Cellist Ernst Reijseger, pianist Harmen Fraanje and singer-percussionist Mola Sylla know exactly how to create their own vocabulary on stage. You might describe this trio’s music as the perfect amalgam of jazz, African songs and classical music.
Reijsiger Fraanje Sylla
piano
Harmen Fraanje
cello
Ernst Reijseger
voice/percussion
Mola Sylla
kabas
flute
Jan Daelman
harmonium
Thijs Troch
double bass
Nils Vermeulen
drums
Elias Devoldere
in partnership with
Mechelen Cultural Centre
"What has been strange becomes familiar. And what has been familiar acquires the glow of mystery. A beautiful album."
— Werner Herzog on "Count till Zen"
Fierceness and beauty
Fraanje’s exuberant, improvised piano playing, Reijseger’s subtle melodies and Sylla’s striking voice complement each other perfectly. The trio stand for fierceness and beauty: now melancholy, now spiritual. If you heard their fantastic concert at BRAND! Jazz Festival 2016, that description is bound to strike a chord.
New album
Reijseger Fraanje Sylla have recorded two albums for the famous Winter & Winter label: Down Deep and Count Till Zen. They also caught the film maker Werner Herzog’s eye: he contracted the three musicians for the soundtrack of some of his latest documentaries. Their album We Were There came out in March 2020 at Just Listen Records. Right on target once again.
kabas
The support act is Kabas. This quartet made its debut in 2016 with Abel, in which the four young musicians showcased a flexible improvised sound, proving themselves to be imperturbable in their search for interaction without restricting themselves to fixed structures or themes. In October 2019, Kabas recorded a second album – Eugénie – in our old auditorium. The ensemble connected sounds and ideas from free improvisation to song structures familiar from pop music. “Often thoughtful, sometimes frivolous, always with a poetry all of their own”, according to Enola Magazine.
