ARMAND SABAL-LECCO

Born in Ebolowa (Cameroon), bassist and composer Armand Sabal-Lecco (ASL) was first inspired musically by his siblings Roger and Felix, both reputed contributors to their native country's rich musical history. As just a teenager, Armand rose to prominence in mid-‘80s Paris among the pioneering new wave of African musicians who helped redefine the sound of the world music genre. Since then, as a specialist in creating musical bridges between cultures, ASL's artistic savoir- faire has generated both praise and demand from an impressive list of high profile artists including Sir George Martin, Peter Gabriel, Mercedes Sosa, Ringo Star, João Bosco, Ziggy Marley, Manu Dibango among many others. He has composed for world-renowned artists of the stature of Carole King, Jeff Beck, Stewart Copeland and Herbie Hancock.

Featured on Stanley Clarke’s 2011 Grammy Jazz Album of the Year was Armand's piece "Fulani". He has also received NARAS recognition for his outstanding work on the Grammy Awarded albums “Out of the Loop” and "Return of..." by The Brecker Brothers, Paul Simon's “Rhythm of the Saints” and Alejandro Sanz's “Unplugged”. ASL has also contributed as lead singer on feature film hits like Blood Diamonds and advertising campaigns for international brands. Armand's most recent project Positive Army is a strong bass-driven tapestry of contagious songs to celebrate the infusion of African groove alchemy with jazz harmonies. The new “Positive Army” CD (Pamtumatrack, 2012) showcases ASL’s eclectic career and creative influences as well as a tasty cast of international music luminaries as guests.