Delegates
the world music professionals directoryJacques Pardo
Jacques Pardo, like a few other players in Atlas Soul is a multi-instrumentalist (vocals, guitar, sax)
Jacques was born and grew up in Paris, France. His mother came from Algeria and his father from Greece and were huge music lovers. His dad bought him his first guitar when he was five and had him perform at every possible occasion…. He absorbed Sepharadic, North African and Greek music from his home and Rock, R & B, and English pop in his Parisian suburb…
Jacques started his formal musical education at the age of seven at the music conservatory in Paris, France. He moved to Israel at twenty and at twenty-four he moved to Japan for three years and traveled for another year with his saxophone to Nepal and Thailand absorbing Eastern music and collaborating with numerous musicians. He came back to Israel and formed the band Changing Mood a Jazz-Rock fusion, Middle Eastern tingled music compositions. He came to the USA in 1988 on a tour with the Arab/ Palestinian /Jewish/Israeli band: "Local Music". He meets his wife Mary and settled in Boston. He played and toured the USA with many blues and R&B bands like the West End Blues Band and the legendary blues singer George Leah. Jacques felt that it was time to return to his own roots and formed the band Cosmos Factor (featuring the late extraordinary Cuban singer/performer Merida del Castillo) toured intensively the clubs and festivals circuits and pioneered world-music in the Boston area in the 90's He produced the album: "We All Live In A Jungle" that was charted on radios stations nationally. He formed Atlas Soul in 2000 and produced the album "Chamsa"(IMA winners 2004) , "Live" in 2004 and "Mabrouka"(IMA finalist & vox populi winners 2007) and "Maktoub" (IMA finalist 2008)
As a sideman (sax & guitar), Jacques does studio work. He has recorded on numerous albums, played and shared the stage with many world-music stars including Hassan Hakmoun, Baba Maal, Cheb Nasro (USA tour) Farid El Kinnitri and Brahim Fribgane.
Jacques is also one of the musician (sax) featured on a huge painted wall mural outside at the Middle-East Rock Club in Central Sq. Cambridge where he held a residence gig for many years.
