Ian de Souza
Born in Kampala, Uganda into a musical family, Ian has had music as his constant companion his entire life.
Becoming a professional musician 35+ years ago sealed the relationship, and there was no looking back. Since then, Ian has traveled the world as a touring musician, having performed venues and festivals on almost every continent, in as many idioms.
In the early-mid 90’s, during the height of advertising music boom, he joined the fray as a session bass player, adding his distinctive style to over 150 TV and radio ‘jingles’. In the early 00’s Ian honed and added his production and composition skills and brought them to his life long love affair with music. Composing, arranging and producing music for and with amongst others, Toronto-based instrumental band Sisters Euclid (with whom he won an Juno and National Jazz Award) and electronica duo, LAL.
More recently Ian has composed music for film (including the score for Vikram Dasgupta’s internationally acclaimed, multi-award-winning short, Calcutta Taxi). Leaving no creative stone unturned, Ian also produced music for theatre earning him a Dora Mavor Moore nomination for Anita Majumdar’s one-woman play, Misfit. Ian has also composed music for dance, contributing several works for his wife, dancer, Joanna de Souza’s Chhandam Dance Company. In 2017/18 Ian’s compositions for dance will drive the collaboration between Chhandam Dance and Regina’s heralded contemporary dance troupe, Fada Dance. This collaborative work FINITE, is set to tour India and across Canada in 2017/18.