Tariqh Akoni is a performing and session guitarist and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. He is the former chair of the Guitar Department at the L.A. Music Academy (succeeding

Frank Gambale Frank Gambale ( ; born 22 December 1958) is an Australian jazz fusion guitarist. He has released twenty albums over a period of three decades, and is known for his use of the sweep picking and economy picking techniques. Recording career Sol ...

) as well as musical director for multi-platinum recording artist,

Josh Groban Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, ...

. Akoni performs in multiple genres, including classical, flamenco, and rock.

Early years

Tariqh grew up in Santa Barbara in a home filled with music from a diversity of genres, from Carlos Santana to Mac Davis to Sly and the Family Stone. His father was a college educator and his mother was a counselor.

Berklee College of Music

Following high school, Tariqh studied contemporary classical composition at the University of California at San Diego. But his guitar passion beckoned and he made the move to Boston to attend the famous

Berklee School of Music Berklee College of Music () is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level ...

. One highlight of this experience was his private study with jazz tenor saxophonist

Jerry Bergonzi Jerry Bergonzi (born October 21, 1947) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and educator. Early life and education Bergonzi received a B.A. in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 1971 and is the founder ...

and jazz guitarist

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. Complementing his class study was Tariqh's focused daily practicing and, importantly, his nightly playing in the clubs of Boston where he was exposed to musical genres as diverse as blues, jazz and rock. Tariqh considers this latter to be where he found his musical voice. It was from his experiences with jazz saxophonist Walter Beasley and eminent sessions jazz saxophonist

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that he found encouragement to pursue his musical career in Los Angeles.

Career

Tariqh assembled an extensive and eclectic resume, working with artists such as

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...

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, Tom Scott,

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, the

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, and

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. Tariqh has toured nationally and internationally, most recently as the musical director and Conductor for

. He is considered a "six-string virtuoso". A select sampling of his appearances:

Selected performances and recordings

Josh Groban,

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, Elton John, Herbie Hancock,

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, Aretha Franklin,

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, David Benoit,

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, Bette Midler.

Selected television Appearances

37th NAACP Image Awards (House Band) (2006)
48th Annual Grammy Awards (music) (2006)
ABC's Christmas in Aspen (2002)
American Idol (House Band) (2005, 2006)
American Music Awards – w/ Josh Groban (2004)
Backstreet Boys: Larger than Life - CBS Special (2001)
B.E.T. Annual Awards (2002, 2003)
B.E.T. Jazz Legends Concert
FAME (House Band) (2003)
Good Morning America (w/ Josh Groban, Christina Aguilera)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (w/ Huey Lewis and the News) (2005)
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (w/ Anastacia, Javier)
Late Night with Conan O'Brien (w/ Josh Groban) (2004)
Late Show with David Letterman (w/ Christina Aguilera) (2006)
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (w/ Yolanda Adams, Frankie J., Josh Groban, Backstreet Boys, Jennifer Love Hewitt)
Saturday Night Live (w/ Christina Aguilera) (2006)
MTV Movie Awards (w/ Christina Aguilera) (2006)
MTV Video Music Awards – w/ Josh Groban (2003)
PBS Great Performances: Josh Groban in Concert (2002), Live at the Greek (2004)
The Queen's Royal Variety Performance – w/ Jennifer Lopez (2001)
Smokey Robinson Walk of Fame (House Band) (2004)
UNCF Tribute to Lou Rawls (House Band) (2003)
UNCF Tribute to Aretha Franklin (House Band) (2006)
World Music Awards – with Josh Groban (2004)

Equipment

Tariqh uses a diverse set of instruments, including Gibson, Tyler, PRS DGT Gold Top, McPherson, Blankenship, Bogner, Eventide, Voodoo Lab,

Electro-Harmonix Electro-Harmonix (also commonly referred to as EHX) is a New York City-based company that makes electronic audio processors and sells rebranded vacuum tubes. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in 1968. It is best known for a series of g ...

, and

Seymour Duncan Seymour Duncan is an American company best known for manufacturing guitar and Bass (guitar), bass Pickup (music technology), pickups. They also manufacture effects pedals which are designed and assembled in United States. Guitarist and luthier ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Akoni, Tariqh Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American session musicians Berklee College of Music alumni University of California, San Diego alumni Musicians from Santa Barbara, California Guitarists from Los Angeles