Troy 'Nation' Cheong or simply Nation as he prefers to be called is one of the core group of four percussionists within AHANAIE.

Nation who originally hails from, the land of many rivers, Guyana came to Canada in 1975 at the age of seven. He started his schooling in drumology in 1994 with, the internationally recognized percussionist, Jeremiah McFarland of Jamaican National Dance Company fame. For two years Nation worked closely with Jeremiah McFarland accompanying him to various dance classes and performances. They played for the Ballet Creole Dance Company, his training covering rhythms and songs from Jamaican Folk and Afro Cuban rhythms to percussion for reggae and modern pop music. Through his contacts with Ballet Creole Nation got the opportunity to learn about the djembe drum, a traditional Malinke percussion instrument, from the world famous Ballet Senegal drummer Mamadou Foula. It was also during his time spent working with Jeremiah McFarland that he was introduced to another young and upcoming drummer named Wendell 'Fresh' Scott who he continues to train and perform with.

With encouragement from Fresh, Nation later went on to become a core member of the Roots Drummers Ensemble performing at events like Habourfront's Molson Dry Drum Heat and touring several public schools in Ontario as well as the University of Toronto, Guelph University and McGill University. Nation attributes his further development as a drummer to workshops and performances he has done with Sankofa, led by Quammie Williams and with drummers from the famous Gyap Rhythm Band. His drumming skills have harvested him rich rewards, over the years, by giving him the opportunity to visit many diverse communities all over North America. Currently, Nation remains a core musician for the Roots Drummers and for the past four years he has been a lead drummer for the Caribbean folk Performers. In March of 2000 he was invited by Rudy 'Quammie' Williams to play lead djembe for the soundtrack to a new exercise video that was produced by the Jiva Company. This experience taught him the intricacies of studio recording and further enriched his drumming experience.

Far beyond all of these enriching experiences, Nation has become a community worker and healer contributing his considerable talent, time and patient listening quality to programmes like Park School's Drum Talk programme, which is geared to children who have difficulty in school and may end up in ESL (English as a Second Language) or Behaviour modification classes. Nation uses his knowledge of the djembe drum to teach Malinke and Caribbean rhythms to the children utilizing the principles of music to instill values like good listening, creative expression, and mutual respect. Nation has also introduced the practice of musical therapy into his work with the homeless, the mentally ill and those suffering from addiction challenges. The cathartic nature of the drum allows people to express deep emotions in a safe environment. Nation's goal is to constantly reach out to people and motivate them with the music of the drums.

Nation has been part of AHANAIE from the early genesis of the group. His quiet confidence, and captivating playing have been one of the cornerstones on which AHANAIE has built a very solid foundation. As a performer and a musician Nation's future plans include producing his own play that will utilize both sacred and secular dance music to illustrate the awakening of an ancient consciousness in the twenty first century. He also intends to record a CD that blends the sound of West Africa and the Caribbean with modern electronic techniques.