Yeshe’s embarked on his global voyage at the age of only seventeen. He had
ceased his formal schooling and began to travel. During this time, he
performed with many different bands as a drummer, percussionist, bass
player, and even background vocalist. His winters were spent in Africa where
he studied music and culture and occasionally performed with various dance
troupes. During the summers, Yeshe would return to Europe performing with
many different acts in a wide array of styles such as; Reggae, Funk, Blues,
Latin and South African Jive. It was during one of these summers that he
would meet another one of his musical mentors. This mentor was none other
than Reggae World singer Tefo Hlaele, who was a founding member of the world
famous musical, Ipi N’tombi. Yeshe’s trips to Africa were among the most
influential experiences of his musical development. He learned to absorb
the cascading tides of style from each culture. As a pearl embeds into an
oyster, Yeshe was absorbing and learning each culture’s music. Layer by
layer, he was adding to his knowledge and ability to create beautiful music.
He had become a pearl embedded.
In the early 1980s Yeshe met Canadian musician Harry Manx, known for his
blend of Blues, Folk, and Hindustani Classical music. Yeshe and Manx became
good friends and worked and toured together with many different acts around
the globe. Manx would have a tremendous and powerful influence on Yeshe’s
future musical development, eventually inspiring his solo career. In the
mid 1980s Yeshe would leave Europe and Africa for a time to explore the
music and cultures of Asia and the Pacific Islands. He would spend five
years in Japan working as a session musician with several other Japanese and
international artists. During this time, Yeshe traveled throughout Asia to
absorb the various percussion styles of its many cultures. He was invited
to study with the Peliatan Gamelan Orchestra in Bali, the Kodo Drummers of
Sado Island in Japan, and the Samul Nori of South Korea. Yeshe had explored
a new continent and expanded his musical experience by absorbing Asian
Elements.
By the mid 1990s, Yeshe had found a new place to call home in Australia and
performed locally there with many bands. In addition, he continued to tour
internationally with the likes of Harry Manx and Ganga Giri. While in Santa
Fe, New Mexico in 1996, Yeshe met American singer/songwriter Chris Berry of
the band Panjea. Berry was a master mbira player that had already released
many successful songs in Zimbabwe. It was this important meeting that
sparked Yeshe’s interest in the mbira. Yeshe became proficient on the mbira
with the help of many teachers and friends, especially Garikayi Tirikoti, a
well known mbira virtuoso. Yeshe says of Garikayi; “When I heard him play
for the first time that was it! I would compare him to someone like
Coltrane or Beethoven and I seldom left his sight after that when in
Zimbabwe.” Garikayi became Yeshe’s main teacher and close friend and
transformed him into talented mbira player. The mbira quickly became a
centerpiece of Yeshe’s music.