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As part of our preparations for our 20th anniversary weekend (June 4-5, 2016), we present a small series of alumni profiles, celebrating the profound and enduring role Kokopelli plays in the lives of many of its choristers.

Rathi Kumar
London, U.K.
Kokopelli 1998-2002
Òran 2002-08
’Nuf Sed 1999-2008

I started singing in Kokopelli when I was 14 years old. Looking back, I could never have foreseen the impact this organization would have on my life.

I found out about the choir during the Fringe in the summer of ’98. I was there with a couple of friends I grew up with and an a cappella group made up of current and past singers from Kokopelli/Vic were performing (I think they were called ‘The Polyesters’... I’m sure Jenica will remember!). That was the first time I’d really heard a cappella music in that format and I just knew that I wanted to sing like that in harmony with people. I had a chat with Jason St. Laurent (former Polyester and Kokopelli alumnus) after their performance and he told me about Kokopelli and how to sign up for an audition.

I still remember how badly I wanted to be a part of this group, even though I had yet to hear the choir perform. It speaks to the way each member of the organisation really draws you in and makes you feel like you are a part of something bigger than anything you could have previously imagined. Of course, much of that has to do with Scott Leithead and his willingness to be excellent and inclusive at the same time (an attitude he passes along to everyone fortunate enough to cross his path). The music education I received while singing in his choirs fuelled my passion  to study music in university and gave me the skills to marry the emotional aspects of music with the technical.

I now live in London, England and work in an amazing venue called the Roundhouse, which puts on music, circus and theatre productions in a historic 1847 railway building. The Roundhouse also subsidizes creative projects for young people aged 11–25 and gives them exclusive use of the studios beneath our main space.

I am a project manager by day, but by night I am the assistant director of the Roundhouse Choir, a project run through the Paul Hamlyn Roundhouse Studios for 16–25 year olds. Through my involvement in the Roundhouse Choir, I have been fortunate enough to work with popular music stars such as Imogen Heap, Mark Ronson, Boy George, Heaven 17, Sam Lee, Spiritualized, Jamie Cullum and now most recently Camille O’Sullivan, as well as conductors and composers such as Eriks Esenvalds, Steven Layton and Hugh Brunt. I am confident these opportunities would not have presented themselves had I not gained a monumental amount of choral experience singing in Kokopelli and Oran.

I currently sing (and serve as treasurer) in a choir called Sound. I also sit on the board of directors of an organization called Voices Now, which puts on choral festivals every other year and is promoting a movement in the UK to get as many people singing in choirs as possible. Through these avenues I have heard countless choirs from across the country, and I can say with confidence that what is happening in Edmonton, Alberta in the Kokopelli Choir Association is a very rare and precious thing. I feel privileged to have been part of it.

I truly believe that this organization made me the person I am today and for that I am grateful. It has also given me a community of friends like no other, who I miss dearly and can’t wait to be reunited with at the 20th anniversary.

As part of our preparations for our 20th anniversary weekend (June 4-5, 2016), we present a small series of alumni profiles, celebrating the profound and enduring role Kokopelli plays in the lives of many of its choristers.

Matheus Tuhafeni Michael
Swakopmund, Namibia
Exchange chorister to Kokopelli, 2009

I first met Kokopelli on their second tour to Namibia. I was a member of Mascato Coastal Youth Choir at the time, and we had beautiful concerts together.  In 2008 Scott Leithead returned to Namibia on sabbatical, working with Mascato and other choirs around Namibia. During that trip, Scott also formed the nin’jazz ensemble, which I joined.

At that point I was still in high school. I had many ambitions for my life, but my great-grandmother who raised me had just passed away at that time and I was living alone. I became a bit lost in my own world.

When I came to Canada in 2009 on exchange to Kokopelli, it was the first time I had spent an extended period away from Namibia and in particular Swakopmund, my hometown. In Canada, everything was very new and exciting, and I met great people everywhere I went. Until that point in my life I had always been very shy, but the exchange put me in a position where I was not only representing myself, but Mascato and Kokopelli as well. In those six months, I learned a lot about myself, people, and community through music.

I’m currently studying towards a BA Music at The Free State University in South Africa. The turning point came when I rejoined Kokopelli for its 2013 tour of South Africa and Swaziland. One night after a performance I had a chat in Scott’s room, with Cieran and Mxolisi and Scott. When I left that room, my life was on a new path (I never told them this). For this and many more life opportunities I can thank my Kokopelli family and Scott himself.

Since then, I have earned a diploma in Tourism, Travel and Hospitality management from the International University of Management and an Advanced Diploma in African Performing Arts from the College of The Arts. In 2015 I represented the College of The Arts at the Singing and Dance symposium for African folk music and dance held in Nanjing, China and later that year got invited to tour with Spirit ensemble to China, taking part in the 15th Nanjing Arts and Culture Festival.

I really want to take this opportunity to thank everyone from Kokopelli. You have played a big role in shaping my life. Ondapandula (“I’m thankful” in Oshiwambo).

As part of our preparations for our 20th anniversary weekend (June 4-5, 2016), we present a small series of alumni profiles, celebrating the profound and enduring role Kokopelli plays in the lives of many of its choristers.

Keith Rempel
Kokopelli member 03/04–Dec. 2006’
Nuf Sed member03/04–04/05
TIME bassist 03/04–10/11

When I first moved to Edmonton in 2003, Kokopelli and the TIME Association jazz choirs became a huge part of my life. It was my first time living on my own, but the open and supportive nature of the Kokopelli community made the transition much easier. Within a few months I made several lifelong friends. Choir parents regularly offered me rides, home-cooked meals, and in some cases a temporary home.

The lessons I learned in Kokopelli have been invaluable to my career as a freelance bassist. The vocal instruction offered by the choir helped me become a better harmony singer. This has been a great asset to me in a number of bands. In addition to vocal technique, my time in Kokopelli taught me a lot about acceptance and working with others.

I still live in Edmonton, making my living as a professional musician. I play a wide variety of music, including jazz, Latin, and folk. Music has taken me everywhere from Santiago, Chile, to Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan. It has given me the means to support myself in a career that I love.

Without the encouragement of Scott Leithead and the Kokopelli/TIME choir community I may never have made the life-altering decision to study music at Grant MacEwan. I am forever grateful for my good memories and enduring friendships rooted in the Kokopelli organization.