Efa Etoroma grew up in a musical family in Edmonton. He showed talent and drive early on, studying piano for five years, then switching to drums and joining his high school band. He was not yet 23 and still a music student at McGill University when he had already released four discs, Breakin' Thru (2009) and Efa Etoroma Jr. Trio (2010) and, with his group Ruckus Fo'tet, 1-2-3-Fo' (2010), and Round One (2011). Ruckus Fo'tet is a hip-hop ensemble with jazz, rock, funk and Latin leanings that performs mainly original material. It appeared at the Festival in 2009. Etoroma considers Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Steve Jordan, and Dafnis Prieto among the artists that have influenced him.