Joachim Cooder

Songs about longing, love, plants, and the inner life of inanimate objects

Joachim Cooder (CA)

He grew up surrounded by music. His dad, the legendary Ry Cooder, took him on the road starting at an early age. First he was a viewer, and then in his early teens, he toured as a player.

Joachim Cooder’s first instrument was the drums, playing with Ry both live and in the studio. The touring and recording projects allowed him to share stages and recordings, and rub shoulders with the likes of Johnny Cash, Ali Farka Touré , V. M. Bhatt, Steve Earle, John Lee Hooker, Dr. John, Nick Lowe, and, most notably, the Buena Vista Social Club. Over the years Joachim has maintained this close relationship with his father, while solidifying his reputation as a lyrical drummer, and branching out on projects of his own.

He’s produced Carly Ritter’s (Tex Ritter’s granddaughter) self-titled debut album, and composed the score for films like the cult surf classic Shelter and Charged: The Eduardo Garcia Story, which recently premiered at The Santa Barbara Film Festival (Winner, Audience Choice Award). His collaborations have taken him into the world of dance where he teamed up with choreographer Daniel Ezralow (Across The Universe, Spider Man: Turn The Dark Off ) to compose and perform live in an Ezralow Dance career retrospective.

But when his wife and long-time collaborator, Juliette Commagere, became pregnant he began writing and singing his own songs. “We were in Nashville to produce a friend’s record in January – it was snowing – every morning I would wake up and play my electric mbira I brought through a little amp and start singing,” Joachim says. It became the beginning of his solo project and eventual EP titled “Fuchsia Machu Picchu”.

The songs are about longing, love, plants, and the inner life of inanimate objects. The sound is very much inspired by the world of music he grew up with. “I’m always hearing some sort of defunct cosmic ice cream truck in my head – that’s the sound I’m after with my mbiras and tank drums and other tuned percussion. Hopefully people will get that.”

It sounds pretty amazing – so yes, we think we’ll get it!

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