This accomplished musician describes his music as transcending labels, rather a response to the various musical genres and influences that have been part of his trajectory.
Poso is well known as an accomplished musician, in fact, he is a multi-instrumentalist, particularly known for his mastery of percussion. He is also the director of Yoruba Soul Orchestra, a talented composer and, if that didn’t suffice as evidence of his musical talent, he is also a popular DJ.
Poso was born in Sardinia surrounded by Mediterranean waters, the son of an Italian military father who was stationed there for several years. When he was 10 years of age his family moved back to their beautiful home city of Lecce in Puglia where Poso has now chosen to reside with his own family.
Poso credits some of his open approach to music and outlook in life to his upbringing. He describes his father as rather ‘atypical’ of what would be considered un militare (a miliary man). His father would spend his free time painting and listening to music amongst other creative pursuits. He relates a household that was filled with jazz, soul and Afro-Latin music rather than focussed solely on Italian music.
A turning point in his young adventures into music was finding Stevie Wonder’s albums amongst the family collection. The complexity and musical genius of Wonder’s compositions set him alight with curiosity and inspiration.
He gravitated towards percussion and the distinctive sound of timba, however, he struggled to find a way to nurture his musical passion until his path led to the famous Roberto “Marmey” Evangelisti. At the age of 18 he studied at the Scuola Timba di Roma (Rome Timba School) under the tutelage of Evangelisti until 2001. He credits his Italian compatriot with the guidance which was to form the foundations for his music career and vision for musical composition.
Completely enthralled by the melodic beat and complexity of musical rhythm of the Afro-Cuban genre, Poso left Rome and made his way to Puerto Rico. He honed his skills at the Interamerican University of Puerta Rico and then moved to Havana, Cuba to continue his studies at the National School of Arts. The rich music and life experiences set Poso up for an impressive career in an eclectic genre of music that has become his musical signature.
In 2008, Poso released his first solo album entitled From the Genuine World produced by Yoruba Records. He collaborated with the famous Grammy Award winning producer, Osunlade. From that pivotal moment he began a series of live performances through the world. Four years later he released his second album, Roots of Soul. This album was awarded Best Jazz Independent Production in 2012.
Another move across the world, this time to Berlin for three years with his wife. It was a period of deep creativity which led to his third album called Invocation. This album was produced, composed, performed, arranged and sung by Poso himself, demonstrating extraordinary talent and musical versatility.
I wanted to free myself from the music industry to express myself rather than be interpreted, to challenge myself. It was almost piece of personal research, I wanted to create something totally authentic, and deeply reflective of my musical positioning at that time.
Incredibly, it took Poso only two weeks to create this album.
A few years later, in 2017, the powerful album The Languages of Tambores was released which showcases his extraordinary flair for percussion and rhythmic sounds. The breadth of his musical curiosity again apparent in the arrangements and fusion of influences.
More recently, the album aptly named Tamburo Infinito was released. It was recorded entirely in his home city of Lecce and again demonstrates the development of Poso’s percussion prowess.
The successful single from the album, La Bola, is guaranteed to elevate everyone’s spirits on the dancefloor. It features sounds from the French-influenced Caribbean and West Indies with exultant rhythms blending horns and deep percussion with syncopated beats.
Poso, now a father of three young boys, is working on a project which will focus on showcasing the stories of Italian maestri di tamburro (masters of percussion), composers and producers who were part of the underground music scene in the 1970s and 1980s.
These figures of the underground often surfaced to be part of popular music culture and were well-known on Rai Uno and Rai Due programs, “however, there was another side to them” explains Poso. The project is to be launched in September this year. Something to look forward to.
Poso’s album productions reveal his own life-musical journey. The various musical-cultural influences are threaded through every chord, every beat, every choice of instrument from clave to tumbao to timbales to ciaxia.
My music reflects my personal pathway, as I evolve as a person, so does my music and vice versa. My approach to musical composition is to strip away everything and let music speak from where I am present at that moment in time.
Poso has a fascinating background which set him on a pathway to music and crafting his own style of Afro-Cuban sounds. This musical mastery has taken him from Lecce to Istanbul, Berlin, London, Paris, Belgium, Canada and now Australia.
It is actually the third time Poso has toured Australia, each time to a growing delighted audience. They may take a moment to wonder how a Pugliese came to be a master of Afro-Cuban music (if it can be labelled as such) – but only for a moment. Once the timbales start and the bass drops, they are in for a fabulous evening.
Next gig: Gabriele Poso is playing on Friday February 16 at the Night Cat in Fitzroy along with Quarter Street Orchestra, DJ Wahl and Carlo Xavier.
