Tiga Jean-Baptiste is a multi-talented and accomplished young Haitian musician. Born into a family deeply rooted in traditional Afro-Haitian music, Tiga is continuing his family legacy, while embracing music of other lands. Tiga began drumming beside his father Bonga, a master of the Haitian drum. He accompanied Bonga throughout the Haitian countryside, learning many different regional drumming styles. While in his early teens, Tiga studied jazz with renowned Haitian jazz saxophonist Thurgot Theodat from whom he quickly learned circular breathing technique that enhanced his skills on Haitian bamboo, tin horns (called vaksinn koné), didjeridoo.
Within a few short years of picking up the Shona Mbira, Tiga exhibited such skill and mastery he caught the attention of Zimbabwe’s greatest exponents the Shona mbira, Thomas Mapfumo and Stella Chiweshe with whom he performed and trained respectively. He has already established himself as an illustrious sideman and session musicians. To date Tiga has performed with Grace Jones, Urban Tap, Emeline Michele, John Legend, Jean-Paul Bourelly, Mozayik and Buyu Ambroise in addition to his core membership in Bonga & the Vodou Drums of Haiti. In 2000, he was invited to Japan with the Tet Kale Orchestra.
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