Aki Antonia

La Musica Lives!....Aki began playing piano at age 3. Born into a musical family, she began her studies with her father, Paul Smith, a jazz pianist who always said " Play with 2 Hands!.... Who knows if the Bass Player will show up 4 the gig!" Jazz Jams were held at her home and Aki was exposed to the best of the best musicians. Art Tatum would come to her Grandfather's house to jam with her father, so she grew up listening to ALL kinds of music..... Billie Holiday, Bird... James Brown, Bernstein, Henry Mancini, Quincy Jones, Bessie Smith, Andre Previn, Oscar Peterson, Oscar Brown Jr., Duke Ellington , Ravel, Debussey, Cab Calloway, Miles, Jimi, Sly, Prince, Morris Day, Sarde...... Many years past........and Aki began studying music at Roosevelt Musical College and the American Conservatory with pianist, Willie Pickens in Chicago.


Her musical gigs and musical adventures has taken her from Chicago to Africa, Japan, Mexico and other global points. She is a composer songwriter and bandleader -performer with her band Akiboards as well as working freelance with many other performers and groups in Chicago and on tour. She is currently writing new songs for her CD and writing about her adventures co-hosting a Jazz Jam in Chicago. Also she is developing what she defines as her own Tribal Funk global music for the Nu Milly. She has performed in the variety of genres including: Jazz, Samba, Soca, Blues, World, House, Techno, Classical, R&B, Reggae.. Funk.. U name it. it's all musica to her.

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