Name: Andy Fu

Age: 41

Drum: Repinique/Bass

Occupation/Job/non-Katumba life activities: Fraud Systems Developer/Geek

How long have you been part of the Katumba family? Pretty much from the beginning – 12 years

Where are you from? What’s your background? My parent’s are Hong Kong immigrants who met here in the UK. I was born in Barrow-in-Furness but I grew up and spent my formative years in Wigan. As result, I will always have deep appreciation of pies.

What inspired you to join Katumba? We saw the band perform in Liverpool city centre and my friend Fiona said “That looks cool, do you fancy coming with me if I find out when they rehearse?”. I watched the guy raving in front of a band of drummers wearing big funky pants, banging their drums. The rhythm was instantly addictive and hypnotic. Usually coy around such exuberance I would usually decline but I was overwhelmed by the immensity of the noise, so I agreed. I later found out the raver was actually directing the band.

Did you have any previous musical experience before joining? Not really – recorder at primary school, a bit of guitar and messed about on a snare in boys brigade.

Are/were there any barriers you had to overcome? When I told “the lads” what I was doing instead of going the pub to watch footy with them, they royally and comprehensively took the p*ss. It never stopped but I could tell they enjoyed it when they saw me play for the first time.

What is the best thing about being part of Katumba? It’s a friendly and accommodating community, where you can truly be yourself. You get to meet and become friends with people from all walks of life. You get the opportunity to see so many parts of the world. Drumming is also good.

Tell us your all-time favourite Katumba moment or performance? At the beginning when we were all learning new material, the band was new and confidence was low, each performance was adequate but nervy. There was a moment, maybe a year later, when it all came together and the band was super tight, and the crowd were buzzing. I continue to seek the high from those performances – imagine 50 drummers all perfectly on time! Drumming at Wembley and in Brazil also great!

What does Katumba mean to you? The band changed my life. It has helped me come out of my shell, I used to be super shy! It has helped define the person who I am today. So yeah – it’s a pretty big deal to me.

What would you say to someone who is interested in joining the band? If you want to be part of a friendly, diverse community and would like a challenge then don’t hesitate! If I could have joined years earlier, I would have. In fact, most members I’ve talked to have said the same thing. They regret not discovering the band sooner. Don’t miss out!

If you’d like to join our group, or come for a taster session or beginners course – click here to find out more