FRED SUMI
Bass player - Producer
BASS PLAYER
Fred Sumi was born on 18 November 1974 in Geneva. He started playing electric bass at the age of 16. Fred loves the groove and has a warm and deep bass sound. In 1995, he studied at the EJMA (Ecole de Jazz et de Musique Actuelles, Lausanne). The same year, he took private bass lessons in Havana, Cuba. Since this stay, he has been passionate about Cuban music, especially about the music style timba.
Fred has played with many different bands in a wide variety of styles: soul-funk, jazz, son, salsa, African music. Fred specializes in playing the bass of Cuban music. He plays also the baby bass.
Fred has performed on numerous stages in Switzerland and abroad: Batofar in Paris, Cargo Club in London, Cielo Club in New York, La Batuta in Chile, he opened for Faithless, Jamie Lidell and Gotan Project. He toured two times in Cuba with the band SUMO: Habanarte Festival (2016) and Cubadisco (2017). Fred has played bass in various bands including Thaïs Diarra (afro-soul), Professor Wouassa (afrobeat). He has recorded the bass on the albums of various artists including Elvett (electro-pop).
PRODUCER
His career as a bass player and as a producer are two aspects that characterize him, both enriching and influencing each other.
Fred initiated the project EDKUB in 2018. The project builds a bridge between Cuban and electronic music and is the result of friendship and collaboration with great Cuban musicians during several recording sessions in Havana. Since his first stay in Cuba in 1995, Fred Sumi has been passionate about Cuban music, especially about the musical style timba. EDKUB arose from his love for Cuban grooves, blending them with warm electronic sounds. EDKUB's debut album YAYA was released in June 2022.
In 1999, Fred Sumi formed with his brother Alex Sumi the band SUMO and the label Chiz Records. With more than twenty years of experience as a producer, Fred has composed and produced five albums of SUMO. His productions have been praised by the press (Les Inrocks, Trax), were played on worldwide radio stations (BBC Gilles Peterson Worldwide, Nova) and published on various compilations along with Laurent Garnier and Moby. Fred left SUMO at the end of 2021 to devote himself completely to EDKUB.