Who are we?

AVUDA is a collective of artists who collaborate to make beautiful music that moves the soul and to achieve the greatness we were created for. The Greek Word 'Avoedah' means both worship and work and to us it means that our life's work is our worship. Who we are is a gift to us but who we become is our gift to the world and our creator. The members of this band are constantly changing as we collaborate with more artists to create our Indie- Fusion Sound. There are 5 core members of the band but we are always delighted to welcome other talented artists to join in with us so from time to time you will see new faces popping up to perform with us.  We are like a family and we sing because to us this is like breathing.  We love to be inclusive and to write and perform music that leaves our audiences unburdened and uplifted.  

Ferial Puren is a singer, songwriter who was born in Cape Town, South Africa. She immigrated to Scotland almost 7 years ago now. Her vocal ability is very versatile but her style has strongly been influenced by soul and jazz music. She delivers a very powerful performance that is usually characterised by her amazing ability to improvise on the stage and thereby influencing each Avuda performance with her unique flavour.

Ferial loves every moment of being on the stage whether it is to a massive crowd or just one person in the audience. Performing is in her blood. Her love for singing and performance is clearly a trait she was handed by her mother who was also a singer and her heroin. 

To date Ferial has performed in a plethora of musicals, theatre productions. music shows on many stages, streets and rooms spanning across 2 continents in her capacity as a singer, dancer and actress. Ferial released her own collection of original songs in 2003 and was subsequently offered a recording contract by EMI records in South Africa which she declined in order to devote time to raising her two daughters. Joining Avuda has been her return to the stage. Ferial believes that music and singing is just a tool and it is one of the most incredible ways to connect with the world but her hearts desire is that her life, skills, abilities and all that she is will be used to affect change for a better future for generations to come. Her songs clearly reflect this sentiment and Avuda means doing what she loves with some of her best friends.

Rosita is a singer-songwriter & musician who hails from Cape Town, South Africa. She started writing Freedom Songs while living under the ‘Apartheid’ system of segregation in the 80’s as a teenager. Originally from the ‘coloured’ township of Mitchell’s Plain, she grew up with the privilege of being able to receive ballet and music education in the ‘suburbs’. She is a trained music teacher with performance experience in opera singing and classical guitar. Her solo singing career has spanned over 20 years and featured her in many bands doing light entertainment mainly for restaurant, club and private functions with a wide singing repertoire ranging from Pop to Jazz. She has also done theatre work and performed lead roles in musicals such as Bugsy Malone, Grease and Flamenco Dance shows in South Africa. She had recorded a studio demo CD with the aim of entertainment work abroad (1999) but family life took over as she became a mother to two children and then later moved to the UK (2005). In her role as youth worker she was instrumental in starting a church gospel band called Rockfish (Oxford, England). She has training in Free-Style dancing and enjoys adding dance choreography to the original stage performances of Avuda. Her love for community fundraising initiatives led to volunteering on the Momma Africa CD project for Waverley Care Scotland (2008) on which she sang Cape-Malay style songs. Her freelance singer and musician work included performing at the Fringe and Meadows festival with an eclectic mix of bands such as Mandala Moodz and the Den Collective (Queen’s Hall, 2009) which culminated in studio work and a demo CD. Some of her original vocals and dance moves were also displayed at the Knockengorroch Festival (2010) with the Baobab Band (featuring Dougie Hudson from Salsa Celtica fame then known as Den Collective Big Band). She has also performed at the Click Clack Club where her Poetry and Improvisational vocal talent were brought to the fore. Her musical focus has moved to Avuda band promotions at present where she hopes to expand her song writing and performance skills.

Dorota Alimowska was born and raised in Poland, where she graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts as a Fashion Designer. Fashion, Music & Art has always been her passion.

Alimowska was involved in various music projects in Poland, Canada, US, and Brazil. She was a part of a Theatrical group in Poland performing and singing songs based on pieces by Polish poets. During her 8 year stay in Canada she connected with the art community through fashion as well as singing and playing guitar with the local bands performing in both Canada and United States.

Dorota moved to Edinburgh in 2009 where she began to collaborate with designers and musicians. Since, she has been part of several bands, the choir at the Rock Street Academy and is currently a student of music at Edinburgh College. Avuda is a new adventure for Alimowska. She provides strong backing vocals along with songwriting and acoustic guitar playing.

Sami Okoo is also known as Sami KOR – (“King of Rhythm”).  Sami has been in the UK since 1993.  He was taught dance and drumming by “Mama Lizzi of Ghana Dance Ensemble” alongside Yinka Davis (Nigerian Ex Factor judge and successful artist). On moving to Scotland he facilitated various African Rhythmic dancing and workout classes at Dancebase in Edinburgh.

In 1995 Okoo was the music and dance Director of the first ever African and Scottish dance group called “Afridonia”.  They performed as a group at Edinburgh Fringe Festivals and were invited to perform in Singapore in 1998.

Sami has also performed at the Kings Theatre Edinburgh as a dancer and drummer in the production of “Showboat”, as a backup dancer for Gerry Halliwell Spice Girl, and travelled all over the UK and Ireland with the number one hit band TTF.

He then moved to London and became a top sales demonstrator for Hamleys Toy Store as a magician and performer.  He furthered his dancing career as a Hip Hop dancer in London and secured a solo dance role in Greece. On return to Scotland in 2002 Okoo was invited to perform with a drumming and xylophone group in Palma Majorca and Prague.

The King of Rythm does not just play the African djembe … he lives and breathes it….Sami also currently teaches Afro-creative dance, break-dance, and rhythm…. Due to the strong Scottish influence he jokingly describes his style as Braveheart meets Zulu. Traditional Scottish Bagpipes mixed with African Drumming rhythms and a few war cries mixed in.  Among some of his many accomplishments as an artist has been the release of a Scottish Bagpipes and African drumming rhythm album and he also performed in Greece and Beijing Chao Yaung Festival in China 2010.  In addition he has starred in an episode of Rebus on STV drumming and acted in local small film productions. He is currently performing and recording with Avuda and he brings a unique zest for life to their stage performance. They even include aspects of his talent as an illusionist into their performance. Rhythm is Sami’s passion and he can flow with ease to any style, any beat and accompany any instrument, singer or dancer.