Erik ALIANA Chant, Guitare, Flute, Percussions
Francis DSCHOUTEZO Basse
Jules ESSOUA Guitare
William MONKAMA Batterie, Percussions
ERIK ALIANA & Korongo Jam
Born in 1973, Erik Aliana hails from Badissa in the Department of Mbam-et-Kim located in the Central Province of Cameroon. He comes from the people O’Sananga. Son of a teacher, he moves between Yaounde where he followed his studies at the Western school and home town, where he spent his holidays. Two cultural divides and two ways of life that will mark its understanding of music.
The music that always rate him, the drums, the shrill singing of women, the deep voices of men, dance and trance, rituals and initiation ceremonies conducted at the heady rhythms are sources of inspiration in Aliana which draws its power to find, including food sensitivity, to forge its own identity. At the age of eight, adrum was offered to him, he will learn to play alone. It occurs in small ensembles in school and in 1995 made his first professional cabaret.
In 1999, Erik left the university and created the group "Korongo Jam". Multiple collaborations with other artists would follow as a singer, drummer, percussionist or art director. Among others, he is artistic director of the show of the group in Cameroon "Takam II" in 2004, three singles in 2006’s album "Tasch," a group of Swiss and made the drum and the choirs of disk "Doc Native" released in 2006.
Erik also leads and oversees artistic workshops (singing, dancing, African drumming) with children, disabled and academics in France, the United States and Japan. It also runs workshops in these countries, which he explains the importance of music in the Cameroonian culture, describing the many styles and the social use of it.
When asked what his musical influences, Erik talks about the balafon and percussion of the village, which in his view have determined his music more than any known artist. Today, when he returned to Cameroon, he is greeted warmly by his family to the image it conveys the passion throughout the world for this country and the respect he has for his fathers.
