C O N T E M P O R A R Y DRUMMER PERCUSSIONIST EDUCATOR
Blue Tangerine
Blue Tangerine is a nine-piece contemporary and Brazilian-influenced jazz ensemble, featuring the best of young talent from Malta and France. The band was born in July of 2016 when the musicians met for the first time to play a concert at The Malta Jazz Festival, as part of an exchange program between the two countries.
Given the success of this fruitful collaboration, they have since played a series of concerts in France in 2017, and recorded a 6-track EP. The band were invited to perform again at The Malta Jazz Festival in July of 2018.
All the members of Blue Tangerine have a solid jazz background, and their repertoire is inspired by Brazilian music; notably compositions by the great Hermeto Pascoal and Pixinguinha.
The band also performs original music, with compositions written and arranged by the members of the group. Under the direction of band leader Vincent Jacqz (p), their original music fuses jazz improvisation and festive Brazilian rhythms with haunting melodies sung by Angela Vella Zarb. Florent Hinschberger (tpt), Benoit Crauste (sax), Philippe Lopes De Sa (sax), and Michel Berelowitch (tb) make up the brass section, and the rhythm section features Karl Galea (g), Dean Montanaro (b), and Joseph Camilleri (d).
Blue Tangerine recorded their first full-length album in March 2019 (Studio de Meudon, FR), with the support of a grant awarded by the Arts Council Malta.
Djun
Djun is a Maltese pop group that marries ear friendly hooks with poetic lyrics and an adventurous musicality. The group is made up of Justin Galea (vocals), Joseph Camilleri (drums), Ryen Refalo (guitar), Paul Torpian (keyboards) and Charles Cassar (bass). The band was formed in 2017 and immediately became a favourite of the Maltese alternative rock scene. In 2019 Djun released their debut album “Il-Ħlas”, a collection of songs focusing on theme of time and endings. The album was launched in May 2019 with a very well received live performed at the Malta Society of Arts.
Following the launch of “Il-Ħlas” the band remained active through various performances, including the launch of the single “Ħdejk”, which went viral in April 2020 and inspired scores of reinterpretations by many of Malta’s most prominent artists through a social media “chain post”. The Band is currently recording its next release, which will see the band taking a new and unexpected musical direction.