Stewart Copeland is a multi-instrumentalist. This hugely talented musician not only plays drums, percussion, bass guitar and piano, he is also a composer and – of course an exceptional drummer!
He has written soundtracks for over 60 films (Rumblefish, 9 1/2 Weeks, Talk Radio, Wall Street any many others) and composed music for television series. He also happens to be one of the founding members and the drummer of The Police. His enormous musical talent made a key contribution to the band's success and played a crucial part in shaping the sound of The Police, which was strongly influenced by new wave, reggae, world music, jazz and ska.
In 1985, Stewart Copeland released his first "official" solo album, "The Rhythmatist" under his own name. The album introduced Copeland's ideas for "unreleased" Police songs to a wider audience. For the album he produced songs and tunes for his self-produced feature film "The Rhythmatist". A "musical world music pilgrimage" through the African continent, authentically interpreted in superb songs and combined with his talent as a multi-instrumentalist and his affinity for rhythms. The album features the Zairian singer Ray Lema, whose vocals harmonise with the individual beats and the spirit of the album, and particularly so on the single "Oh Koteja".
"The scene is Africa, among the Pygmy Tribesman and the Masai Warriors. The sound is the rhythm, a quest" through the world of the Shanga, the Kamba, the Masai, the Samburu, the Tcuka and the Giriama tribe, an adventure in a land of power and in the central position of Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi, Zaire, The Congo and Buckinghamshire). The Rhythmatist is a space age rockers hunt for the primal sounds that hold together the world of man, Stewart Copeland's The Rhythmatist."
The album went to No. 148 in the Billboard 200 Charts.
File under "The Police"; and "Worldbeat".
This lost masterpiece has now been digitally remastered and re-released with an additional bonus track "Gong Rock" (dub version by Chris Lord-Alge who has done remixes for Green Day, Tina Turner, Madonna, Rolling Stones and many others).
