Ian D'Sa
Encyclopedia
Ian Michael D'Sa is the guitarist for the Canadian
band Billy Talent
.
n Goan descent and grew up in Mississauga, Ontario learning guitar at the age of 13. While attending Our Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary School in 1991, he formed a band named Dragonflower with some fellow schoolmates Two years later when Dragonflower broke up he formed another band named Soluble Fish and recorded a five song demo entitled Nugget Sauces. He eventually met Benjamin Kowalewicz
, Jonathan Gallant and Aaron Solowoniuk
in 1993 at the highschool talent show. While also playing in Soluble Fish, he started a new band with them named Pezz (later to become "Billy Talent
") in which both bands played together for several years until Soluble fish broke up in 1996. While playing in Pezz, D'Sa went to Sheridan College
where he got his degree in classical animation and even worked on the TV shows Angela Anaconda
, Birdz
, and the film Adventures in 3-D IMAX as an animator.
with Gavin Brown
. He also did art direction and package design on the Billy Talent II
album. He received co-direction credit for the video, "Fallen Leaves", for which the band was awarded Best Video and Best Rock Video at the 2007 MuchMusic Video Awards
.
D'Sa produced first two singles on Die Mannequin
's EP Slaughter Daughter
, the songs being "Do it or Die" and "Saved By Strangers". He played guitar on Sarah Slean
's song "Lucky Me". He makes a cameo in The Operation M.D.
's single "Sayonara" as a doctor pushing Stevo
in a wheelchair. He also makes a brief cameo as a year book photo in the K-OS
video for ELEctrik HeaT - The Seekwill. He also sung guest vocals with Alexisonfire
during a few live shows.
Ian is known for his unexpected appearances at fellow bands live shows. He is known to guest many times as vocalist in some random shows of Alexisonfire
. He has also joined Sum 41
as a guest guitarist for a one-off performance of their popular encore song "Pain for Pleasure". He also performed as a guest in one show with UK band Reuben
in 2006, while the band supported Billy Talent
.
Ian produced the first single "Buried at Sea" from The Operation M.D.
's second studio album Birds + Bee Stings
, which was released on June 29, 2010.
Ian also wrote and recorded the song "Land of a Thousand Hills" for the charity album Song for Africa - Rwanda: Rises Up!
in which he sings lead vocals and plays guitar with Canadian punk rock
band Noble Blood.
D'Sa has been involved with Song for Africa
since 2007, a project to connect Canada's youth to the AIDS pandemic, playing guitar on the song and in the video and single. In July 2007 he traveled to Kenya, Africa for 10 days to be part of the Song for Africa
Documentary film.
with a black pickguard. He also plays a Montego Blue Stratocaster Fat Strat Deluxe with a red pickguard
. When recording in the studio, his favorite guitars are a '52 Fender Telecaster
Reissue, a '72 Fender Telecaster Deluxe
, a '57 Gibson Les Paul Junior
Reissue and several other vintage guitars. Also he owns a three colour sunburst stratocaster with a white pick guard, which is shown in the "Devil in a Midnight Mass
" music video. He previously used a 1991 Peavey
5150 head until he received a 60 watt head custom made for him by Mark Stephenson of Stephenson Amplification in 2002 - 2003.
He can currently be seen using a white Fender Stratocaster with a black pickguard and red maple leaf along the side of the guitar. It is much like his blue/red Stratocaster, but with the before mentioned cosmetic changes.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
band Billy Talent
Billy Talent
Billy Talent is a Canadian post-hardcore band from Streetsville, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with Ben Kowalewicz as the lead vocalist, Ian D'Sa on lead guitar, bassist Jon Gallant and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk ....
.
Early life and career
Ian's family moved from the UK to Canada when he was 3 years old. He is of IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Goan descent and grew up in Mississauga, Ontario learning guitar at the age of 13. While attending Our Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary School in 1991, he formed a band named Dragonflower with some fellow schoolmates Two years later when Dragonflower broke up he formed another band named Soluble Fish and recorded a five song demo entitled Nugget Sauces. He eventually met Benjamin Kowalewicz
Benjamin Kowalewicz
Benjamin Kowalewicz is the lead singer of the Canadian rock band Billy Talent.-Biography:Kowalewicz, of Polish descent, was born December 16, 1975 in Montreal, Quebec. He was raised in Streetsville, Ontario, but now lives in downtown Toronto. He attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary...
, Jonathan Gallant and Aaron Solowoniuk
Aaron Solowoniuk
Aaron Solowoniuk , is the drummer for the Canadian band Billy Talent.- Background :Solowoniuk was born and raised in Streetsville, Ontario and began drumming at a young age, his first set being a gift from his parents...
in 1993 at the highschool talent show. While also playing in Soluble Fish, he started a new band with them named Pezz (later to become "Billy Talent
Billy Talent
Billy Talent is a Canadian post-hardcore band from Streetsville, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with Ben Kowalewicz as the lead vocalist, Ian D'Sa on lead guitar, bassist Jon Gallant and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk ....
") in which both bands played together for several years until Soluble fish broke up in 1996. While playing in Pezz, D'Sa went to Sheridan College
Sheridan College
Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning is a diploma and degree granting Canadian polytechnic institute with approximately 15,000 full time students and 35,000 continuing education students...
where he got his degree in classical animation and even worked on the TV shows Angela Anaconda
Angela Anaconda
Angela Anaconda is a Canadian cutout animation television series that aired on the channels Teletoon and Fox Family. It centers on the adventures of an eight-year-old girl named Angela who lives in the fictional town of Tapwater Springs, has wacky brothers, weird friends, and hates a snobbish...
, Birdz
Birdz
Birdz is an animated television series produced by Canada's Nelvana studio, and Scottish Television . The show was first broadcast in 1998 on CBS...
, and the film Adventures in 3-D IMAX as an animator.
Billy Talent
In 2000 Pezz changed their name to Billy Talent after the fictional character in Bruce McDonald's film Hard Core Logo. D'Sa co-produced Billy Talent IIBilly Talent II
-Themes:The album has less anger and language than their previous self-titled album, as they had mellowed out and matured as men and as a band. More of the songs dealt with real-life issues, to the praise of fans and critics.-Personnel:Billy Talent...
with Gavin Brown
Gavin Brown
Gavin Brown may refer to:*Gavin Brown , former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney*Gavin Brown , Canadian musician and record producer...
. He also did art direction and package design on the Billy Talent II
Billy Talent II
-Themes:The album has less anger and language than their previous self-titled album, as they had mellowed out and matured as men and as a band. More of the songs dealt with real-life issues, to the praise of fans and critics.-Personnel:Billy Talent...
album. He received co-direction credit for the video, "Fallen Leaves", for which the band was awarded Best Video and Best Rock Video at the 2007 MuchMusic Video Awards
2007 MuchMusic Video Awards
The 2007 MuchMusic Video Awards were held in Toronto, Ontario at MuchMusic's headquarters on June 17, 2007 and featured performances by Fergie, Maroon 5, The Used, Avril Lavigne, Finger Eleven, Hilary Duff, and others. The most nominated artists were Billy Talent and Nickelback with five...
.
D'Sa produced first two singles on Die Mannequin
Die Mannequin
Die Mannequin is a punk rock band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are fronted by 23-year-old guitar player and singer Care Failure . They played the "Next Big Thing" Stage at Edgefest 1 in 2006, have toured across Eastern Canada several times on their own as well as opening for Buckcherry on...
's EP Slaughter Daughter
Slaughter Daughter
Slaughter Daughter is the second EP by the Canadian rock band Die Mannequin, released on September 25, 2007. "Do It or Die" and "Saved By Strangers" were produced by Ian D'Sa of Billy Talent fame and "Upside Down Cross" and "Lonely of a Woman" were produced by Junior Sanchez...
, the songs being "Do it or Die" and "Saved By Strangers". He played guitar on Sarah Slean
Sarah Slean
Sarah Hope Slean is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet, and occasional actress from Pickering, Ontario. She has released eleven albums to date .-Major recordings:...
's song "Lucky Me". He makes a cameo in The Operation M.D.
The Operation M.D.
The Operation M.D. is a Canadian rock band created by Dr. Dynamite and Dr. Rocco as a side project to their other bands. The band's debut album We Have an Emergency was released in February 2007 by Aquarius Records...
's single "Sayonara" as a doctor pushing Stevo
Steve Jocz
Stephen Martin "Steve" Jocz was born on July 23, 1981, and is best known as the drummer for Canadian punk band Sum 41.-Early life:...
in a wheelchair. He also makes a brief cameo as a year book photo in the K-OS
K-os
Kevin Brereton , better known by his stage name k-os , is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer...
video for ELEctrik HeaT - The Seekwill. He also sung guest vocals with Alexisonfire
Alexisonfire
Alexisonfire was a five-piece, Juno-nominated post-hardcore band that formed in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada in 2001. The band consisted of George Pettit , Dallas Green , Wade MacNeil , Chris Steele , and Jordan Hastings .They describe their music as "the sound of two Catholic high-school girls...
during a few live shows.
Ian is known for his unexpected appearances at fellow bands live shows. He is known to guest many times as vocalist in some random shows of Alexisonfire
Alexisonfire
Alexisonfire was a five-piece, Juno-nominated post-hardcore band that formed in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada in 2001. The band consisted of George Pettit , Dallas Green , Wade MacNeil , Chris Steele , and Jordan Hastings .They describe their music as "the sound of two Catholic high-school girls...
. He has also joined Sum 41
Sum 41
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...
as a guest guitarist for a one-off performance of their popular encore song "Pain for Pleasure". He also performed as a guest in one show with UK band Reuben
Reuben (band)
Reuben were an English three-piece musical group from Camberley, Surrey. Their music was a fusion of alternative rock and heavy metal, as their songs cover a variety of styles, ranging from heavy and upbeat, such as their 2005 single "Blamethrower" to slower, more melodic songs such as their 2004...
in 2006, while the band supported Billy Talent
Billy Talent
Billy Talent is a Canadian post-hardcore band from Streetsville, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with Ben Kowalewicz as the lead vocalist, Ian D'Sa on lead guitar, bassist Jon Gallant and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk ....
.
Ian produced the first single "Buried at Sea" from The Operation M.D.
The Operation M.D.
The Operation M.D. is a Canadian rock band created by Dr. Dynamite and Dr. Rocco as a side project to their other bands. The band's debut album We Have an Emergency was released in February 2007 by Aquarius Records...
's second studio album Birds + Bee Stings
Birds + Bee Stings
-The Operation M.D.:* Todd Morse as Dr. Rocco - guitars, acoustic guitars, lead vocals, backing vocals* Cone McCaslin as Dr. Dynamite - bass, guitars, acoustic guitars, percussion, keyboards, lead vocals, backing vocalsAdditional musicians* Steve Jocz as Dr...
, which was released on June 29, 2010.
Ian also wrote and recorded the song "Land of a Thousand Hills" for the charity album Song for Africa - Rwanda: Rises Up!
Song for Africa - Rwanda: Rises Up!
Song for Africa - Rwanda: Rises Up! is a Canadian charity album by the Song for Africa organization. The album is an accompanying soundtrack to the charity fund's latest Rwanda documentary which documents the visit to Rwanda by the Canadian super group of Steve Bays of Hot Hot Heat, Tim Edwards of...
in which he sings lead vocals and plays guitar with Canadian punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Noble Blood.
D'Sa has been involved with Song for Africa
Song for Africa
Song for Africa is a Canadian non-profit organization founded in 2006 by music and movie producer Darcy Ataman. The organization is founded on the belief that music has the power to create sustainable change in the developing world. It specializes in giving people the opportunity to give a voice...
since 2007, a project to connect Canada's youth to the AIDS pandemic, playing guitar on the song and in the video and single. In July 2007 he traveled to Kenya, Africa for 10 days to be part of the Song for Africa
Song for Africa
Song for Africa is a Canadian non-profit organization founded in 2006 by music and movie producer Darcy Ataman. The organization is founded on the belief that music has the power to create sustainable change in the developing world. It specializes in giving people the opportunity to give a voice...
Documentary film.
Musical equipment
When playing live shows, D'Sa plays an Olympic White Fender Stratocaster Fat Strat DeluxeFender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...
with a black pickguard. He also plays a Montego Blue Stratocaster Fat Strat Deluxe with a red pickguard
Pickguard
A pickguard is a piece of plastic or other laminated material that is placed under the strings on the body of a guitar, mandolin or similar plucked string instrument...
. When recording in the studio, his favorite guitars are a '52 Fender Telecaster
Fender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
Reissue, a '72 Fender Telecaster Deluxe
Fender Telecaster Deluxe
The Fender Telecaster Deluxe is a solid-body electric guitar originally produced from 1972 to 1981, and since re-issued by Fender in 2004 as the '72 Telecaster Deluxe.-History:...
, a '57 Gibson Les Paul Junior
Gibson Les Paul Junior
The Gibson Les Paul Jr. is a solid body electric guitar introduced in 1954 as an affordable, entry level Les Paul. It was first released with a single cut body style however models with a double cut body style were later introduced in 1958.-History:...
Reissue and several other vintage guitars. Also he owns a three colour sunburst stratocaster with a white pick guard, which is shown in the "Devil in a Midnight Mass
Devil In A Midnight Mass
"Devil in a Midnight Mass" is the first single released from Billy Talent's second album, Billy Talent II.-Song information:There are two differing versions of the song: the album version, and an unpolished demo version released in December 2005 via their myspace.com account...
" music video. He previously used a 1991 Peavey
Peavey Electronics
Peavey Electronics Corporation is one of the largest audio equipment manufacturers in the world, headquartered in Meridian, Mississippi in the United States.- History :...
5150 head until he received a 60 watt head custom made for him by Mark Stephenson of Stephenson Amplification in 2002 - 2003.
He can currently be seen using a white Fender Stratocaster with a black pickguard and red maple leaf along the side of the guitar. It is much like his blue/red Stratocaster, but with the before mentioned cosmetic changes.
External links
- Song for Africa
- Billy Talent at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Billy Talent Photography