Meet Te’Amir Sweeney

Today we’d like to introduce you to Te’Amir Sweeney.

Heavily involved in the hip-hop, beat making, jazz and soul scenes, he has toured and recorded with Aloe Blacc for the last ten years and played alongside artists such as Kamasi Washington, YG and Kendrick Lamar. Brought up in Venice Beach, California, Te’Amir Sweeney was born into a musical family where both his parents played instruments, sang, and collected records and instruments.

His early memories are perforated with the sounds of living room jams performed with guitars, congas, and tambourine and the Ethiopian music his father played to him. “My father is from Ethiopia,” Te’Amir explains. “He would play me recordings of traditional music and hits from the Golden Era when I was a kid. They were my connection to Ethiopia. I loved it.” Influenced by the sounds he grew up with, Te’Amir’s music has been inspired by the greats of reggae, blues, jazz and pop such as Bob Marley, Burning Spear, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Michael Jackson.

His mother, a prolific singer, and songwriter who composed and sung throughout his childhood introduced him to instruments like guitar, dulcimer, and concertina. His sound has also been shaped by his father’s Ethiopian origins, and the musical influences he brought from there such as Mulatu Astatke—the father of Ethio-jazz. Other sounds of his childhood that have stayed with him are the folk-rock sounds of Paul Simon and Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, as well as the blues icons Lead Belly and John Lee Hooker.

Te’Amir’s practice is informed by his classical training, along with the contemporary hip-hop and soul artists he has performed with over the last ten years. As well as playing with Aloe Blacc, Kendrick Lamar and Kamasi Washington, Te’Amir has performed with Kadhja Bonet, Ethio Cali, Mark de Clive-Lowe, YG, Kamaiyah, Kelis, Sahr Ngaujah (Fela! Musical Off-Broadway), Allen Stone, Shafiq Husayn, Quantic, Tewodros Tadesse, and K.Roosevelt.

He highlights his ten years with Aloe Blacc as a particularly important period in his musical career that graced him with wonderful memories like opening for Bruno Mars on a stadium tour in 2014. Te’Amir’s music has so far gained recognition from tastemakers such as Jeremy Sole (KCRW) and Garth Trinidad (KCRW), producer and DJ Carlos Niño, Mochilla, Red Bull Music Academy, and Okayplayer. Signed to UK-based label Tru Thoughts, Te’Amir released two EPs on the imprint in 2018 featuring musicians he has met throughout his career.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think my biggest challenge has been navigating the business of music. It’s difficult making a living as an artist, especially as a musician. The industry and landscape is oversaturated, and it can be challenging to stand out. There are so many incredible and talented musicians out there who can be supported more meaningfully.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I am a professional musician and composer based in Los Angeles. I specialize in drums/percussion production for live and studio recording and also make my own music. I have some self-released projects like “LA Soul” and “Favela.” Currently, I have two projects released on Tru Thoughts called ‘Abyssinia’ & ‘Abyssinia Rise,’ which are inspired by my Ethiopian heritage. I’ve also collaborated on a project called ‘Circle’ with LA-based producer Professor H, which will be released on vinyl this February through Common Good Records. We brought together some of our favorite LA musicians, including my brother Tutu Sweeney, Computer Jay, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Jimetta Rose, and more, to create live interpretations of our beats during a three-day session at Red Bull Studios in LA.

Currently, I’m scoring a feature-length documentary called ‘Crutch,’ as well as playing bass guitar with Def Jam artist K.Roosevelt.

What was an important moment that paved the way for your career?
I think a big moment for me was meeting Aloe Blacc. We both got called in for a recording session with another artist. I was there recording percussion, and Aloe was adding trumpet. Soon after, I heard his CD ‘Shine Through’ and reached out to him letting him know I loved the music and would like to play together. I got the chance to put together a band for him in 2007 for the Stones Throw Anniversary show at the El Rey, and we’ve been working together since. A special moment was during his 2011 North American tour, where my brother Tutu Sweeney and I were the opening act as ‘The Brothers Band.’

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.teamir-music.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamir/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teamir
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Te_Afrika

Image Credit:
Farah Sosa

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