Music in the Park Series - Global Percussion Ensemble

The Global Percussion Ensemble is a group of esteemed musicians trained in various world percussion and musical traditions from Cuba, Haiti, Iran, North India and South India.

• Josh Feinberg is one of the most original and dynamic young sitar players of his generation. As a Jewish-American Hindustani artist, Josh is a self-described “musical immigrant,” in the field of Indian classical music. Originally a Western Classical and Jazz bassist, Josh learned sitar under Maestro Ali Akbar Khan.
• Pezhham Akhavass is an accomplished percussionist, multi-instrumentalist, educator, music director, producer, Voting Member of the Recording Academy (GRAMMYS), and instructor known for his mastery of the tombak (Persian goblet drum), and daf (Persian frame drum) which he learned from the age of five.
• Jim Santi Owen is an American percussionist, educator, producer, and performer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Drumming since the age of eight Jim Santi Owen is an exponent of many percussion instruments including tabla which he has been learning from Padma Bhushan Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri for more than 34 years.
• Jeff Pierre grew up in Haiti surrounded by traditional drumming, dance and singing. Jeff has a unique and fresh style of traditional Haitian drumming and singing. His work has been featured in films, Tv shows and documentaries. Jeff’s goal is to present the magic of his culture in a new and elevated light and give people a beautiful experience that they can take with them through life.
• Sekhar Sarukkai studied Mridangam under late vidwan T.A.S. Mani at the Karnataka College of Percussion in Bangalore from the age of 8. Sekhar plays several Indian percussion instruments including Mridangam, Kanjira, khol, khol and Ghatam.
• Javier Navarrette is a professional percussionist, musician, composer, arranger and educator living in Oakland, California, specializing in Afro-Caribbean music. Javier’s performance and recording career spans over three decades accompanying many great jazz legends and Aretha Franklin. Javier has recorded on three Grammy-nominated albums with John Santos and the Machete Ensemble/Folklorico Kindembo.

Host or Publisher Swara Lahari