The Band
Grace Barbe
Song writer, Lead Vocals, guitar and bass
Born in the Seychelles, Grace settled in Australia in 1997 with her family. Grace discovered a passion for music whilst at university and started performing as a backing vocalist with award-winning Seychellois singer songwriter Sonny Morgan and East-Timorese bands, Jah-era and Ramabauk. Ramabauk recorded an album based on traditional East-Timorese music, which was recognised and chosen by UNESCO to be used as promotional material to promote the conservation of East-Timorese culture. Ramabauk was also invited to perform for ABC Radio in a live broadcast from Kulcha, WA. Grace taught herself how to play bass and discovered a talent for songwriting. In 2000 Grace joined Seychelles Rhythms, a band that existed to promote Seychellois culture as well as to perform for the many community dances that are held over the year. In order to further develop her appreciation and understanding of her cultural roots, Grace began to get formal, traditional dance training from her mother (a former member of the Seychelles National Dance Group) and formed the dance ensemble, Seychelles Cultural Troupe. The groups performed at different festivals in WA to promote the Seychelles music and dance, as well as cultural awareness.
Grace expanded her musical horizons by collaborating with hip-hop/reggae group, Doggpound, using her dance and singing skills as well as her university training as a teacher to develop dance and singing workshops with the group. The group toured all over Australia for four years, performing and working with young people.
In 2003, Grace joined popular live reggae act Raggabeats as a singer/songwriter. Raggabeats performed in venues all over the state, including prestigious support slots for UB40 and Ben Lee, as well as co-writing the song “Jungle Juice”, which featured on the bands only official release. Grace began to write and produce songs with the group’s bass player/producer James Searle, and in 2006 their song “Mon Ankor Anmourer” was the winner in the world and folk category of the prestigious WAMI (West Australian Music Industry Association) “Song of the Year”. Grace and James are now working on Grace’s debut album and have formed this new band to promote their music and to further build the reggae and world music scenes in WA.
Jamie Searle
Guitar and Bass
Jamie started playing the guitar age 11, and played his first gig about a year later. Alongside playing bass and guitar in rock bands with his friends he studied classical guitar. After finishing school he did a music degree in the UK.
Jamie played guitar with one of the UK's top reggae bands, I'n'I Oneness and the UK Players for four years, one album and hundreds of gigs all over UK and Europe before emigrating to Australia.
In 2002 Jamie spent a year in Tanzania (East Africa) as a volunteer music teacher at Bagamoyo College of Art. On returning to Perth he joined a local reggae band, Raggabeats which ended up being one of Western Australias top live acts in the two years or so that they existed.
During that time Jamie became interested in music production, and produced a single for Raggabeats (Jungle Juice/Scarborough Beach). Jamie and Grace started writing together in 2004. Jamie has also worked with Ngewell Kora Group, Ziggy Bey Jan, Special Brew, Nic Reid & Rhino, and the Funk Club House Band.
Freddy Poncin
Drums and percussion
Born in Amsterdam Freddy's talent was recognized at a young age and he started learning congas at the age of 12. Freddy was honoured to study with Raoul Burnet who was regarded as the best conga player and teacher in Western Europe. Raoul was a master instructor in Latin Percussion and lecturer at the Amsterdam Conservatorium, an expert in Afro Cuban rhythms and played with music legends such as Patato Valdez, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Wilson Picket, Art Blakey and many more.After Raoul’s sudden death, Freddy started to play kit drums as well to reggae music, ska music and funk. In the 80’s he joined the band Revelation Time that quickly grew into the best afro reggae band in the Netherlands and one of the finest in Europe . Revelation Time had a top 40 hit in Europe with a song called South Africa . Freddy played drums and percussion with this band for over 12 years and toured Germany, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Sweden, Malta and Italy.
Revelation Time backed up Jamaican artists such as Lee Perry and Eek a Mouse, and supported well-known bands such as Ziggy Marley, Steel Pulse, Aswad, Alpha Blondy, UB40, Inner Circle , Ossibisa, Saleif Keita, Toure Kounda, Senemali, Kumbi Saleh and Fela Kuti.
During this period throughout the 90’s Freddy found a passion for West African rhythms and in particularly djembe drumming from Guinea West Africa.
Being in Australia for only 6 years, Freddy is making a fast impact on the WA Music Scene. He is currently playing and has played with Latin Jazz group Descarga (featuring Chris Tarr, Tom O'hallaran, Troy Roberts, Dane Anderson, Des White, Jeremy Grieg, Matt Jodrell), Barney McAll, LC Salsa, Los Chasquis, Latin Fusion, was a founding member of WAADA (now Akwaaba) , Mike Pigneguy, Glynn MacDonald, with Russell Borrows in Odai Nmai's group, WAAPA's award winning Defying Gravity, WAAPA Latin Music Ensemble, Brenda Lee, Mohamed Bangoura, Ziggy Bey Jan, Glenn Shorrock (Little River Band) in the Perth Concert Hall, Percussion Group Wongai and Grace Barbe.
Last year famous Australian Jazz pianist Barney McAll has performed music from his new CD ‘Mother of Dreams and Secrets’, (which was recorded in Cuba and in New York) at the Perth Jazz Society and Freddy was invited and honoured to be the conguero for Barney’s concert.
Freddy also conducts djembe and conga drumming workshops (check www.wongai.com.au), teaches at the Drum Shop in Perth and has worked and is still working with organisations such as CanTeen, Telethon, UWA WAAPA, Perth Jazz Society and Camp Quality.
Freddy is also working together with an organisation called “The Drum cafe” based in Sydney. The Drum Café facilitates Drum teambuilding sessions throughout Australia and the world. and the world.
Over the last years Freddy has organised a successful Drum Camp called “Back to the Roots” in Jarrahdale WA . Together with Guinean Master Drummer Mohamed Bangoura from Sydney workshops are being held in traditional Djembe drumming, Dance and Afro Cuban drumming. Mohamed Bangoura acknowledged Freddy’s talent and appointed him as a Djembe instructor in traditional Guinean rhythms for his Djembe Kan (the sound of Djembe) organisation!
He has been working over the last years with WAAPA’s award winning percussion group Defying Gravity and performed with the WAAPA Latin Music ensemble at the Perth Jazz Society. Freddy is also a guest lecturer for Latin and West African Percussion at WAAPA on a regular basis.
Freddy is currently (semi) endorsed by LP (Latin Percussion) and is available for workshops/private tuition at the Drumshop’s Academy Drums . Freddy is currently working on a solo CD and has been producing an interactive DVD and a CD with Mohamed Bangoura on traditional Guinean Rhythms and Chants. Check www.djembekan.net.
Freddy has been twice to Guinea over the last years to intensify his studies in West African percussion and producing music with local artists.
Freddy is happy to be playing kit again with Grace Barbe and is looking forward to more gigs an recordings with these fantastic musicians.
www.freddyponcin.com for more info.
Sally Quealy
Keyboards and vocals
Sally studied classical piano from an early age and two years trumpet before winning a scholarship to Churchlands Special Music School, where she studied flute and piano. She moved to Methodist Ladies' College, touring to Melbourne with the MLC Choir. Sally then moved to Zimbabwe for three years where she completed her secondary education. She travelled within Southern Africa for a year before returning to Australia to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts at Curtin University, receiving the prize for Excellence in Jewellery and Metal at her graduation in 1991. She then worked as a freelance jeweller in Sydney and Perth until 1995.
Sally joined Sundiata Marimba Band in 1992. The band enjoyed great success nationally, before travelling to Zimbabwe to study traditional Shona music for six months. Sally then co-managed and sponsored two musicians from Zimbabwe, Yonah Zhoya and George Joe, to come to Perth, and later formed African Music Congress.
Sally's skills in promotions and administration helped earn this band national acclaim through maintaining a high profile both locally and nationally. They were awarded five WAMI Awards for Most Popular Original World Music Act, from 1998 - 2002. They were also nominated Best World Music Act for the National World Music Awards in 2000.
Other bands include:
Carimakan Gamelan (Indonesian Gamelan music) '94 - 2000 Deredjeff Dubar (West African percussion) '94 - '98
Tatenda Africa (Mbira / Guitar music) '94 - '96
Shona Music Ensemble (Marimba group) '97 - 98
Sally currently performs with Shangara Jive and Grace Barbe. She has had extensive training in vocals, keyboards, and percussion, as well as African music and reggae. Her Mauritian heritage makes performing with Grace Barbe a very personally rewarding experience.