Widely acclaimed for his versatility, technological prowess and groove, Omar Hakim is one of the most successful drummers and session men of the past twenty-five years. He has collaborated with artists ranging from Miles Davis to Madonna, and has left his imprint on hundreds recordings including several under his own name.Born in New York City to a musical family, Omar began playing the drums at age 5. At the age of ten, he was performing publicly with his father Hasan Hakim, a trombone veteran of the Duke Ellington and Count Basie bands, and soon thereafter (during his teenage years) was performing and/or touring with Jae Mason, Labelle, Tom Browne and Hugh Masakela.Hakim landed his first big break in 1980 when he joined Carly Simon's band. Soon after, he filled in for a tour of the groundbreaking fusion band Weather Report, a job he would keep permanently until the band’s breakup in 1985. In addition to the three albums he recorded with Weather Report, he also landed a gig playing on David Bowie's 1982 return to the American pop charts, Let's Dance. His early successes led to dozens of high profile engagements and by the end of the 1980s, Omar had performed on landmark recordings with artists such as Miles Davis (Tutu, Music from Siesta), Dire Straits (Brother in Arms, Money for Nothing) and Sting (Dream of the Blue Turtles, Bring on the Night). In 1989, he even found time to produce and release his first solo album, Rhythm Deep, which earned him his first Grammy nomination.By this time, Omar was exploring the latest advances in electronic drums and keeping up with the newest recording and percussion technologies. His versatility put him in even greater demand, and his eclectic interests kept him busy in the pop, jazz, rock, fusion and R&B worlds. Through the 1990s into the 2000’s Omar collaborated with dozens of prominent artists including George Benson, Lionel Richie, Chaka Khan, Nile Rogers and CHIC, Anita Baker, Bobby McFerrin, John Scofield, Bruce Springsteen, Celine Dion, Jewel, Mariah Carey, and Madonna to name a few.In 2000 Omar released his 2nd Solo CD "The Groovesmith" which was Produced, Recorded and Mixed in his personal recording studio "The OH-Zone".Omar is in the Final Stages of Production on his long awaited 3rd Album, titled “We Are Oneâ€. This Exciting and Eclectic Album features Omar’s Singing, Writing and Performances on Guitar, Keyboards and Percussion, as well as of course… his outstanding Drumming! Other guests include, Chieli Minucci (Guitar), Gregoire Maret (Harmonica), Scott Tibbs (Keyboards and co-composer), Abdul Zuhri (Guitar) and Jerry Brooks (Bass). Look out for this Amazing Project in 2008!
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