Ronan Skillen - Tabla, didgeridoo and percussion

Ronan’s musical career started age ten with seven years of classical French horn training in Germany. He was then introduced to the Australian Didgeridoo by master drummer, Emmanuel Gomado from Ghana which sparked many new avenues and collaborations. After much self teaching and musical travels Ronan was fortunate to meet a great Tabla maestro. Having been passionate about percussion and always keen on the Tabla this new chapter couldn’t have come too soon. Ronan began playing Tabla in 2002. His teacher, Ustad Akram Khan is India’s master of a very rich and intricately technical north Indian style known as the Ajarara Gharana. As a disciple continuous learning is the focus and Ronan regularly visits India to further his studies. Major influences like Shakti and Trilok Gurtu have led to exploring a fusion of tabla, percussion and didgeridoo within one context by means of a hybrid percussion kit designed by Ronan. This has become part of his permanent set-up and demonstrates a rich textural variety as well as an intriguing versatility. Ronan has performed in S.A., Europe and India and has featured on many recordings and film scores. He currently lives in Cape Town S.A.

 Kesivan Naidoo - Drums and cymbals

Born: 25 June 1979, East London, South Africa

Stared playing Drum set age 10

Attended Hudson Park High School, where music was a major subject, and was principal percussionist both the Orchestra and the Big
Bands(1992 -1996). In 1993 The Orchestra was invited to a tour of Europe the tour took us through Germany, France and England.

Made first professional debut at the Hoggsback jazz festival 1994 with the Webster jazz quintet.

Made the National Youth Jazz Orchestra 1995, 1999 and 2000. The 1999 group due to the high level of players was invited to tour New York

1997 Enrolled at the University of Cape Town. 2000 completed B.Mus (Performance and Composition) 2002 completed B.Mus.(hon)Performance and Composition First Class

1999 One of the few South Africans to perform with the Kennedy Centre Jazz Ambassadors (A touring group from  New York City).

Winner of the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition (1999)
Winner of  the U.C.T Honers counsel scholarship (2002)

Member of  TRIBE, an internationally acclaimed jazz quartet (2000 - present) who have performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival (Holland), Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2002 as well as the Swedish Jazz Celebration (Stockholm)
Founding member of GOLLIWOG. Funk Masters of Cape Town
Member of Closet Snare Progressive electro Jazz project 

Performed and toured with many of South Africa's leading jazz  musicians including:
Bheki Mseleku, Miriam Makeba, Zim Ngqawana, Feya Faku, Selelo Selota, Judith Sepumba, Errol Dyers, Hotep Galeta, Steve Newman, Bruce Cassidy, Carlo Mombelli, Winston Mankunku and the list goes on.

Selected Recordings:

Tribe - Our Language
Jimmi Dludlu - Afrocentric
Miriam Makeba - Reflections
Marcus Wyatt - Africans in Space
Zim Ngqawana - Vadzimu
Feya Faku - Tacet 

Musical composer for "The Devil Breaks my Heart" part of the democracy 10 documentaries for S.A.B.C
Composed a number of  musical pieces for student  films in South Africa.
Studied Indian music informally  with Prof. Sanjoy Banbopadhyay
Given workshops on performance at many universities in South Africa and was invited to be a lecturer at the Ghramstown Youth Jazz Festival 2003 and 2004 (the youngest person get this post).
On the selection board for the National youth Jazz Band (2006)
Toured Switzerland and Germany (February 2007) with Beat Bag Bohemia (International Drum Quartet)
Played at Leipzig Jazz Festival Germany October 2007

Current Projects:
Closet Snare
Babu
Restless Natives
Feya Faku Quintet
Tribe
For more details contact Kesivan on
Cell: 073 169 0854

 Reza Khota - Guitar 

Reza Khota was born in Johannesburg in 1977 and was introduced to the guitar by his father. He began his formal training with Jeremy Karodia at the age of ten, studying rock and classical guitar as well as chord theory. He later studied classical guitar and improvisation with Faizel Boorany, who fired his enthusiasm for experimental jazz, the classical avant-garde and progressive guitar music. After enrolling for his B.mus degree at Wits University, he furthered his classical guitar studies under David Hewitt. Reza has since received master-classes from Norwegian guitarist Vegard Lund and the Austrian crossover guitarist/composer Helmut Jasbar. He has been a recipient of several important awards, including the Samro General Music Bursary in 1997 and Samro Composition Bursary in 1998. In 1997, he received the Norman Nossel Prize for the most promising student at the Wits music school. In 1998 Reza was awarded first prize in the National Classical Guitar Competition adjudicated amongst others by the renown Czech guitarist/composer Stepan Rak. He also received master-classes from the maestro during his visit to South Africa. In addition to completing his B.mus degree with a distinction in performance, he also holds a Performers Certificate with distinction from the Trinity College of Music. Reza now holds a masters degree with distinction from Wits University. Reza performs regularly on the professional South African stage both as a solo artist and in a variety of ensembles. These include:

Jazz bands from duets to larger ensembles, performances at concerts as well as corporate functions. Performs in the big band: Swing Ting. Has recently formed a jazz guitar duo with Bruce Muirhead exploring the myriad of textural and dynamic possibilities between two guitars. A variety of other ensemble combinations with cutting edge players on the local scene. 

African jazz bands, including performances with top South African percussionist, Tlale Makhene at the Bassline Jazz Club and in La Rochelle, France 2004. Recent performances include the Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2006 and Arts Alive Festival 2006. The band recently appeared on the set of “Survivor” Africa and South Africa.

Babu: A collaboration of virtuoso instrumentalsits. This quartet features Reza on guitar, Kesivan Naidoo on drum kit, Ronan Skillen on Tabla and Shane Cooper on Bass. The band plays original compositions based on Indian Classical Ragas and Talas. Has recently performed to great acclaim in Cape Town. Review online by Vicky: http://www.armchairtheatre.co.za/review.asp?id=63

Performances in South Africa, Italy and Zambia as a solo Classical Guitarist. Collaborations with other accomplished classical musicians such as Helen Vosloo, Jonathan Crossley, JMI String Orchestra, Derek Gripper, Kutlwano Masote and recently in a classical guitar duo with James Grace.

A Duo with Tabla prodigy Ronan Skillen playing, Indian Classical music and original compositions in the style.

 Shane Cooper - Bass

Born in 1985 in Port Elizabeth, now based in Cape Town, ZA. An electric and double bass player, composer and producer. Shane is also known for his work as a member of the Restless Natives, Closet Snare, The Kyle Shepherd Group, Zim Ngqawana's Zimology Quartet, Darkroom Collective, as well as Dave Ledbetter & The Clearing. He is also known for his collaborations with Fly Paper Jet, Ginsburg & Herman, Ernestine Deane (of Moodphase 5ive), Plan Be, and the Bokani Dyer Group.  His electronic music is performed and released under the name Card On Spokes - click here to checkout his website. The debut Card On Spokes EP called 'In You Go' is due for release at the end of October 2011.  You can also hear some of the other groups he works with here.

It is with some of these groups that Shane has travelled to perform in and around South Africa, India, USA, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, Slovenia, France, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, and Namibia.

Shane does specialised sound design and music production for websites, television and film.

Shane was also a co-composer for the award winning stage production Afrikaaps, produced by The Glasshouse, Amsterdam & The Baxter Theatre Centre, Cape Town and directed by Catherine Henegan.

In 2010 he composed the original score to the documentary Forerunners by director Simon Wood (Salt Peter Productions).  The film premiered in 2011 in Cannes at the Pan African Film Festival, and in Cape Town in 2011 at the Encounters Film Festival.

Shane is currently producing two different albums (news on these soon), and is about to start scoring two new films.  He is also gigging around South Africa with various projects, and giving private lessons as well.

New releases featuring Shane that are set for release in 2011:

Kyle Shepherd's 3rd album

Afrikaaps album (music from the Theatre Production)

Selected Discography:

Babu - Up Roots (2008)

Rus Nerwich - Under The Poetree (2008)

Tribal Need - Electro Nomad (2008)

Jazzing and Jiving/The Cape Town Sessions (2009)

Babu - Songs For A Film (2010)

Bokani Dyer - Mirrors (2010)

Ginsburg & Herman - 3 songs (2010)

Dan Shout - Greetings & Salutations (2010)

Kyle Shepherd Trio - A Portrait Of Home (2010)

Card On Spokes - live at Red Bull Studios Cape Town (2010)

Card On Spokes - In You Go [EP] (2011 - African Dope Publishing)

Bokani Dyer - Emancipate The Story (2011)