SHOKOTO

For as long as I can remember, a distinctive music has come to me in my moments of quiet solitude. I have come to know it as the unique rhythms emanating from the core of my being. They are my birthright, they are my footprints on the musical landscape of the world. I use Shokoto as a vehicle to give form to the creative visions that consume my head, heart, and hands. I live at the intersection of traditional culture and modern day society, within a multicultural world. Shokoto music enables me to draw from all of these influences: the traditional, the modern, and the multicultural. The result is a dynamic fusion of traditional and contemporary African rhythms with the diverse music of the African Diaspora. The exultant compositions, soulful vocals, and energetic dancing combine to create an exceptional experience that feeds your soul.

OKAIDJA AFROSO
Click here to read Okaidja's bio.

MASHUD NEINDOW
Mashud Neindow was born in Tamale Ghana into a Dagbamba family of divine drummers. He started learning to play the talking drum (Lunga) at the age of six. Mashud spent 13 years working with the prestigious Ghana Dance Ensemble as one of the group's lead drummers. He was the crowd’s favorite during many of the tours to Europe and North America. He has taught and performed Ghanaian drumming extensively both in Ghana and abroad.

In 2003 Mashud moved to Portland, OR to work with Obo Addy, a renowned Ghanaian drummer. After four years of performing and touring with Obo, he joined the Shókoto Music & Dance Project. With Shókoto Mashud plays a vital role as contributor to the group’s repertoire. Mashud brings the rich flavor of Northern Ghana to Shokoto’s music.

CHAZ MORTIMER
Chaz Mortimer is a Portland-based musician, educator, and instrument-builder. He began playing and studying drums at age 8 and at age 12, he dove head first into the world of jazz and Afro-Cuban music. Throughout high school, Chaz earned awards at jazz festivals, earned scholarships to summer music programs, and during his senior year, he was selected to play in the Yamaha National All-Star Jazz Band. In college, Chaz studied jazz drumming at the Oberlin Conservatory with Billy Hart and performed all over the Midwest and Deep South with Adenike Sharpley’s Dance Diaspora African Music and Dance Troupe (part of Oberlin's world renowned Africa American Studies Department). With Dance Diaspora, Chaz completed two residencies collaborating and studying with Grupo Afrocuba de Matanzas in Matanzas, Cuba. He completed his BA in music at Naropa University in Boulder and moved to Portland in 2007.

Chaz spent the last three years teaching music at Helensview, high a school for at risk youth in Portland, where he ran a recording arts program. Since moving to Portland, he has brought his extensive knowledge of audio engineering and music production to local schools.

In Portland, he works extensively with Shokoto Music & Dance Project, with Northwest Children's Theatre and School, and with a number of Jazz, Brazilian, Latin, and Hip-Hop groups. Chaz was a RACC Professional Development Grant recipient for work he has done studying instrument-making and Bata drumming with Baba Ezekiel Torres in Miami, FL. To read more visit www.chazmortimer.com.