When Cyndi was asked to dance for Sambole African Ballet, lead by Patrice Lamumba, former principal dancer for Angola Ballet, who had migrated to Australia. Cyndi refused, and insisted that she only wanted to play drums, and she did. In it purest form, Cyndi began playing drums for and with dancers, entrained from the start in African culture, on physically holding a part for hours, or soloing for every move.

She continued to absorb what multi-cultural Australia had to teach… from Bad Girls Batucade, through the advent of the Djembe and Doundounba introduced by migration of West African Master Drummers; to playing drums for physical theatre and circus, Cyndi learned all she could by ear.

The first time Cuban Jazz legend Arturo Sandoval toured Australia, Cyndi jumped the stage after the show, and pushed her way through a crowded room filled with Latin men, to introduce herself to the percussionist, Eguie Castrillo. She broke into conversation, put out her hand and introduced herself, “Hi my name is Cyndi and I’d like to learn Cuban technique from you”. The room fell silent for a full 30 seconds before everyone broke into raucous laughter. Cyndi stood still, brave-faced into the void, until Eguie replied, “Meet me here at this time tomorrow, and I will teach you”.

Cyndi’s love of African and Latin percussion has taken her to study in Brazil, Peru, and Cuba where she recently engaged to marry into a family of 3 generations of percussionists. In Australia, she has toured with Latin-jazz band “Matanza”, Latin Sound Systems, Reggae and Soul bands.

A life-time achievement for Cyndi was to run a charity campaign selling her debut album, to fund a drum school for survivors of human trafficking. Then she took everything she knew about drumming to Battambang in Cambodia, the ex-military headquarters of the Khmer Rhouge, to teach vulnerable children how to lead, follow and belong… all from the equal playing field of hitting drums.

• Legendary Roots Crew
• Performing with Tapdogs
• Performing with Ricki Martin
• Performing with Joel Madden and Seal on the “The Voice – Australia” Ministry of Sound, Hed Kandi, & Martini Club.