About Me
Starting a musical journey From childhood on Alain Apaloo played in traditional ensembles in his home country Togo, West Africa. Wanting to follow in the priest’s footsteps, who gave Alain his first guitar lesson, he joined the Catholic seminar for priests, where he was introduced to music theory and choir conduction. After he had moved back to the capital Lome, Alain met the Togolese blues singer Jimi Hope and played with him for several years. He also formed his own afro-rock-fusion band Exhaust Pipe playing own original compositions, practiced jazz standards and further developed his bass play. Political and economic instability in Togo forced Alain to move to Accra in Ghana, where he played the guitar and bass in local bands and after one year toured Europe, the U.S. and Canada with the Ghanaian reggae musician Kojo Antwi. During this time he also continued his ambitions within jazz and collaborated with Swiss jazz drummer Gabriel Schiltknecht and Hackbrett player Roland Schiltknecht on several projects.From Africa to Europe In 1999 Alain moved to Denmark in order to study at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen and to further develop his technique and his abilities as a composer in all the different genres of music that he loved so much: blues, jazz, afrojazz and bluesrock. With his rhythmically and melodically different approach to music, his drive, joy and dedication to his work, Alain soon found himself involved in many projects with such musicians like French jazz flutist Marianne Bitran, saxophone player Jakob Dinesen and Danish crossover jazz vocalist Thulla (only to name a few) and playing different festivals in Denmark and Sweden, including the prestigious Copenhagen Jazz Festival. Since he graduated from the Copenhagen Rhythmic Music Conservatory in 2005, Alain has worked at the city’s oldest and most original blues place, Mojo’s Blues Bar, playing regularly with his own blues band Mezzy Slide & the Crew, solo nights and with the Mojo Blues Jam Band. Thanks to his initiative the bar has started a successful new tradition of African Night inviting different African musicians to play with Alain and his band Twin Tribe each month. Alain’s undeniable musical talent as a songwriter, singer, guitar and bass player did of course not go unnoticed and since 2006 he has been the latest addition to the Kenn Lending Blues Band, one of Denmark’s finest and most established blues bands.Musical stretch Oozing with music and a huge song repertoire in afro, jazz and blues, Alain is working with projects in all directions: with his band Api Pipo he is playing afro and jazz and planning to come out with an afrojazz record by the end of this year. For those who don’t want to wait that long, Alain is releasing a solo album with own blues inspired acoustic songs... With his band Mezzy Slide & the Crew Alain is a regular guest at different blues bars around Copenhagen, since word got around that these guys with their cocktail of blues, rock and funk burn down every house with an energy that grips your gut and makes your body move. So, don’t miss ‘em!
