Nu
Hiske
“HISKE.’s sound is a blend of new-soul, jazzy r&b, touches of roots reggae, latin and jazz. Catchy and accessible melodies are alternated by rhythmical changes and melodically surprising choices”.
Pachamama
“Music is universal. It is a language that we can all speak, understand and recognize. Everyone can meet around music, and musicians can communicate with tones even when they can’t understand each other’s language.
Each country has its own music culture, their own instruments, melodies and rhythms. In Syria, the Arab folk have drawn threads far back in time. In West Africa they have the Yoruba music, that is imbued with rhythm and divine worship. If you go to Japan, a tone language prevails to a point that you won’t find that anywhere else. There are instruments that are completely unique, as for instance those found in India. In Morocco, Gnawa rules the music, and further west in South America, salsa, merengue and tango have left their mark on the culture.
All together music enriches and unites. But what happens when you are taken away from the music? What happens when war and natural disasters, family relationships or living conditions force one to move? As a musician one has dedicated himself to one’s profession. You have to live from it. But when you end up in a country which cultural habits are far away from your tradition, then you are “at the bottom of the food chain”. Then you are a beginner and working is sometimes not even possible. How should an oud player from Palestine suddenly play Jazz music in Denmark? There needs to be a space for everyone to be heard.”
Afgelopen / Non-actief
Afrogrooves
Afrogrooves was born in 2017 out of a love for West-African music, in particular the afrobeat and highlife that were created in the 1970s by legends Fela Kuti, Ebo Taylor and Pat Thomas. Afrogrooves wants to bring people together to celebrate those and other heroes and heroines and to make a harmonious connection among musicians and the audience alike.
Music is sometimes unjustly seen as apolitical or non-political, but the reality is that music and the music industry also encompasses oppression and power structures of all sorts. As a platform and music collective, Afrogrooves takes a stand against racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, sexism, ableism and all other forms of oppression. Together we try to decolonize music, break down power relations and create an inclusive and safe space with incredible music.
TivoliVredenburg
Rabo open stage
Ik liep in 2018-2019 stage bij TivoliVredenburg,
waar ik programmeerde voor de Rabo Open Stage.
Ik heb o.a. een vriendin van mij uit Zwitserland geboekt (Donna Zed). Andere goede matches met het podium waren de band How Was It for You, experimenteel project XPosed en Afrobeat-jamsessie Afrogrooves. Op de laatste avond die ik had georganiseerd speelden deze projecten alledrie, wat zorgde voor een volgepakte ruimte en een geweldige en uitgelaten sfeer. Later lukte het mij nog om Afrogrooves te boeken in Club Nine, een podium wat eigenlijk officieel ‘buiten mijn bereik’ lag.
Afgelopen jaar heb ik ook een Afrogrooves- sessie georganiseerd in Aalborg. Ik had een band bij elkaar gezocht, het event gepland, gerepeteerd, heb alles logistiek en promotioneel geregeld en opgetreden als bandleider/pianist. Het was goed bezocht en de eigenaren waren tevreden.
