Grooves are at the heart of Naamu (‘Yes, I am listening’), the new band led by bass guitarist Teun Creemers. Out of his love for West-African music, he unites nine musicians from The Netherlands and Mali for what he calls ‘Malinke Groove Jazz’, a thundering fusion of styles. Powerful Malian vocals and instruments such as the kamale n’goni blend in with familiar jazz instruments such as saxophone and electric guitar.
As a bassist, Teun Creemers previously toured with West-African musicians such as Harouna Samake en Sekou Kouyaté. In Naamu, the lyrics are sung in Bambara, one of the many West-African languages. The songs have themes such as war, friendship, and the celebration of women. The eponymous album received the maximum score of five stars in the leading international magazine Songlines: ‘Creemers leads the way with his guitar-like approach to bass playing. Naamu is thus a thoroughly enjoyable jaunt replete with earthy grooves and dazzling vocals.’
Kankou Kouyaté vocals, Aminata Dante vocals, Yacouba Sagara vocals, Jesse Schilderink tenor, Jelle Roozenburg guitar, Teun Creemers bass guitar, Tuur Moens drums, Lauriane Ghils percussion / kamale ngoni, Yannick van ter Beek percussion