Naamu by Teun Creemers

Teaser from the album filmed on location in BAMAKO by Carolina Vallejo

TEUN CREEMERS “NAAMU”

As a bass guitarist, composer and initiator, Teun Creemers has always had a broad interest in different musical genres, which has never limited him to playing only one genre. After years of experiences and discoveries within different bands and genres like jazz, funk and West African music, it was high time to take the lead himself and record his experiences in the form of his debut album Naamu.

For this album Teun combined his passion for West African music with his acquired experiences in jazz and groove music to create an adventurous repertoire he himself calls “Malinke Groove Jazz”. After having played bass in the bands of various virtuoso West African musicians, he felt the need to delve further into the West African music and all its possibilities. Without neglecting his own built up experiences within the Dutch jazzscene he pursued his dream to combine the best of two worlds; creating his own unique blend of tradition and innovation.

Naamu was recorded in studios in the Netherlands, Mali, United States and France.The album was mainly recorded and produced at the Galloway Studio in Nijmegen (NL) where Teun collaborated with co-producer Sebastiaan van Bijlevelt. The additional recordings made abroad were with various African musicians including the great kamale n’goni player Harouna Samake and the talented upcoming Malian singer Kankou Kouyaté among others.

The lyrics on the album are sung in Bambara, one of the many languages of West-Africa. The various singers this album features, like Kankou Kouyaté and Yacouba “Bloffou” Sagara, sing poetically about themes like war, friendship and a celebration to women. The powerful lyrics of the album's first single, À Nyininka, mysteriously leave much to the imagination while blending perfectly with the raw, thunderous playing of the various musicians on the album.

Guests featured on the album include some of the best musicians of the West-African music scene like Harouna Samake (kamale n’goni), Mamadou Diabate (balafon), Sefoudi Kouyate (kora), Yacouba Sagara (vocals), Kankou Kouyaté (vocals), Lassine Diarra (vocals), Bah Kouyaté (vocals), Eva Dembeler (vocals) and Ami Dante (vocals). Also participating were Dutch musicians such as Jesse Schilderink (tenor), Miguel Boelens (alto/tenor), Mete Erker (bass clarinet), Yoran Vroom (drums), Antoine Duijkers (drums/percussion), Yariv Vroom (percussion), Fantison Araby O’Bryan (percussion), Yannick van ter Beek (percussion) and Teis Semey (guitar).