lord jungalee

I have grown up around the world.
My backbone was formed in New Zealand, independent and determined.
My heart developed in Singapore, active and dreamy.
My feet are planted in Canada, impervious to the cold.
My feelings got entwined with India, willing and open.

I started working at the guitar at age 14, a little after I bought the neck-less body of a guitar from Ron Pitchluk. I tried to refinish this guitar body out of the sight of my Dad as I felt that he would think it silly to buy a guitar without the neck. He caught me painting the guitar body and instead of chiding me for being foolish, he showed me how to sand it smoothly, stain it and then put on a varnish top coat.
This neckless guitar remained so and so for my 14th birthday, my Mum and Dad and 2 of my brothers went to Liquidation World. I can remember that day, very hopeful.

I spent time learning about Jazz music at Mount Royal College in Calgary and Capilano College in Vancouver. Money always seemed to be short then and so I quit post secondary education to work at Joe Fortes restaurant, just off Robson street in downtown Vancouver. It is a large establishment with a set of steep stairs for the serving and bussing staff to reach the upper level from the kitchen. I remember a busy night there, the bus loads of Japanese tourists cracking into plate sized Lobster shells and quickly cleaning thier hands with scented wipes, the empty packets tidily moved to the side. I was in a hyper mode, to clear as many dishes as possible with the least number of trips. I gripped the sides of a ladden bus pan of plates and saucers and tea cups and dirty cutlery and hurried to the top of the steep stair case, my grip-less dress shoes greased with lobster butter. Foot falls rapidly declining the stairs, my dance began 1/3rd of the way down. Like a first year ice skater I fumbled my feet down the stairs, the bus pan in front, my grip to it tight, my body increasing in speed. Joe Fortes' piano player Peter told me later that the crash was so loud that he stopped playing piano for a moment, the shattered plates and tea cups the victims of the impact, my arms slamming them to the foot of the stair case, my body thudding roughly to the bottom steps. It worked out okay. I walked off the incident and got back to work.

That was also the time that I began Tabla training with Satwant Singh, in Surrey and developed a deeper interest in the music of India.

Miles Davis is the base of my musical foundation, I love his melodic lines and use of space.

I also love the great pop music of Technotronic, Ace of Base, Madonna and Justin Timberlake.

AC/DC knits the best Rock music and Nirvanna opened up the door for me to believe in my musical ideas.

I love great bollywood music, new and old.

I enjoy Sheryl Crows' music and like to dive back into the 80's New Wave of Devo.

I really enjoy rap and hip hop, especially Salt N' Pepa, Young MC, Tone Loc, Gang Starr, Snoop Doog, and L.L. Cool J.