Armand Sabal-Lecco

Born in Ebolowa, Cameroon, bassist and composer Armand Sabal-Lecco was first inspired musically by his siblings Roger (bass, guitar, multi-instrumentalist) and Felix (drums, multi-instrumentalist), reputed contributors to their native country’s rich musical history. As a teenager, Armand rose to prominence in the mid-‘80s in Paris among the pioneering new wave of African musicians who helped redefine the sound of the world music genre.

Since then, as a specialist in creating musical bridges between cultures, Armand’s artistic savoir faire has generated both praise and demand from artists including Sir George Martin, Peter Gabriel, Mercedes Sosa, Ringo Star, João Bosco, Ziggy Marley, Manu Dibango among many others. He has composed for Carole King, Jeff Beck, Stewart Copeland, and Herbie Hancock. Featured on Stanley Clarke’s 2011 Grammy Jazz Album of the Year was Armand’s piece “Fulani”. He has also received NARAS recognition for his outstanding work on the Grammy Awarded albums “Out of the Loop” and “Return of…” by The Brecker Brothers, Paul Simon’s “Rhythm of the Saints” and Alejandro Sanz’s “Unplugged”.

Armand recorded the vocals for the track Képéré, sung in Képéré, an eastern Cameroonian dialect, on the feature film Blood Diamonds as well as advertising campaigns for international brands. Armand’s solo project Positive Army, released in 2012, is a bass-driven, African groove alchemy with jazz harmonies and features a cast of international guest artists.