Efajemue facts for kids

Efajemue "Efa" Etoroma Jr. (born August 3, 1988) is a talented Canadian jazz musician. He is best known for his 2021 album Aesthetics. This album was nominated for a Juno Award in 2022. The Juno Awards are like the Grammy Awards for Canadian music.

Efa is an amazing drummer. People have compared his drumming style to famous drummers like Brian Blade and Tony Williams. He also gets ideas from modern drummers and music producers. Efa has played drums for many bands. These include Moonchild, Sneakout, and Common Souls.

Today, Efa lives in Los Angeles, California. He teaches music at different colleges there. He has also released several albums. His music mixes jazz with hip hop and rhythm and blues styles.

Early Life and Music Start

Efajemue Etoroma Jr. was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He grew up mostly in Edmonton, Alberta. His father, Efa Etoroma Sr., is a professor at Concordia University of Edmonton.

Efa started playing drums when he was very young. He took music lessons in his hometown. He became very interested in jazz music as a teenager. After high school, he went to McGill University in Montreal. He studied Jazz Performance there. He earned his music degree in 2011.

Later, Efa continued his studies in California. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in 2015. This was from the California Institute for the Arts. At this school, he became even better at playing music. He learned about hand percussion, writing music, and electronic music.

Music Career Highlights

Efa always loved music as he grew up. His family was very musical. His father, who plays guitar, showed him many different kinds of music. Efa started with piano lessons. Then, in junior high, he switched to drums.

He quickly became very good at the drums. He won many awards for his musical skills. These awards included "Most Outstanding Drummer" at a big music festival. He also received a scholarship to a music college. He was chosen to play in special bands, like the Yamaha All-Star band. He even performed at the Montreal Drumfest in 2011.

College Years and New Bands

After high school, Efa went to McGill University in Montreal. He studied Jazz Performance there. This is where he really improved his drumming. He also started to develop as a music producer and band leader.

Efa explored many different music styles. He created several music groups. One group was called Ruckus. It mixed hip-hop, jazz, and funk music. He also led his own group, the Efa Etoroma Jr. Trio. This trio released an album called Before and After. The group also performed at the Montreal International Jazz Festival in 2011. They were nominated for two awards at the festival that year.

Learning from a Jazz Legend

In 2012, Efa moved to California. He went to the California Institute of The Arts for his master's degree. There, he learned from Joseph LaBarbera. Joseph LaBarbera is a very famous jazz drummer. He played with the jazz legend Bill Evans.

Teaching and Touring

Since 2015, Efa has worked as a professional musician. He is a session drummer, which means he plays drums for recordings. He is also an educator, teaching music to others. And he is a touring drummer, playing live shows with different artists.

Efa has taught at colleges like California State University Dominguez Hills. He also taught at the Musician's Institute. He teaches drum set, music production, and how to use music software like Ableton. He also creates online lessons for musicians.

Efa has toured and performed in many places. He has played in the United States, Europe, and Asia. He often tours with the neo-soul band Moonchild.

On March 1, 2022, Efajemue received his first Juno nomination. This was for his 2021 album Aesthetics. The album has eight songs. He released it himself on November 2, 2021.