Playing to sell-out arenas and global audiences, professional drummer Cherisse Osei celebrates 16 years of international touring. Working with innovative, upcoming artists and industry legends including Kelly Jones, Paloma Faith, Bryan Ferry and Mika, she's currently touring worldwide with Simple Minds.
She has played the world’s best music festivals and featured on major American, UK and European TV shows. From Coachella and Glastonbury to the Isle of Wight, South by Southwest, Fuji Rock, Exit and Roskilde, she dazzles with versatility and verve. In 2018 she won first place in the best Live Session Drummer category in Rhythm Magazine’s and Music Radar’s polls. Cherisse Osei’s visual flamboyance and rock solid technique make her one of the most sought after drummers.
Cherisse was given her first drums at the age of five – a pink Mickey Mouse kit from her uncle – and has been playing ever since. By 12 she was performing in bands, and by 17 she was signed to Polydor Records in a band called The Faders. She has been exposed to many genres of music and her fascination with drumming styles only continues to grow.
In 2016, Cherisse joined Simple Minds for their "acoustic phase" and recorded the album 'Simple Minds Acoustic' with the band. She then joined their acoustic tour for the remainder of the year. Cherisse appeared on three tracks of the 2018 album 'Walk Between Worlds' (recorded before, during, and after the acoustic tours and the ‘Acoustic' album release) and joined the band as their full-time drummer for the promotional tour. The tour launched in Glasgow, Scotland and included the first North American shows for the band in five years. This was met with praise: The Guardian credited the band with sounding "less blokey", "modern and impressively energised." As of 2019, Simple Minds has been recording material for a new album with Cherisse, aiming for a 2021 release.
In 2019, Cherisse joined Kelly Jones on his third solo tour alongside violinist Fiona Brice, multi-instrumentalist (trumpet, guitar, piano) Gavin Fitzjohn. Their 1st performance with Jones took place on 1st June at Usher Hall, in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Throughout the tour Jones and the band played some of the Stereophonics’ greatest hits, and the gig was a stripped-back affair. All the favourites were there, especially for the encore: Traffic, Step On My Old Size Nines, Maybe Tomorrow and Dakota closing the show. Some of his solo album Only The Names Have Been Changed was performed, and a few cover versions including Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks were thrown in.
From 2012-2015, Cherisse played drums with Bryan Ferry. During this time she recorded on his latest album ‘Avonmore’ (released November 2014) and performed a packed schedule of live shows. In 2013, she embarked on a major UK tour with Bryan playing venues across the country including London’s Royal Albert Hall. During 2014, they toured America playing prestigious theatres and festivals, including the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California. Their touring also took in Europe and playing the top UK summer festivals including headlining at Glastonbury. Cherisse also performed with Bryan on UK TV shows including Later…with Jools Holland.
Between 2012-2014 Cherisse played live across the UK with Brit Award winner and singer/songwriter Paloma Faith, taking in tours and festivals including Isle of Wight and T in the Park. She appeared on numerous UK and US TV shows with Paloma, including Late Show with David Letterman and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Paloma’s third album, ‘A Perfect Contradiction’ (released 2014) was certified double platinum and features the Top Ten singles Can’t Rely On You and Only Love Can Hurt Like This.
From 2006-2012, Cherisse played and toured extensively with pop sensation Mika (Casablanca/Universal Island UK). Mika’s first album ‘Life in Cartoon Motion’ went straight to number one in the UK chart, going platinum within the first 10 days. His first single Grace Kelly hit number one in the UK and the rest of Europe. It sold more than 7 million copies worldwide and earned Mika a Brit Award – winning British Breakthrough Act and a Grammy Awards nomination. In 2009, Mika released a second studio album, ‘The Boy Who Knew Too Much’ selling more than 2 million copies worldwide. It debuted at number four on the UK albums chart and at number one on the French chart, making it Mika’s second consecutive album to top the French chart. Cherisse played drums on the track Blame It On The Girls which became the second international single to reach number one in the Japan Hot 100 after Leona Lewis’ 2008 hit Bleeding Love.
Cherisse featured frequently on major American TV shows with Mika including Good Morning America, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Show with David Letterman and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Together, they played the key festivals including South by Southwest, Coachella, Fuji Rock, Exit, Sziget, Les Ardentes, Glastonbury and V. During this time, Cherisse also performed drum clinics with celebrated American drummer Billy Ward (Joan Osbourne, Yoko Ono, The Knack).