Biography:

Lewis Pragasam is one of the famous drummers in Malaysia.^[1]

In 1979 drummer Prasasam started Project Asiabeat.^[2]

It initially started as a percussion group… experimenting with various combinations of Asian ethnic instruments and rhythms, and Western music such as jazz-rock.^[3]

In 1980 Lewis organized a concert to officially launch the Asiabeat Project, which consisted of an ensemble of over 60 musicians.

This is a historic event for Malaysian music as it is the first time that different cultures are brought together under one roof to perform ‘live’.

In 1982, Asiabeat’s debut recording was released featuring an all-Malaysian ensemble with special guest American/Japanese exponent ‘Shakuhachi’ John ‘Kaizan’ Neptune and Indian percussionists.

The Asiabeat project has 5 recordings released worldwide since 1982 namely: Asiabeat, Dare To Dream, Spirit Of The People, Drumusique and Monsoon.

Asiabeat has also distributed two digital albums, Urban Beyond and Akar.

Pragasam is a respected musician from Asia and has performed with many internationally renowned artists such as Tony Levin, Randy Crawford and Billy Cobham.^[4]

He was among a group of musicians such as Terry Thaddeus and Paul Ponnudorai, who helped create an international reputation for Malaysian musicians.^[5]

After a heart attack, Pragasam, 66, died at Beacon Hospital, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, at 3 am, December 18, 2023.^[6]

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