Member Since: 15/12/2006
Band Website: www.lucasvanmerwijk.nl
Band Members: Aly N’Diaye Rose was born in 1959 in Dakar, Senegal.
His mother, Fatou Mbengue, danced with the Ballet Nationale du Senegal in her younger years, and his father, Doudou N'Diaye Rose, remains a gifted percussionist and world-famous master drummer to this day.Like most children in Senegal, Aly began playing percussion at age four. He grew up in a Griot family, in which legends have been passed down through the ages orally, in the form of traditional songs accompanied by percussion instruments.Doudou recognized his young son’s talent very early, while drumming at social gatherings like births, weddings, rites of passage, harvests and funerals – each occasion being marked by a different rhythm.At age 12, Aly N’Diaye Rose joined his father’s orchestra and toured with them throughout Africa, Europe, America and Japan, where he had the opportunity to appear at festivals alongside legends like Miles Davis, the Rolling Stones, James Brown, Stevie Wonder and Peter Gabriel.In 1980, he returned to Dakar and served as a music teacher for a number of years. He then traveled to France to teach in Toulon and Paris. In 1987, Aly N’Diaye Rose performed with Doudou’s orchestra at the prestigious North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands. There, he met Wolly Meriën from the Roots Dance and Theater School, who subsequently invited Aly to collaborate with him on a variety of projects. At the same time, he was asked to give percussion lessons at the Dutch Royal Conservatory in The Hague, which he continues to enjoy to this day.In 1989, Aly N’Diaye Rose relocated to The Hague and was named artistic leader of the Anumadutchi percussion group. This Dutch percussion group consists of professional musicians and former students of Aly N’Diaye Rose, and performs both in the Netherlands and abroad.In 1995 and 1996, Aly N’Diaye Rose composed and performed various pieces for the Rotterdam-based Scapino Ballet’s modern dance production of Romeo and Juliet. This popular dance production surprised and delighted Dutch audiences for two years.In collaboration with top European drummer Lucas van Merwijk, Aly N’Diaye Rose formed Drumix!, and the two recorded an album together in 1999. Its release was followed by a series of theater concerts by the duo, as well as a performance at the Big Bang Festival in the Netherlands. The pair has developed a close partnership and continue to work together on a variety of projects, including their participation in the new formation Drums United, which is currently playing to full houses in the Netherlands.Following many offers worldwide, and after obtaining the permission of his father, Aly N’diaye Rose decided three years ago to start his own orchestra. The Aly N’Diaye Rose Orchestra enables him – together with his children, brothers, and other family members to finally bring his unique repertoire to the public.
Influences: Ever since he was a kid, drummer Lucas van Merwijk, born in 1961, has been under the spell of drums.He was elected 'Best Jazz drummer' in the Benelux countries by the readers of "De Slagwerkkrant" (a professional Dutch Drum magazine) for six years running (1993-1999). Furthermore, he was elected best Fusiondrummer in the Benelux in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2004 and 2005.After an intensive study of Afro-Cuban drums with drummer Oscarito Valdes (Irakere) in Cuba, Lucas van Merwijk is now very actively involved with various groups and artists throughout Europe, and in particular with the internationally acclaimed group Nueva Manteca.At the moment Lucas is the bandleader of four groups: His own trio with Randal Corsen and Jeroen Vierdag, Drumix! with Aly N'Diaye Rose, the world-percussion ensemble Drums United and the 20 piece Cubop City Big Band.
Apart from that, he has appeared in a lot of television and radio shows and can be heard on many CDs. As a percussionist he has collaborated with many bands, on recordings and productions.All of these experiences have made him develop his own special style, a mix of Cuban, Brazilian and North American rhythms, characterized by powerful percussion and splendid technical skills.His passion for the Latin big band sound made him put together his CuBop City Big Band. The CD Moré & More came third place on Max Salazar's top-ten of the Best Latin CDs of 1998 in the New York magazine Latin Beat.Lucas runs his own record label called Tam Tam Records. Van Merwijk teaches regularly at the World Music Department of the Rotterdam Academy of Music and the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam.
He has often been invited to teach masterclasses in percussion and drums at many renowned international, European and American music institutes.
Sounds Like: Us and nobody else...
Record Label: Tam Tam Records
Type of Label: Indie