Karis & Friends
A New addition to the L.A. Afro/World music scene, Karis & friends is an 7-piece ensemble, bringing the rhythms and sounds of Africa, South America, and the Caribbean to the Southern California audience, with a message of love, peace,and togetherness. Karis, a kenyan born musician fuses jazz, bossa nova, soukous, reggae, and salsa, translating his songs into swahili, doula, english, spanish and his native language, to make a world music gumbo without boundaries. His energy both as a musician, and in person is electric and fills the room instantaneously.
Music
Music is a language; a universal language,with its various styles and genres representing the different dialects and accents of this language. We are all one, regardless of our color, shape, size, social status, or race, and we believe that by combining all these styles of music together on stage, we are using ours gifts as an avenue for spreading a spirit of peace, love, and togetherness, in this times when the whole world needs it most. We are Ambassador of Peace!
Camarillo Jazz Festival
The Journey
Karis hails from humble beginnings; born in a small village in Kenya, and now touring all over with his band, he knows the best and the worst of both worlds. His interest for music started at an early age. As a young boy, participating in church functions, he was introduced to the guitar, and the relationship between him and this instrument was born.He later attended Thika High School, where his formal music education began, before later enrolling with the Music Department at Cerritos College, where he joined the Jazz Ensemble for about 2 years. He has then worked as a session guitarist in studios and touring with numerous bands and artists like 4th Avenue Jones, Badaue, Milimili, Limit X, Jativa, Milele, ReggaeMotion, Made in Bahia, Ida Onyango, Kanjii, Sojourn, Vega Jazz, Umojah, among others. Karis has appeared on albums with Latin Grammy nominees like Abraham Laboriel Justo, Almario, and Ray Barbee, a professional skateboarder and solo artist. Karis also worked as a musician and an actor in the Killer Entertainment’s, Murder Mystery Cruises in Long-beach CA, for over 3 years. He has been a music instructor with Southern California School of Music for 2 years, and has taught music at Wing Lane Elementary School, in Hacienda Heights, and Bellflower High School, and now partners with 4 other U.S.-based producers, running Bantu Productions Inc., a recording company offering media services ranging from audio & video production, recording, mixing & mastering, promotion, advertising, and graphic design.
Badaue Family
The Purpose
We are ALL on a temporary visit here on earth, hopefully destined for another life in the spirit form, BUT FOR NOW, we need to make the best out of our current station, while we are here. Our purpose is to love, to encourage, to make peace, to praise the one who created us, and most of all, to bring peace, and healing to those who are hurting.
We celebrate life through our music, with no boundaries, in an attempt to make the world a better place for ourselves, as well as for others!
