I am a London (UK) based drummer/percussionist. What I love about drums is the challenge of combining the animal and the intellectual aspects of it. I love the physicality of playing-the sweating and the pounding of the drums but I’m also drawn to the intellectual side of exploring rhythm in a complex manner.

Throughout my drumming career I had the privilege to play with the likes of Roy Ayers, David Bowie, Terry Bozzio, Mofro, Jimmy Somerville, Zucchero, S Club 7, and Emma Bunton (Baby Spice/Spice Girls). I was also invited to join the infamous African Jazz All-Stars and Master Drummers of Africa which gave me exposure to some of Africa’s most beloved talent.

With my fusion band Siemy di System we won the ‘Best Live Band Award’ for the Classic Rock Society (UK) in 2004. We also performed at Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank, London (UK) in 2006 supporting Tony Allen. Since 2012 I have also been performing with a gothic-pop band, Mothlite  (Kscope, Visible Noise).

My fascination with rhythm and culture shaped my musical education as I journeyed through the roots of jazz, latin, rock and African music. To broaden my cultural depth and musical knowledge, I studied Western Classical Music at the Conservatoire de Musique de Tournai (Belgium). Most recently I graduated from Bhavan Institute of Indian Music and Art (UK) with a diploma in carnatic rhythm/Indian classical music (instrument: mridangam) under the guidance of the mridangam maestro, sri M Balachandar. I love the challenge of translating carnatic rhythm into a western instrument!

I have a passion for 4 way coordination as it's closest to the polyphonic aspect of music, which I love. Recently I was invited to play and teach at Drum Channel, where I jammed with my biggest drumming hero Terry Bozzio, and Drumeo where I focused on independence drum techniques and creative exploration of the left foot. Throughtout the years I developed a method of practicing that saves time and accelerates the overall drumming abilities. You can find out more about it in my very first online drum course here.

I am fascinated by different art forms, particularly dance and theatre, as I collaborated with a range of dance companies and composed music for the Royal Court Theatre, London (UK). These experiences inspired me to create Prâna-Max Roach, music/dance/theratre production, an original blend of Indian, African and American Jazz rhythms that tells a fictitious story of the legendary jazz drummer Max Roach embarking on a journey to discover the origin of rhythm and drum.

As a continuation of Prana I created a rhythm masterclass that I regularly teach at different educational settings in the UK such as Goldsmith University, University of Greenwich, City Academy.