Ausecuma Beats was imagined to celebrate diversity in music, and express rhythm as the core of their shared musicality. The nine-strong ensemble hail from Australia, Senegal, Cuba and Mali (AU-SE-CU-MA). They promote unity, recognised through the power in diversity with shared vision. Their individual stories are unique, each treading their own path, each with commitment, strength and focus to catalyse the unique sounds of Ausecuma Beats. Ausecuma Beats comprises 4 percussionists enhanced by melodic overtones from guitar, kora and sax, offering the Melbourne music scene a unique and exciting musical experience.
Ausecuma Beats demonstrate what can happen when a group of artists come together based on an idea – in this case, the idea of place, of transplanting cultural heritage into a contemporary city. The band showcases what happens when people from the farthest flung corners of the world find themselves living shoulder to shoulder in a new environment. The result – nine unique individuals, each masters of their own craft and with their own personal histories, working together to create something that can be called their own. The band on this recording includes Bassidy Kone, Yusupha Ngum, Mohamad Saliou Camara, Boubacare Gaye, Luke Koszanki, William Carl Larsen, Rodolfo Hechavarria Despaigne Panga, Chidambara Sonu Sangameswaren and Edward George Croker.
The emergent property in music is profound, set alive by the visceral, musical and philosophical connections between them. The musicians proudly honour their diverse heritage through sharing contemporised forms of traditional and culturally rich rhythms. Their compositions are complex, a key core of 4 percussionists share their deep understanding of their own musicality and their vision to share this, made accessible to every audience through the integration and harmony in rhythm and melody. Their unity in the music clearly demonstrates the power of humanity of one mind. This power in expression ensures their art is not only accessible but musically and emotionally thrilling.
“We want to make people happy, make friends and dance. I can dance to your music and you can dance to my music – there is not much difference between us. We become closer by knowing this. We are not only musicians, we are family – in life and in music. Our audience is part of that family. This band was built over time, working with musicians from all over the world. We all have a lot in common; we have found ourselves and each other through music, and we want our audience to do the same.”
– Boubacar Gaye, Ausecuma Beats
