Tchami

Tchami
Tchami performing at Rebel in Toronto, 2018
Tchami performing at Rebel in Toronto, 2018
Background information
Birth nameMartin Joseph Léonard Bresso[1]
Born (1985-05-12) 12 May 1985 (age 39)
Cahors, Occitanie,[2] France[3]
GenresHouse, future house, deep house, UK garage
Occupation(s)Producer, DJ
Years active2013–present
LabelsSpinnin' Records, Ministry of Sound, Fool's Gold Records, Defected Records, Confession, Owsla[4]

Martin Joseph Léonard Bresso (French pronunciation: [maʁtɛ̃ ʒozɛf leɔnaʁ bʁeso]; born 12 May 1985), better known by his stage name Tchami (IPA: [tʃami]), is a French record producer and DJ from Paris.[5] A founding member of the Pardon My French collective, he is best known for his solo work and regarded as a pioneer of the future house genre – the term for which he coined – alongside Dutch DJs Oliver Heldens and Don Diablo.[6][7]

When asked about the origins of his name Tchami, he explained, "I used to travel a lot across Europe and Africa these past five years. Tchami is a name that has been given to me in Africa which is an honour. Fortunately it sounded catchy to me, so I kept it."[5]

Tchami often performs with the persona of a priest and a church theme. He wears a clerical collar and includes visuals such as an altar and stained glass windows. In an interview he explained that "it is my message, being spiritual. I think my music is about that too".[8]

  1. ^ "Tchami Credits". mobile.ascap.com.
  2. ^ "EMF 2017 - Tchami en interview". YouTube. 15 July 2017.
  3. ^ Venzin, Megan (8 April 2020). "The gospel according to Tchami". DJ Mag. Thrust Publishing Ltd. Bresso was born in a village in the southwest of France, where he lived with his parents and his two younger sisters. They moved to the outskirts of Paris when he was eight years old, but his musical education began well before that.
  4. ^ "Future House - Timeline - Facebook". Facebook.
  5. ^ a b "DAD Mix 057: Tchami". Complex. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  6. ^ Genosa, Wendel (8 August 2016). "ANGELZ reveals details behind his thrilling 'Saint Thug' EP [Interview]". Earmilk. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  7. ^ "Oliver Heldens' 20 Best Future House Songs Ever". Billboard. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  8. ^ "TCHAMI ON CONFESSION'S DIRECTION, HIS PRIEST PERSONA, AND A RETURN TO MELODIES [INTERVIEW]". EDM. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.