Olmo Cassibba

Olmo Cassibba was born in Sicily on the 6th of May 1985 to a Sicilian father and Scotish mother. He moved to England in 1989.

He took up Indian Tabla at a very young age after watching Blue Peter.

Olmo was home educated for three year and returned to school to complete his GCSEs, which included music and art. At school he recorded an album with a band in which he played bass guitar. He went on to study a BTECH in popular music/Jazz at Exeter College. By now Olmo had begun taking alto sax lessons and this became his main instrument.

He learnt various master drum rhythms to accompany African dance lessons held on the college campus, and later joined a group called Shekare. Who gave African drumming and dance workshops in schools.

His mother, a community choir leader, inspired him further after she returned from studying music in Ghana and in particular they would listen to Late Junction, a world music show on BBC Radio 3.

At this time he joined Sax Appeal, a covers band, playing mainly congas and percussion.

In 2003 he moved to London to study a BAHONS in Jazz at Middlesex University.

The next project would see him joining Cut Collective, a six-piece Latin Jazz/World Music Afro beat band in which he played Alto sax, Tabla and Percussion. They performed at various festivals/venues in and around Bristol. Glastonbury festival was their last gig in 2008.

Quote: ‘The sheer jaw-dropping technical ability and musical prowess of this effervescent Bristol-based six-piece is enough to make your hair stand on end’
(Mike White, Decode magazine, Sept. 2005)

While at University Olmo continued to play Tabla and attend regular Lessons/Workshops with the Raj academy in Southall. He also played traditional Kirtan every Sunday at an Indian Gurudwara.

In the second and third year of his degree Olmo was playing regularly at a Nigerian church in South London, playing gospel music with elements of jazz and Juju/high-life.

Through these diverse channels Olmo has developed a broad understanding of different musical styles along with a deepening knowledge of his own mixed cultural background.

Olmo is currently writing and producing with Oliver Night, a musician/producer who has worked with Roots Manuva, Kid Africa, Batus Novac and many other well established musicians. Together they are looking to release an album of their own material. Influenced by Hip Hop, elements of Jazz, organic Disco and House.

He is also working with a London based French producer, Alain Bremond on a project called MiAOW. Which takes influences from Electro, Jazz and Pop. 

Olmo's musical influences are extremely diverse, they include Jazz, Funk, Hip Hop, Afro Brazilian, Cuban, Soul, Organic, Boogie, Drum 'n' Bass, Deep House, Classical Indian, Electro, Pop, Turkish Psych and the list could go on and on. 

Influential artists include; Soweto Kinch, Kenny Garrett, Finn Peters, Maceo Parker, Wayne Shorter, Michael Brecker, Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderly, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, James Moody, Art Blakey, Louis Armstrong, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, James Brown, Gary Bartz, Steve Coleman, Hermetto Pascoal, Stevie Wonder, Weldon Irvan, Peven Everett, Keith Jarrett, Wynton Marsalis, Chick Corea, Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd, Anindo Chatterjee, Zakir Hussain, Pandit Sharda Sahai, Flying Lotus, Kode9, Rick James, Cameo, Gil Scott-Heron, Fela Kuti, Shuggie Otis, Radiohead, Benji B, Gilles Peterson, Hold Box Flat, Rinse FM, Radio 3. 

Olmo still feels his real passion in Jazz is the idea of a solo, Olmo considers this to be an important aspect of music, as he believes it brings spontaneity and freedom to a structured musical frame work and can transcend someone to a higher level of consciousness.