| Contact: Dr. Jolán Kovács Phone: (514) 482-5554 |
| For Immediate Release August 23, 2016 |
KoSA XXI: A Thundering Success in the Green Mountains of Calabria (Italy)!
Locri, RC –Italy: To
the delight of many European percussionist and drummers, the renown
KoSA International Drum Camp and Music Festival founded by Aldo Mazza and his wife Dr. Jolán Kovács celebrated
over two-decades of unparalleled music education seminars in a very
different location. The usual majestic green mountains of Vermont,
which was home to KoSA for 20 years, was “replaced” this year by the
equally picturesque green mountains of Calabria, Italy – with an ocean
view to boot! The event took place in the beautiful seaside resort town
of Locri, Italy in the Reggio Calabria province, this past July 21-24,
2016.
Attendees
came from various countries and continents (North America and Europe)
to join in this Italian adventure. All classes and nightly performances
were held at the Cinema Vittoria – Sala Rossa in Locri. This year’s
outstanding teaching faculty included: Rick Latham (Juice Newton, Edgar Winter), Massimo Cusato (South Italian Tamburello Artist and gracious host of the event), Andrea Piccioni (Bobby McFerrin), Mario DeCiuttis (Mallets/KAT electronic percussion), Alan Molnar (Jazz Vibraphone –Nelly Furtado), Gigi Morello (GM Drum Schools), Aldo Mazza (Repercussion-Artistic Director and Founder of KoSA) and the KoSA Rhythm Section: Gegè Albanese (piano) with Stefano Napoli (bass) and other guest artists joined this fantastic line-up at the nightly KoSA Music Festival.
With the event being held in Mazza’s birthplace of Italy (Calabria), the general focus of this year’s event was understanding the concepts of Southern Italian rhythms and how these rhythms not only shape the music of today, but and are in fact found in many different musical genres such as jazz, funk, and commercial/popular music. This year’s theme: Drum Without Borders was a fitting sentiment for this particular event because despite the language barriers, drummers from the USA, Canada, Belgium, and even Switzerland all grooved to the same beat as their Italian counterparts producing a wonderful fusion of cultures and a true borderless musical community.
The
event kicked off with a highly informative session entitled: “The
History of the Drumset” presented by the esteemed drummer/
percussionist/editor, Alfredo Romeo (Drumset Mag). The jam-packed schedule then included hands-on sessions with the fiery and charismatic drummer Gigi Morello with the assistance of Cristiano Coraggio (GM Drum Schools). A special drumcircle class
was scheduled to reach out and include young children from the local
community. The drumcircle was facilitated by Massimo Cusato and Andrea
Piccioni and it was such a success that these young stars were then
featured in the finale concert much to the delight of their parents. Mario DiCiuttiis wowed
the attendees with the launch of his unique and clever new invention –
the jamKAT -and he demonstrated his extraordinary percussive skills and
great musicality on this one-of-a-kind instrument. Aldo Mazza gave
classes in Cuban percussion and drumset as well as hand percussion
concepts combined with drumset. In concert, Aldo gave a masterful solo
performance with his unique multi-percussion-drumset hybrid with
compositions combining African, Cuban ,funk and Southern Italian rhythms
with drumset. Andrea Piccioni delivered a jaw-dropping performance at the KoSA nightly festival alongside an equally talented musician- Francesco Loccisano who played a not-so-commonly seen instrument in North America – the Chitarra Battente. More musical highlights included Massimo Cusato who rocked out on his southern Italian tamburello accompanied by the warm and contagious beats of Fabio Macagnino (vocals and guitar). Allan Molnar treated
the attendees and audience to some wonderful jazz compositions played
masterfully on the vibraphone. He performed this music combining it to a
visual presentation of scenes from his hometown of New York City – a
real musical and visual treat for the mostly Italian audience. As the KoSA Concerts also featured participants alongside the faculty, Allan teamed up with a long-time participant – Cedric de Saint-Rome (Canada) who has literally grown up at the KoSA events (coming every year to KoSA Vermont for the past ten years) and Angelina Mazza (the
KoSA founders’ daughter). With Angelina on vocals, Cedric playing the
ukulele and Allan on vibes, the audience was touched by their rendition
of the classic: Cry Me a River. Finally, the powerhouse of groove - Rick Latham delighted
everyone with his funk drumming and astonishing technique. On the
last night of the concerts, Rick was visibly moved when he received on
stage the KoSA Lifetime Achievement Award for
his great contribution in the world of funk drumming, his tireless
development of groove and his great passion for education. The event
closed on Sunday morning with renown creativity speaker (and drummer!), James Taylor,
who educated attendees and our professional faculty artists and guest
artists alike on how to succeed for the long-term in the music
business. A highly inspiring close to a highly inspiring and
unforgettable event for all.
The
KoSA World is continuously in expansion with programs not only in the
USA, but in Canada, Cuba, China, and Italy. For more information on
all things KoSA, visit us at www.kosamusic.com. and
.
KoSA Calabria 2016 was graciously sponsored, in part, by: ProMark, Istanbul, Gon Bops, Drumset Magazine, Cooperman, DW, Sabian, Ludwig, Remo, Alfred, Evans, PMsnares, and Cinema Vittoria.
aldo mazza
514-482-5554
www.kosamusic.com
www.facebook.com/kosamusic
www.aldomazza.com
阿尔多·马札
