BIO

Pierre Vaiana

Soprano sax specialist since the first days of his exposure to music in Liege, Belgium. Studies with saxophone master Jacques Pelzer, then soprano sax legend Steve Lacy, got a scholarship to study in New York with Joe Lovano. Graduates from Long Island University in Brooklyn. After a few years back in Belgium he moves to Burkina Faso from 1995 to 2000. After exploring jazz African roots with his band Foofango for several years (grant from Spes Foundation) and two cd's "Foofango" and "Sarfalao", he starts focusing on the Mediterranean as an open space of cultural exchange and discovers his own Sicilian heritage. He elaborates and develops the project "Funduq" for several years (grant from the Anna Lindh Foundation). Several cd's "Funduq al Mughannîin", "Al Funduq", "I Cantori di Bagheria", "Itinerari Siciliani" (with Salvatore Bonafede), "Amuri & Spiranza" and most recently “Camera Obscura”. He is awarded the "DjangodOr" prize for his career in 2010.