ZIKINA

Mansfield resident Gideon Ampeire has been performing internationally for almost 20 years as a bandleader, instrumentalist, singer, dancer, educator, and master instrument maker. For over a decade, he has been the leader of Echo Uganda, a group that has spread traditional Ugandan folk music throughout the northeast US and beyond, including an appearance at the United Nations.

In 2015, Gideon met up with western MA producer and guitarist Mike Cardozo, who has performed and recorded for nearly a decade in a variety of acts. Gideon and Mike shared the bond of having studied West African drumming at Wesleyan University under legendary professor Abraham Adzenyah.

Berklee School of Music graduate Roston Kirk and CT drummer Kurt Eisele-Dyrli rounded out the group, and what began as a casual set of jam sessions started to progress into something special that stretched musical boundaries in a unique way.

Today, Zikina forges ahead, continuing to imaginatively blend Gideon's musical and cultural heritage with the wide palette of sounds and ideas that each member brings to the table.