungary) and Woodford (Australia).

Yeshe also fondly remembers his 3 year experience as percussionist / featured performance artist with the Australian chart topping teen pop band Girlfriend in the early 90s which included touring in China in 1993 to massive audiences as one of the first western pop bands allowed there for many years.

Yeshe continues to teach dynamic percussion workshops to share his love of the music that is such a big part of his life and through his own studies in Africa became involved in establishing cultural centres in Ghana and Zimbabwe to which he took westerners to study African drumming, dance and culture.

In 1996, while touring in the U.S. Yeshe met singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Chris Berry and started an ongoing love affair with the traditional Shona (Zimbabwe) instrument the mbira. Soon after he travelled to Zimbabwe on his first of many journeys to further his studies of the mbira. He played there with the Harare based Marimbira Black Sounds and met his teacher and new mentor, mbira virtuoso Garikayi Tirikoti with whom he extensively travelled around the countryside to perform together at numerous traditional mbira ceremonies. Yeshe has since co-produced and recorded 2 of Garikayi's mbira CDs.

Yeshe has been recorded on 20 or more different albums with as many different artists around the world. His own solo career as a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist started to take off in 2003 with the release of his first solo EP Offspring co-produced by Harry Manx. Later they also co- produced his first solo and multi award winning CD World Citizen with Canadian label Dog my Cat Records .

His new album titled Yeshe and the World CitiZEN Collective : EYE 4 EYE is due for it.s release in late 2008 and includes guest appearances by Harry Manx, Ganga Giri, Tefo Hlaele, Siaka Diarra as well as many other talented musicians from around the globe.

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