Iye Echa is a composer, cultural analyst, writer, bandleader and fitness enthusiast. As a musician, Echa plays the alto, tenor and soprano saxophones alongside the kalimba - a modern variation of the Shona mbira. He also sings occasionally to accompany his kalimba playing.
Nigerian-born and residing in Utrecht, the Netherlands, Echa is a prolific composer. He has recorded and presented more than 10 albumshttps://iyeecha.bandcamp.com/. As an artist, Echa enjoys performing in various settings; solo, duo and in groups.
Like most reed specialists, Echa began his studies on reed instruments first on the clarinet while studying in South Africa. In South Africa, Echa received lessons from Jeff Judge an English reed specialist teaching at St Anne’s College in Pietermaritzburg. This later gave way to the saxophones, beginning with the alto. After years of playing only the alto, he moved on to the tenor and later to the soprano saxophones. While in South Africa, he played in pop, dance and South African jazz bands. His fascination for improvised music would later grow, and Echa has continuously subjected himself to a serious study of his instruments to achieve mastery.
Echa currently leads his trio called Echa's Trio , which is comprised of trumpeter/keyboardist Henk van Zeijts, a recognised voice on the trumpet around Utrecht and leader of the jazz/funk group Crashmen. On percussion is Guinean-born percussionist Kharifa Camara, also known in the Utrecht jazz scene and passionate about African percussion and improvised music. The trio presents composed/improvised music full of excitement, risk-taking and beauty. The trio’s music is fresh and enchanting; it draws you in and takes you on a voyage through the rural landscape of Africa and Western Europe. The trio's most recent album is Organic Sounds.
Echa is also a personal trainer in his city. His passion for music is comparable to his affection for fitness. According to him, the discipline a musician requires to be proficient is similar to what it takes to lead an active, fit life.
