I grew up in a musical household in New York and became proficient at piano, guitar and trumpet before heading to Varanasi India to study the tabla and Indian Classical Music. Met my wife and moved to Spain where I lived for the past ten years. Besides raising my two young sweet children I built a music studio on the mountaintop and recorded tons of material. I formed the group Kashi Kollective to share with the world my fusion of piano and tabla compositions.
Some great musicians joined me on those albums and we will continue to collaborate. Now I am in North Carolina around my family and am about to start teaching and performing, composing and recording and continuing on this funny little path of life!
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Kashi Kollective
Released 'The Space Between' in 2008
Released 'Shadow & Light' in 2010
both are available on our website:
www.kashikollective.com
bio
I grew up in a house filled with classical music. My mom is still a piano teacher and with her horse whip kept me at the piano at least an hour a day. I don't regret a minute of it. In school I joined the bands playing trumpet, which led me to university where I was in a touring jazz big band. Before all of that I picked up the electric guitar, became apart of a teenage garage band and traveled around in leather jackets and snake skin boots.
In my early twenties I decided I needed some fresh inspiration for my music so I headed off to India where I fell in love with the tabla. A north Indian classical drum, they are much more than any other drum I had seen. They accompany all instrumentalists and vocalists, if you have heard Indian music than you have heard tabla. I spent five years coming and going from Varanasi India where I stayed in a small room with a local family, practicing up to six hours a day, every day for six months at a time. It was the most intensive training I had ever done.
These days I am living on a farm on a mountainside in Southern Spain with my family. I converted the tool shed into a small studio and run it on solar power, which consists of solar panels and a windmill hooked up to very large batteries. I have lots of time to create and compose and beautiful views to inspire. Enjoy the music!!
Stephen teaches piano and guitar to students of all ages and performs solo piano weekly at Al Cadima, Lanjaron, Spain
Stephen Bellm's song 'Duo' was a finalist in the UK Songwriting Contest 2006
'Raga Raindrop' was a semifinalist
Stephen has a number of top ten songs on Broadjam, in many genres: Jazz Lounge, Folk Alt., New Age Alt. and World Music as well as Europe, Spain and Southern Europe.
Finca Zula sun and wind powered studio is located at 1000 meters altitude high in the Sierra Nevada mountains of southern Spain. With views of the Mediterranean Sea to the south and the snowy peaks of the Sierra to the north the location inspires creativity. It is now open for musicians to come and record their demos or full length CD's. There is a wide range of accomodation from hotels to tipis. contact Stephen Bellm for further information.
the alpujarras
I live here in the Alpujarras, bandit land for the Moors when they fled the Christians in Granada, southern Spain. Life is good on the mountain, we have gardens and many varieties of fruit trees, ancient watering systems, its rural Spain, old school. There are endless views of the Med Sea, mountains and Morrocco on the odd clear winter day.
Of course we still have to deal with the modern corporate world, its in our face every day. Lanjaron, the town I live above is famous for its spring water, thousands upon thousands of liters are driven out on the back of lorries each day. Last year was the worst drought in 60 years, huge forest fires burnt our valley while our gardens dried out from lack of water. Ironically the water bottling company demanded 25 liters of water more per second, paid the right people and got it, while the farmers around us watched their lands dry up. Just one little example of how a corporation can screw up the local environment.
This company is Danone (Dannon in the US), they own Evian, our little bottling company is way down on their list. What can we do? We added them to the growing list of unethical brands, Nestle and Coke are right up there as well.
The corporate model is ruining this planet quickly all for rosy profit sheets. Check it out, take a stance, stop buying and supporting these brands. With a little education and effort we can make a difference.
As for the music, have a listen and give me some feedback, I'm interested in working with more musicians, right now its pretty much a one man band. I've practiced my whole life for the chance to one day be able to put it all down, compose it, layer it, love it, and I am! Later, Stephen