VUJADAY

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S.O.S. Artist: Vujaday

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Vujaday – exploring musical soundscapes with new-age, ethereal funk. An industry leader in percussion, Vujaday created his own unique sound by mixing acoustic and electronic instruments in the 70’s, creating his Drum Gun, which was the innovative forerunner of a number of electronic drum and percussion devices used today.

Past performances include music made with notables such as Chuck Rainey, Jonathan Cain. Vujaday has also been technical advisor to Earth, Wind, and Fire, George Duke, and many others.

Pushing his knowledge of musical theory and the pursuit of perfection in percussion, Vujaday now plays a melodic Zendrum personally customized to his specifications – a completely new instrument which allows him to explore his goal of fusing percussion with Melody.

Heading to France for a worthy cause

By Naila Francis
Staff Writer
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A CB East grad and several area musicians are pitching in for youngsters who have cancer. An album and concert will play a major role.

Two years ago, Central Bucks East graduate Jeffrey Klein produced a benefit gospel album to raise money for children with cancer.

Klein, a music producer who lives in France, was inspired to create the album after his own daughter, Lea, was diagnosed at age 3 with bladder cancer.

Now, Lea is in full remission and expected to recover completely.

But Klein still is determined to help the many children he saw suffering from cancer during his frequent visits to the hospital while his daughter was undergoing treatment.

This time around, he's getting some help from across the ocean.

On Tuesday, Paul Fine, principal designer with Fine Design Assoc. of Doylestown, Jeff Bichaylo and Bernie Capodici of Ersatz Endeavors, a music production company also based in Doylestown, and several area musicians will be in Tours, France, for a benefit concert to support a new gospel album featuring French and American artists.

Proceeds from both the album and the concert -to be held at the 2,000-seat Vinci International Convention Centre in Tours -will benefit L'Association Des Enfant Leucemiques or L'ADEL, the Association for Children with Cancer.

"These children are very brave to confront this terrible illness," says Klein, "and we all have something to learn from their courage."

Funds from sales of the last album he produced were used to help children take day trips to attractions such as Euro Disney, Parc Asterix and Futuroscope.

According to Bichaylo, Klein wanted more of an American flavor to the second gospel CD, so he contacted his friends back home.

The music tracks were laid down here while Klein arranged for a French choir to sing over them in France.

The results, says Bichaylo, are a "gospel-oriented, funk-type of thing" -a combination of traditional music and gospel standards updated with a fresh, jazz-inflected groove.

In addition to Bichaylo, who played the organ for the CD, and Capodici, who provided percussion, other local musicians included Chris Rickert of Doylestown on piano and base player Gary Rivenson of Ottsville.

Rickert and Rivenson won't be making it to Tours, but Bichaylo and Capodici will, as will Fine, who will design and produce the lighting for the concert.

A group of musicians from Philadelphia also will travel with the longtime friends to join the French choir on stage.

Fine, whose company does theatrical lighting designs for trade show exhibits, meetings and other business-related events, is excited by the prospect of trying his hand at something new.

"I don't get a chance to do this concert kind of lighting," he says, "so I pretty much plan on going wild. But, really, we're just a small part of this. Jeffrey is doing this all for his daughter and their friends, and I'm just happy to help out."

Sunday, December 9, 2001