CreativeMornings/Montréal wants to introduce you to the beautiful sounds of the handpan and James Bougill, who will share is music with the CreativeMornings/Montréal community before the main presentation by Michel Cartier, this Friday March 25th at the #CMchange event between 7.30 am and 8.30 am.
#CMChange: An interview with James Bougill
How did you get started as a musician?
My father had a drum set in the basement and when I was a little boy I would play around with it every day after school. This was around the time when I was four. I started to become more serious about drumming at seventeen as I was discovering different world rhythms and learning about AC/DC, Miles Davis, Tito Puente, Ravi Shankar, to name a few.
How did you find your rhythm?
In moving from Plattsburgh to Montréal, I’ve been able to meet more musicians with similar interests which has had a great impact on how I play and create new rhythms. For example, I’ve always wanted to play in a true Cuban-style band, which became a reality here in Montreal. The band is like a freight train of rhythm - really heavy stuff with some of the finest musicians in the city. We play every Monday at Dieze Onze . Here’s a small sample:
Why did you decide to start playing the handpan?
About 10 years ago I saw a video of someone playing the handpan and I immediately became interested. It was hard to get one in Plattsburgh. However, within months of moving to Montreal I met a handpan manufacturer, Jocsan Riviera. Jocsan Riviera, who owns PANacea Sonora, and I became good friends and I became well situated within a small community of great players.
What do you like about the handpan?
The handpan is a wonderful instrument to practice. Unlike drum which can get 2-3 main tones, you get 8-9 beautiful tones with the handpan, along with a host of other colours that are also very interesting. The handpan is a perfect vehicle for carrying out various rhythms and is a great blend of beat and music. It has a striking archaic sound, like the gates of heaven.
I’m looking forward to sharing my music with the CreativeMornings/Montréal community before the main presentation by Michel Cartier this Friday March 25th at the CMchange event. I’ll be playing between 7h30-8h30.
See you there!
Written by Sophia Kapchinsky
