David Arthur Brown American musician Date of Birth: 19.06.1967 Country: USA

1. Biography of David Arthur Brown
2. Early Years of Brazzaville
3. European Period and International Success
4. European Albums and Solo Work

Biography of David Arthur Brown

David Arthur Brown is an American musician, vocalist, songwriter, and leader of the band Brazzaville. He was born in Los Angeles on June 19, 1967. From a young age, he was drawn to traveling, which led him to explore Asia, South America, and Europe. During his travels, he learned to play the saxophone. From 1997 to 2000, David played the saxophone in the band Beck, which gained significant popularity and frequently toured.

However, David didn't want to stop there. Alongside touring and recording albums with his own band, he taught himself to play the guitar and began writing his own songs. Currently, David resides in Barcelona and is raising two children. His hobbies include cooking, swimming, and reading books. His favorite movies are "Harold and Maude" and "Black Orpheus," and his favorite musician is George Benson. David is often described as a talented musician, traveler, activist, and modern-day troubadour. He considers himself self-taught.

Early Years of Brazzaville

David created the band Brazzaville in Los Angeles at the end of 1997. He spent a long time contemplating a name for his new group. One day, while reading the Los Angeles Times in the Hollywood Hills, David became intrigued by an article about the war in Congo. The catchy headline of the article immediately appealed to him and became the inspiration for the band's name - Brazzaville.

The early years of Brazzaville (1997-2000) were spent in Los Angeles. During this time, the musicians recorded and released three full-length albums and participated in numerous shows in the city. Apart from two performances on the East Coast in 2002, David embarked on a small tour with Beck. David and Beck were old friends who had met on the stage of a Hollywood coffee shop in the late 80s-early 90s.

The first two albums of Brazzaville, "2002" and "Somnambulista," were recorded at Michael Rozon's studio (S.S. Clove Factory) in Hollywood. They featured musicians such as Smokey Hormel, Danny Frankel, David Ralick, Kenny Lyon, Joel Virgel-Viers, Joe Zimmerman, and many others. Their third album, "Rouge On Pockmarked Cheeks," was released thanks to the efforts of Nigel Godrich, Tony Hoffer, and Michael Rozon.

European Period and International Success

In 2003, David moved to Barcelona and invited European musicians to join Brazzaville. Their fourth studio album, "Hastings Street" (2004), was recorded in both Los Angeles and Barcelona and mixed in Los Angeles. It received high praise from musicians such as Victor Indrizzo, Greg Kirstin, Erika Garcia, Joe Zimmerman, Mike Bolger, Kenny Lyon, David Ralick, and many others.

In November 2003, Brazzaville was invited to Russia for the first time. They performed two concerts, one in Moscow at the B2 venue and another in St. Petersburg at the Red Club. Brazzaville caught the attention of renowned critic and writer Artemy Troitsky. Artemy first heard Brazzaville's album on Rough Trade Records in London in 2000 and began using their music in his radio show in Moscow. He also wrote several reviews about the band, laying the foundation for Brazzaville's popularity in Russia.

In 2005, Brazzaville was invited to perform at a prestigious jazz festival in Istanbul, thanks to the efforts of James Hakan Dedeoglu and Ailin Gunger, editors of one of Istanbul's most read magazines. During one week, Brazzaville performed four concerts in Istanbul and one in Izmir. Turkey became one of the band's most visited countries, with a growing number of fans.

European Albums and Solo Work

In 2006, Brazzaville released their first album fully recorded in Barcelona, titled "East L.A. Breeze". It marked the beginning of their European period. The band gained popularity in Russia with their rendition of the legendary Russian rock group Kino's song "Star Called Sun" performed by David Brown. In 2008, "East L.A. Breeze" was released in Europe under V2 Records.

In late 2007, Brazzaville completed their seventh studio album, "21st Century Girl." It was released in Russia in February 2008, and in the US and Canada in August 2008. The song "The Clouds in Camarillo," co-written with David's close friend Mishka Korneev, was performed as a duet in English and Russian. It became a hit among Russian-speaking populations worldwide and remained in the top ten longer than any other song in that year. This helped establish Brazzaville's popularity in Russia and most former Soviet Union countries.

In 2009, David traveled to Istanbul to record an album with renowned Turkish producer and musician Deniz Salian. The resulting album instantly entered the top 20 European and global charts. Additionally, in 2009, David recorded and released his first solo album, "Teenage Summer Days."

In 2010, Brazzaville embarked on intensive touring, including numerous concerts in Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine. David and Kenny Lyon also performed in the United States. In August 2010, Brazzaville was invited by the US Embassy for a five-week tour of Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Armenia as cultural ambassadors of the United States.

In 2011, the band released a new album titled "Jetlag Poetry," featuring nine new songs by Brazzaville and cover versions of David Bowie's "