Daniel Bloem

DANIEL BLOEM

C.Valdes, on October 5th, 2008 at 7:17 pm Said:
“I really love Daniel Bloem’s playing and would like to see more of him. He is the best percussionist in South Africa and definately amongst the top 10 in the world. We are lucky to have him here.” www.wordpress.com
Grahamstown National Arts Festival

Born in Holland now resident in Cape Town, South Africa since 2002/2003.
He is a musician of Indonesian- Italian decent who at the age of four started playing percussion and studied martial arts. By the time he was 13yrs old formed the youngest latin band in Holland at the time named Nevareba, performed with several pop, funk, jazz, salsa and world music projects with various acts including East Meets West , Frank Wright and well known Turkish bassist Mazar Mentes in the Netherlands.
He later went on to study the theory of martial arts and martial art anatomy in Japan and Hong Kong, lectured, competed and conducted demonstrations in Holland and did meditation among the monks in the temples of Thailand where he had the opportunity to perform with the Chinese Opera and today combines these elements in his playing.
As an accompanist for traditional West African dance at the Dance Academy in the Hague.he studied traditional Afro-Cuban rhythms and composes his own music including traditional West-African rhythms with inspiration from Brazilian and Asian folklore and also conducts drumming workshops.
Performed with percussionist Nippy Noya in Germany and in Holland in their own unique Eastern inspired style with guest artist the violonist Thomas Kagermann. He also performed alongside dics jockeys at various venues globally.,

In 2002 he toured South Africa with The Carribean All-Star Band including Alberto ‘Malote’ Munoz(ex. Buena Vista Social Club) and decided to be based in South Africa
He recorded and collaborated and performed with several artists in South Africa including The Daryl Andrews Jazz Band led by Prof. Daryl Andrews Senior lecturer in the jazz studies program at the University Of Cape Town, Prof Hotep Galeta ,Jack Momple,Swazi Dlamini who’s album “My first Love” he performed on won a SAMA(South African Music Award) in 2004, Tucan Tucan, Kunle, Mc coy Mrubata, Jimmy Dudlu, Robbie Jansen, Tony Schilder, Hilton Schilder, Thandi Klaasen, Winston Mankuku, Judith Sephuma, Sons of Trout, Paulo Fresco, Andrew Young and Spyro Gyra.

In 2006 he performed with the Mpho and Uvimba Band in Santo Domingo, The Dominican Republic, in Havana, Cuba and in 2008 at the Africa Festival in Germany to great audience response.
During his stay in Havana he also played with several Folklore Rumba and Bata groups and other percussion artists including Joaquin Pozo and Felix Enrique.

One of his special claims to fame is that he’s among a handful of percussion artists able to play melodies on 5 conga’s