FOCUS wanted to give voice to those without whom music would be impossible: percussionists. Two drummers with very different origins, Leeyo on the drums and Engué, are talking about their profession and their shared passion.
LEEYO ON THE DRUMS
Born on the island, Leonardo Richardson, aka Leeyoon the drums, was introduced to music at the age of 13 during church. He fell in love with the drums and has learnt how to play on his own for a few years before going on stage for the first time on the impulse of saxophonist Connis Vanterpool. Leonardo Richardson rapidly became a professional musician and accompanied lots of artists. He toured Europe and America alongside international artists such as Jimmy Buffet, Lady Saw, Oswald, Yannick Noah or MC Solaar. In St. Martin, the drummer has been in every major venue and is working with a lot of bands and artists like SMS Experience, Remo and the Barbwire band or Kenyo Baly.
How was your first contact with drums?
LEEYO ON THE DRUMS: It was at church; I was 13 years old. I was watching the drummer and I thought: “I need to learn this”. I was immediately attracted by this instrument, like an electrifying force! This guy showed me the basics and I started self-learning. I’ve never wanted to play any other instrument.
What style(s) do you master the most?
I can play almost any style: RnB, Latin music, Funk, Rock, Soca, Reggae, Disco…. I play with lots of musicians so I have to be as versatile as possible. Each style is different with its own spirit and vibe, I respect that.
What are your influences, or your idols?
Aaron Spears, Brian Frasier-Moore, and any creative drummer.
Is the sense of rhythm something innate or acquired?
Both. I think some things come to you naturally, but that you are really comfortable with styles you have been exposed to. Here, in St.Martin, we are lucky to be immersed in many cultures, many musical genres, it’s a real melting pot and it facilitates some learnings.
Is drumming easy or hard to learn?
I would say that it’s rather hard because you have to separate your mind from your limbs, to create a control that is not natural. But I think you can never completely master the instrument, there is always something to learn.
According to you, which musical style is the hardest to learn?
The last one I have learnt is Latin music. I have spent hours listening to it in order to be the most respectful and authentic possible regarding the music. Once again, I think it’s harder when you haven’t grown up surrounded by this type of music.
You can sometimes think that the drummer is somehow put in the shade despite his essential role. Have you ever felt this way?
No, I think each band member complements the others. We are all equally important. If I stop playing, people will notice and will stop dancing. I have never felt that I was in the shade, I play drums because I love it, it’s a real passion.
Would you have any advice for a youngster who is starting on the drums?
Do it for the love of drums, do it because you feel that you need to. And respect this art.
ENGUÉ
Enguerrand Munch-Prevel, aka Engué, grew up in a family of artists in Alsace, between a musician father and a comedian mother. At 6 years old, he took his first drum lessons and at 14, he started his first Grunge music band, Vivage. The young band was scouted right away by Team Nowhere’s manager, a collective of French nu metal. Later on, Engué created Baby Brings Bad News where he was on guitar, then Mud Dogs where he got back behind the drums. The musician quickly became professional and alternated concerts and a roadie’s job for great French artists such as Alain Souchon, Michel Sardou or Les Enfoirés. He toured all over France, Belgium, Switzerland and Germany, being the first part of French artists such as Les Insus, Superbus, Vegastar or Empyre, but also American artists like Ron Thal or Nashville Pussy. In 2018, Engué settled in St.Martin where his wife is from. He’s now Squall’s drummer and Spicy Roses’ guitarist.
How was your first contact with drums?
ENGUÉ: My parents were former hippies. We were living in a house deep in the forest where lots of people were gathering. They were working during the day and playing music at night. At 4 or 5 years old, I used to look at the drum set as if it was a shining spaceship and I wanted to be behind this spaceship. I started taking lessons at 6 years old.
What style(s) do you master the most?
From the age of 6 to 13 years old, drums were just an extracurricular activity. At 14, I met my first buddies and we started a grunge band. You could say that at that age, I turned Rock and I’ve never ever quit (laughs)!
What are your influences, or your idols?
Johan Boham of Led Zeppelin, Dave Grohl of Nirvana, Stewart Copeland of The Police, Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine, to name a few. For the most part, these drummers are tinged with groove, that’s what I like: drummers with subtleties in their game and not those who tap for the purpose of tapping.
Is the sense of rhythm something innate or acquired?
I don’t believe it’s innate. Most people get it quite naturally, but it’s mostly something you have to work on. Talent is not enough, it’s a question of will.
Is drumming easy or hard to learn?
I would say that the first approach to the instrument is rather easy because it’s gestural and rhythmic. We all have something instinctive for drumming. Look at babies, they rapidly start drumming on anything around them. So, it's easier to get a result with a drum set than with any other instrument. However, to be good at it, one has to work.
According to you, which musical style is the hardest to learn?
You can take on any style the easy way or you can take on any style the complex way. Jazz, Rock… any style can be very basic or very cerebral.
You can sometimes think that the drummer is somehow put in the shade despite his essential role. Have you ever felt this way?
I used to have this feeling when I was 16, but when you become professional, you notice that there is enough for everyone. According to me, the drummer is the cornerstone of the band. All the rhythmics is made around the bass drum. A bad band with a good drummer can operate. A good band with a bad drummer cannot operate. And when you start going on big stages, everybody is standing, but you, you are on your throne above the crowd. Honestly, it's the best spot (laughs)!
Would you have any advice for a youngster who is starting on the drums?
Do not hesitate. To begin with, it makes you feel good! It’s very nurturing and it opens fields of encounters.
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