Mudita & Sjoerd van Eijck’s OAK
Mudita: Sanne Rambags vocals, Koen Smits trumpet, Sjoerd van Eijck piano
OAK: Sjoerd van Eijck piano, Koen Smits trumpet, Alessandro Fongaro double bass Willem Romers drums
The two bands in this double concert are likeminded and connected: both are from the South of the Netherlands, and both embrace melody and silence in their improvisations. Three voices become one in Mudita, in the spirit of the group’s name: the buddhist term for joy in other people’s well-being. Singer Sanne Rambags uses her voice as an instrument, sometimes through lyrics and poetry, and often as pure sound, alongside Koen Smits’s trumpet and Sjoerd van Eijck’s piano.
Sjoerd van Eijck is also the pianist of OAK, where he appears as the band leader and composer. Trumpeter Koen Smits, bassist Alessandro Fongaro and percussionist Willem Romers add colors to the melodic, challenging compositions. ‘For me, the magic starts behind the grand piano’, says Van Eijck. ‘I don’t need much, just a couple of good chords. Each time the listener is taken on a different journey.’ This concert will be the album presentation for his new album ‘Aurora’.