Born: 1987 Primary Instrument: Guitar, electric
Vangthanousone Bouaphanh was born in Vientiane, the capital city of Laos. He only took up the guitar aged 21, after hearing some recorded jazz in a friend's bar. Initially attracted to bossa nova, especially Antonio Carlos Jobim
Antonio Carlos Jobim
1927 - 1994
piano
, Vangthanousone soon became fascinated by straight ahead jazz, and began to study and play the music of saxophonists John Coltrane
John Coltrane
1926 - 1967
saxophone
and Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
1920 - 1955
sax, alto
.
As a guitarist, his main influence is Pat Martino
Pat Martino
b.1944
guitar
, though he is also inspired by Wes Montgomery
Wes Montgomery
1925 - 1968
guitar
and George Benson
George Benson
b.1943
guitar
, and is familiar with the music of Bill Frisell
Bill Frisell
b.1951
guitar
and John Scofield
John Scofield
b.1951
guitar
amongst others.
Vangthanousone's only source of jazz was via the internet, and it was through Face Book that he came across Bangkok-based, American guitarist Ron Cole. Cole became a teacher, mentor and adviser for Vangthanousone, teaching the young Lao guitarist to develop the language of improvisation.
Jazz is a passion for Vangthanousone, and in addition to practicing three hours a day on his guitar, he also checks out jazz videos on You Tube for an hour each day.
Vangthanousone leads a band called Afternoon Blossom, a bossa nova band with vocals sung in Lao. This is the first band in Lao's history to take bossa nova and give it a local twist. The band has already recorded its first single.
It is Vangthanousone's fervent desire to form a jazz band in Vientiane, though in the meantime, he is more than willing to sit in with any visiting jazz musicians to Lao's capital city.
