RAY LEMA
Sub-saharian Africa - Zaire
Biography :
A multi- instrumentalist with rich classical-jazz-traditional music training. Ray LEMA holds a special place in the realm of world music. Since 1982, he has presented his audience with surprising works beautiful harmonies blending with the most complex rythms and synthesisers mixing with tradidional drums as well as intimate pieces for piano and vocals. Born in Zaire, he first studied classical piano before transposing his knowledge onto the guitar and playing urban music in Kinshasa.
In 1974, he spent a year travelling throughout Zaire to investigate the music of the countrys 250 ethnical groups- discovering, collecting and recording their various rythms in order to form Zaires National Ballet.
In 1979, upon the invitation of the Rockfeller Foundation, he left Zaire for the US. In the early eighties, he returned to Paris , from where he has pursued his musical explorations since, offering us album after album featuring refined and uncommon music. He has toured the world over including Europe, the Americas, Africa and Japan. He also writes music for the cinema and theatre and produces/arranges for other artists.
Ray LEMA was awarded the "Django d'Or" in october 2003 for the totality of his career.
He s actually performing in a piano solo or with his African Jazz trio with Etienne MBAPPE on bass and Francis LASSUS on drums.
Discography :
1982 : KOTEJA (Celluloïd)
1983 : KINSHASA WASHINGTON DC PARIS (Celluloïd)
1984 : THE RHYTHMATIST (with Steward Copeland)
1985 : MEDECINE (Celluloïd)
1988 : BWANA ZOULOU GANG
1989 : NANGADEEF (Mango)
1990 : GAIA (Mango)
1992 : EURO AFRICAN SUITE (with Joachim Khün) (Buda Musique)
1992 : RAY LEMA / PROFESSEUR STEFANOV ET L'ENSEMBLE PIRIN (Buda Musique)
1992 : UN TOUAREG S'EST MARIE AVEC UNE PYGMEE (with the KI-YI Mbock) (Label bleu)
1994 : TOUT PARTOUT (Buda Musique)
1996 : GREEN LIGHT (Buda Musique)
1997 : STOP TIME (Buda Musique)
1998 : THE DREAM OF THE GAZELLE (Detour / Erato)
2000 : SAFI (with TYOUR GNAOUA) (Buda Musique)
2003 : BO de « Fatou la Malienne » et « Fatou L'Espoir » - (2 good)
2004 : MIZILA - piano solo (One Drop/Nocturne)
2007: PARADOX (LABORIE RECORD/NAIVE DISTRIBUTION)
You can watch some videos of RAY LEMA , just click on the link "videos" below the photo of his profile.
