South African

visual artist

and musician,

Xander Ferreira,

formerly known as Gazelle,

became one of the country’s

most recognized musicians,

known especially for his popular

fusion of contemporary electronic

sounds and traditional African music.

Celebrated for his flamboyant stage persona

and enigmatic performances, he took

to the stage in 17 countries around the globe.

His musical journey has seen him collaborate with artists like

tPeaches, St. Lucia, Findlay Brown and The Bloody Beetroots.

After Gazelle’s success, Xander moved to New York where he embarked on

a journey to create, what he calls, “A reverse version of Paul Simon’s Graceland”,

in turn fusing African sounds with a variety of American musical styles.

Following his relocation to New York, Xander teamed up with

Steve Williams on Drums (De La Soul, Sade, Digable Planets),

Paul Frazier on Bass (David Byrne, Chic, Chaka Kahn, Arrested Development)

and David Bailis on Guitar (John Forte, Pimps of Joytime)

to form a new group for a solo project.

Xander’s signature new sound is a fusion of influences ranging from

South African traditional music, Afrofunk, 60’s Pop, Soul and Psychedelic Rock

accompanied by an undertone of Electronic sound.

With regular shows at Mercury Lounge, Baby’s All Right, Nublu and Le Poisson Rouge,

Xander has established himself solidly in the live music scene of New York.

This May, Xander is releasing his debut EP with three new recordings.

The songs speak of the painful introspection that is sometimes necessary in the struggle to find a sense of place.

Being an immigrant in the United States as a 10th generation African born Caucasian of mixed heritage,

Xander’s dream is to build cultural bridges through his music amidst a divided United States

and taking this spirit into the rest of world.