Tumbao Music and Dance Productions

ARAMIS Y SU ORQUESTA ASHE

Ashe, signifying life force and energy in Yoruba language and culture, is also a powerful concept in Cuban popular and folkloric culture. Timba, or modern Cuban Salsa at its most energetic and multifaceted, is an urban expression that fuses native African and Cuban rhythms, as well as Afro-American Funk, Jazz, Soul, and Go Go. Aramis Pazos Barrera, a native of the neighborhood el Cerro in Havana, Cuba, has formed his own group to continue to promote this tradition in the United States. He and his musicians want to introduce Americans to another style of Salsa, different from Puerto Rican salsa and "Salsa Romantica."
Aramis y su Orquesta Ashe is composed of three singers (1 woman and 2 men), three percussionists (drum set/ timbales, congas, and bongos), 1 bassist, 1 pianist, 1 saxophonist, 1 flute player, 1 trombonist, and 2 trumpet players. During our shows we incorporate dance performance, and our music is intended to inspire dancing. Our band is big and very ambitious, and we perform acoustic musical performance. Our large size is a reflection of the older big Latin bands, such as Beny More, that originated in the early part of the century. Although we appeal to young popular audiences, we celebrate the traditions that are nostalgic for older audiences as well; our music is made for everyone that loves to dance!

Orquesta Ashe has recently performed at:

SOB's Nightclub in NYC
Virginia Beach Latin Fest 2007
The Black Cat
Organization of American States, Hall of the Americas
Woodrow Wilson LIVE Series!
Tastes of Takoma Festival
Duke's City Lounge
Mt. Pleasant Music Series
Fundraiser for Jobs For Justice
South Beach Restaurant in Bethesda
Duke's City Restaurant on U Street
Cada Vez Restaurant on U Street
La Rosa Nautica Restaurant in Falls Church, VA

Pazos is a professional modern and Afro-Cuban folkloric dancer, and he graduated from the National School of Art in Havana, Cuba. He has always identified with this culturally important music; now as the lead singer, he takes pride in carrying on the traditions of the founders of traditional Son music, by using musical themes and compositions from the 1940’s Cuban music. Timba is a folkloric and urban expression, therefore remembering history and exploring new styles.
Since Washington, DC is known as the capital of the world, Pazos is inspired to create his sound from this center of exports. The strong Afro-American influence in DC, including Jazz music and its vivacious influence, makes Timba a style that will be well accepted among DC audiences. Timba can take a popular song in English, like Michael Jackson’s “Shake your Body Down to the Ground”, and transform them to a contagious salsa dancing rhythm.
Some of the most famous Timba groups in Cuba right now are Los Van Van, Isaac Delgado, Bamboleo, and NG la Banda, La Charanga Habanera. These groups make music not about money or politics, but real life and struggle. It uses a form of popular language without being vulgar.

MEMBERS OF ARAMIS Y SU ORQUESTA ASHE

JEAN-FRANCIS VARRE
CO-DIRECTOR OF ORQUESTRA ASHE and Singer, Bassist

Jean-Francis Varre was born & raised in the Washington DC area to
Senegalese/ Cape Verdian parents although he returned yearly to Europe and Africa well into his adulthood. A singer/songrwitter/multi-instrumentalist, Jean-Francis has diligently persued his passion for the musics of the African diaspora by performing in various projects doing soul, rock, latin (cuban/ brazilian), and modern african music.

ALINE VARRE
Singer

MARK WEHLING
Saxophonist, Leader of the Horns

Raised in the Chicago area, Mark Wehling played tenor and alto saxophone in the University of Illinois jazz band. Prior to that, he was a saxman in the St. Charles High School Jazz Workshop, with whom he performed at Lincoln Center in New York. "El son" cubano has long impacted his far-reaching musical tastes, while his time spent living in Spain, France, and Morocco deeply inspired his passion for music and its relationship with the human spirit.

RICK STODDARD
Trombonist

Rick Stoddard is a life-long musician. He likes all styles, all instruments, all tempos, and all venues. At age five, he embraced the eternal battle of the number 10 versus the number 88. While piano is his first and forever love, he’s delighted to slide around on trombone with Ashe. He bounced around the U.S. during high school, and then sopped up four years of heaven in New Orleans for college. Now, Rick’s happy to be back in the Capital City playing music for Washingtonians and their national and international visitors.

KYM CLARKE
Trumpet

ALVIN TRASKE
Trumpet

Alvin Trask was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and he began playing the trumpet at the age of nine, inspired by his uncle who played tenor sax. As an educator, Alvin Trask is currently an Associate Professor of Music and Trumpet at Montgomery College. Other accomplishments include:
- Obtained a Bachelor of Music Degree (Classical Trumpet Performance) from Louisiana State University and a Master of Music Degree from Howard University
- Former Adjunct Professor of Music at Trinity College, Trumpet Instructor for a Music and Arts Center, Associate Conductor for the Pan American Symphony Big Band, and Brass Instructor for the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop
-Performed, toured, and recorded with the Howard University Jazz Ensemble and the Federal Focus Jazz Band
-Studied and performed at the Thelonious Monk Institute and Jazz Festival in Dolo, Italy
- Worked with the Stanford Jazz Workshop, Hartford University´s Advanced Placement Music Theory, the Eastman School of Music´s Jazz Arranging for Music Teachers, and the Essentially Ellington Band Director´s Workshop

JENNIFER CAREY
Flute

Jennie has been involved in music almost her entire life, starting with piano and eventually moving to flute and bassoon. Despite her pride in her French family, she began exploring Latin music and dancing through her experiences living abroad in various countries, but mostly in Valencia Spain, where she first played in a local band and was exposed to Cuban style dancing. A couple years later, after finishing college and moving to DC, Jennie started to learn about timba and rueda de casino, and she was eventually invited to join DC Casineros. Jennie now feels very excited and blessed to be playing with Ashe as it provides a fusion of music and dance that, as the name implies, is truly full of life!

ANDREW CALLARD
Pianist

Andrew Callard has been performing as a pianist and vocal soloist in the DC area for the past 8 years. His passion for music and culture has taken him to Ghana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Cuba, and Brazil, where he has studied and collaborated with local singers and drummers. He has also pursued his love of harmony through involvement in a variety of singing groups. Most recently, he served as music director and principal songwriter for Staticflow, a 5-person vocal band whose debut album of original acappella music was released in 2004. In addition to exploring the salsa genre, he has enjoyed sharing his piano skills with gospel choirs and jazz ensembles.

STEWART BERNARD
Bass

Stew started his love affair with music on alto sax. In high school he
participated in the marching band, symphonic band, and Jazz band. After borrowing a bass to compose on, Stew found his instrument and quickly took up bass to explore other genres of music and continue writing. Stew played in Drexel University’s fusion band and was active in Philadelphia’s jazz scene. Stew moved to Columbia Heights, DC in 2005 and has since found a love for world music. Stew’s website can be reached here:
http://www.grooveanatomy.com

FELIX JOVEL
Timbales and Quinto

Felix is no stranger to the world of Salsa and music of the African Diaspora. Beginning his studies with Afro-Cuban percussion over 18 years ago, he has and continues to enjoy the journey and exploration of finding the common fibers in a variety of African influenced music. Although Felix is a Conguero at heart, he continues to find ways to express himself through the Timbales while using common principals of playing within a wide genera of African based music, particularly within Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian music. Felix also dances Salsa (New York Mambo Style), as well as teaches percussion workshops.

JASON WALKER
Drumset

Jason Walker is a multi-disciplined percussionist with over twenty years of training and experience. He is a 1996 graduate (BM percussion performance) from the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, CT. Currently Jason studies Afro-Cuban rhythms with master percussionist Sam Turner and Ashiko with Baba Taiwo Duvall. Jason's music can be found in a number of settings including: performance, recording, therapeutic intervention, dance accompanist, and group and private instruction.

SEAN F. ANTHONY
Congas

Sean Anthony is a professional percussionist and Founder of Northside Productions, LLC. As a teenager, Mr. Anthony and a group of friends formed the group, Nation Creation. Sean and the members of Nation Creation played together for several years. Mr. Anthony left Nation Creation and began playing with the go-go band, Private Affairs. Mr. Anthony has worked with highly acclaimed gospel artists such as Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, Beverly Crawford. During his career, Mr. Anthony performed on 3 CD’s: Ebenezer AME Mass Choir’s CD “That’s How the Lord Works”, Paul Avery and the Ministry Choir’s CD “In Due Season”, and his very own CD “Unspoken”.

Tumbao Productions LLC