Under the guise of An Interplanetary Night, Space is the Place organizes spectacular evenings, pushing boundaries and crossing borders. With its roots in jazz and improvised music, the program will explore a variety of genres. This edition is in part dedicated to the rich musical culture of South Africa. The program features no less than eight performances.
LUCIJA GREGOV SOLO
Lucija Gregov is a cellist, improviser, and sound artist whose work describes and explores new sonic landscapes, integrating analogue synthesizers and field recordings into her compositions along the way. By engaging in interdisciplinary and often community-oriented work, she pushes traditional cello boundaries, creating a dynamic approach to her improvisation and sound art. She rarely performs solo, so come and witness.
PIETRO ELIA BARCELLONA SOLO
Pietro Elia Barcellona is a double bassist, composer, and improviser active in the field of experimental music. In contemporary music, he has worked with renowned composers and ensembles alike, including the Meredith Monk Vocal Ensemble. Pietro is deeply interested in contemporary music exploration, focusing on the relationship between musical gesture and rhythm. He will perform a fragment of his recent, elongated sound work.
SANEM KALFA / HARMEN FRAANJE
Sanem Kalfa, recognized for her distinctive vocals and known through her SITProductions project Televizyon, and Harmen Fraanje, celebrated for his masterful piano skills over the past two decades and as a leading teacher at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, are coming together for a special performance during An Interplanetary Night. They frequently get together and practice but haven’t been on stage as a duo so much. Expect improvised surprises and intimate tunes.
MO VAN DER DOES / WILBERT DE JOODE / GIACOMO CAMILLETTI
Space is the Place asked Mo van der Does to form a bar band trio with Giacomo Camilletti and Wilbert de Joode for this special evening. The versatile saxophonist known for his contemporary jazz and improvisation gladly accepted! Accompanied by Giacomo’s skilled drumming and Wilbert’s renowned double bassist practice, the atmosphere will be kept vibrant in our café.
REMCO MENTING
Remco Menting’s musical journey began at the age of seven with the piano, later transitioning to drumming, partly under the guidance of the legendary jazz drummer Han Bennink. He graduated from the Amsterdam Conservatory’s jazz department in 2009, after which he explored diverse music genres and was part of the innovative trio Kapok. Moreover, he has explored the vibraphone, sabar music, theatre, and teaching. Remco performed previously during Space Impro at De Ruimte, impressing us with his percussive works.
SOFAYA FT. MICHAEL MOORE
Breathing fresh air into the Amsterdam improv scene, South African trumpeter James McClure has formed a new band called SOFAYA as part of SITProductions. In search of the rich and diverse culture of South African music, the octet embraces its compelling grooves and melodies. SOFAYA wants to bring out these characteristics in different styles by playing existing compositions out of different generations. Additionally, they will be joined by the acclaimed saxophone and clarinet player Michael Moore, who has experience in South African music through playing with Sean Bergin. SOFAYA will play two sets – one in the hall and one dance set in the café around midnight.
James McClure trumpet, Joao Guerra drums, Zenzele Mthembu-Salter bass, Marta Warelis piano, Natalio Sued tenor sax, Diana Dzhabbar alto sax, Lezaam Beets trombone, Christian Chandler trombone
DJ EDDY DE CLERCQ PLAYS SOUTH AFRICAN ‘TOWNSHIP JIVE & KWELA JAZZ’
Amsterdam DJ veteran Eddy le Clercq, with a history of residencies at local clubs such as Paradiso, RoXY, and iT, is set to perform at An Interplanetary Night. He’ll be channelling his love for and collection of South African Township Jive & Kwela Jazz music, complementing the energy of the night. Years ago Eddy launched a special website/blog Soul Safari to showcase the music of Africa with a strong emphasis on South Africa. Within this framework he released thee compilation albums ‘Township Jive & Kwela Jazz’ from different periods. Truly music treasures from a long gone past.
SOFAYA SOUNDSYSTEM
Several enthusiastic SOFAYA members, dedicated collectors who share their favourite songs with each other more than often, are now bringing their culture-laden records from their homes to the public ear for the very first time!
