Jah Breeze

Artist Bio:

Jah Breeze is a Rastafarian name meaning God's Breath.

He is an international musician and percussionist from Guyana, the only English speaking country in South America. A solo and group performer with experience on drums and other instruments, he grew up with African music and has traveled to other continents to perform and study. His teachers are world renowned master drummers from West Africa, including Babatunde Olatunji, a Nigerian Yoruba priest known for his "Drums of Passion," and Mamady Keita and Mamady (Wadaba) Kourouma of Guinea, both versed in the Malinke traditions and students of the legendary djembe master drummer, Famadou Konate.

Jah Breeze received a Service to Education Award from Seattle Community College District in recognition of 5 years of dedication to teaching. He served on the board of directors for ArtsCorps, a nonprofit arts education organization. He has directed African Drum Ensembles including the Arts Corps African Drum Ensemble, and taught African drum workshops for numerous local youth organizations including the Seattle International Children Festival.  He has performed with the Seattle Dance Company and served as the Percussion Director for the 2003 MAAFA Performance produced by the Sankofa Theatre, a Pan African Saga about the legacies of the Middle Passage Experience.  Jah Breeze has been an IslandWood A.I.R. for 6 years.