Johnny Freyre & Kalima Project

Ay Currura – Passing Clouds

JF & KP — Fri, 23 May 2014 23:28:22 +0000

“Ay Currura” by Toño Fernandez, was chosen to open Johnny Freyre & Kalima Project concert in London at Passing Clouds on May 23rd 2014.

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Diego – Band Leader

JF & KP — Tue, 20 May 2014 18:06:23 +0000

Founder, band leader, percussionist and vocalist. Born in Palmira Colombia in 1968.
Diego grew up in the middle of two musical cultures. One from the central area of
Colombia, where not only was his father born, but also where the typical Colombian folk rhythms originate. The other from the south west coast of Colombia where most of his family come from, as well as all the Afro-Cuban rhythms brought from the United States in vinyl’s by his grandfather who was a sailor.
At a very young age, Diego used to play music using his mother’s kitchen pots and pans. When he became twenty years old, Diego purchased his first pair of maracas and from the first moment he held them in his hands, it was as if he had always played them, even though he never had one before.
Playing the maracas, bongos and cowbell became a regular thing at every family, friend and university party.
In 1996 after finishing his specialisation in business management, Diego left Colombia and came to the United Kingdom looking for a better future and started a relationship from which his two children were born.
Once in the UK, Diego started learning, together with his two children, the different Latin percussion rhythms played on the congas, bongos and timbal as well as minor percussion instruments.
Kalima project started originally as a family project called (La 39 Latin Band) which he wanted to progress with his family. However, in 2012 encouraged by Carlos Rozo (a senior Latin musician and entertainer) he started Grupo Calima playing salsa and tropical Colombian music. Six months later everything made an U-Turn when a very talented and experienced Colombian musician called Johnny Freyre appeared on the scene and saw in Grupo Calima the best platform to produce new arrangements of forgotten typical Colombia and Cuban folk music as well as to create fusions of Latin and European music.
Thus Johnny Freyre and Kalima project was born.

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May 23, 2014 – Passing Clouds

JF & KP — Fri, 16 May 2014 07:52:15 +0000

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Johnny Freyre – Music Director

admin — Thu, 15 May 2014 17:15:18 +0000

Johnny became interested in music at a very early age. He used to play with a plastic guitar at age 4 but it was at age 13 when he really began his musical journey.

At first he played percussion, guitar, bass and vocals with Andean Music bands such Lamento Suramericano y Huari Runa, directed by Robinson Ramos and Juan Vicente Gomez. It should be noted that these two people were very influential in his musical training.

Following his music curiosity, Johnny decided to expand his musical style and joined the duet John and Harold by playing guitar and singing and playing different music genres like traditional Colombian and Cuban music. The duo later changed its name to Candy Group under the direction of Juan Vicente Gomez and Johnny moved on to play bass.

Johnny was invited to take part in a training course on minor percussion by his musical director at the Vladiri Musical Academy and later he met a group of young musicians and created what they called Sexteto Zafra where he played the Colombian tiple in replacement of the piano.

As time progressed and curiosity for other rhythms increased, the name of the group was changed to Orquesta Los del Solar with Jesus Imbachi as their musical director and where Johnny sang together with Charlie and Juan del Castillo.

During the 90’s, Johnny played with various bands sponsored by local companies, among them La Sonora Smurfit where they won the second orchestras festival, Alumison Orchestra with the musical director Luis Carlos Ochoa and later on he also performed with La Sonora Good Year.

After spending a period working with bands sponsored by companies, Johnny met Fabian Cuervo who was the owner and musical director of the Orquesta La Solucion from Cali and was invited to join the band as bongo player and backing vocalist.

During his time in La Solucion, Johnny had the opportunity to play with well known national and international musicians of the Salsa world and had the chance to play on several stages including playing for five consecutive years in La Feria de Cali which is the biggest salsa festival in South America.

In 2001 Johnny decided to immigrate to Europe and subsequently arrived in Madrid. In his spare time and during the weekends, he played his guitar and sang in restaurants. At the end of 2001 he moved to Seville and joined the group Inkamerica which had as musical director Eddy Ocampo and participated in the recording of the 5th musical production, playing the guitar, bass, tiple and minor percussion

Due to employment commitments, for three years, Johnny distanced himself from music and after that period, he decided to join forces with Ubeimar Yanten who Johnny saw as best opportunity to grow musically and create his own band, which he called Son Melao Orchestra and with them he toured through Spain and Portugal

With his band Son Melao Orchestra, Johnny performed backing vocals with recognised international salsa singers such as Enrique Barrios, David Pabon, Mariano Civico (R.I.P), Kim de los Santos, Lalo Rodriguez, Miles Pena, Henry Fiol, Pedro Arroyo, Bazil and Gali Galeano among others.
After twelve years living in Spain, Johnny decided to move to London which he regarded as a multicultural city full of opportunities and there he got together with famous musicians such as Robin del Castillo and the musical director Doranze Lorza where he had the chance to participate in different musical works.
Some months later Johnny, had the opportunity to work with the Peruvian singer Sofia Bunchuk, Kanti Qena and the very well known bass player Elpidio Caicedo.
In May 2013 Johnny was invited to the rehearsal of group of Latin music enthusiasts called Group Calima in south London and decided to work with them as Musical Director joining forces with the band leader Diego Abril and the rest of the group and together they consolidated what today is called JF & KP — Johnny Freyre & Kalima Project.

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Trevor – Bass

JF & KP — Wed, 14 May 2014 15:53:59 +0000

Trevor McDermott was born in Epsom, Surrey, UK on 28th October 1975, to parents from Canada and Trinidad. He started playing the bass guitar over 20 years ago while at school after being inspired by other local musicians performing. He has played in a variety of bands and performed at many venues in and around London, spanning musical genres including heavy metal, punk, calypso, indie & British pop music. Now, in between working as an Accountant for an Engineering company he is the “bajista” for the Kalima Project, under the musical direction of Johnny Freyre.

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Looking Into The Future

JF & KP — Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:23:43 +0000

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Sandra – Indigenous Flutes

JF & KP — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 20:13:38 +0000

Born in Bogota , Colombia, she was singing before she said her first words. She began playing the keyboard at age 12. When she was 13, she discovered an abandoned drum set in her school’s music room. Given that no one in her school knew how to play them, she asked her music teacher to teach her to play during her lunch breaks. She soon stared performing popular Latin American music in festivals and school competition representing her school. At age 14, she moved to United States where she taught herself the guitar and started an all-girls rock band, called the Anarchycs, with her high school friends. The band performed in school talent shows and at birthday parties, but it was dissolved after the members went to college. During her university years, Sandra learned to play Andean music, and played percussion as well as the guitar for local festivals and university performances. She graduated in 2004 and moved to New York City to start her career in IT, and continue her musical journey. In New York she learned to play Afro-Indigenous flutes from the North coast of South America, called kuisi bunsi and kuisi sigi, popularly known as Colombian gaitas. During her time in New York, she performed in Colombian festivals and private shows. She currently lives in London and devotes her free time to learning new Latin American rhythms, as well as traditional Colombian songs. She wants to make sure the gaita tradition is passed to future generations.

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San Lázaro – Passing Clouds

JF & KP — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 08:35:36 +0000

Outstanding performance by Angelica Marin of this Cuban classic by Celina y Reutilio in Passing Clouds.

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Passing Clouds – January 2014

admin — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 14:58:06 +0000

Johnny Freyre & Kalima Project was at Passing Clouds on January 17th 2014. Here are some of the best shots from the gig.

Enjoy!

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Johnny S – Percussion

admin — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 09:58:14 +0000

Johnny Alexander Bermudez Spain was born in Palmira, Valle del Cauca, Colombia and grew up in an environment surrounded by rhythms, sounds, parties and dances in his maternal grandmother’s house. His maternal grandfather loved Cuban music and that is where his music inclination comes from.
His mother is an excellent salsa dancer and his father a composer, therefore he has the Latin music and rhythms in his veins and heart.

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