Michel Conci
Versatile Amsterdam (Netherlands)-based musician Michel Conci is percussionist, songwriter, singer, and musical composer, specializing mainly in Reggae.
2
top 50
2
songs
110
plays
Sufferers' Movement Sufferers' Movement
A collab of Michel Conci with Ill Bill/Bushweed Bill (Bill Van Oostrom), providing the beat.
Rastafari Live On Rastafari Live On
My name is Michel Conci. I was born in 1974, and live in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I am of Italian-Spanish descent.
Music has always been important in my life and for my life, which I soon started to translate creatively by writing songs, instrumentals, and singing. At first tentative and experimental, I kept learning in the process, including about theory and patterns.
INSTRUMENTS
My first interests were MIDI and keyboard playing, while in a later stage I seriously started to study percussion instruments. This responded to my life-long interests for rhythmic and drum patterns.
I later in life had many lessons for mainly bongos and conga (along with Afro-Cuban patterns) from Dutch-Curaçaoan percussionist Vernon Chatlein, throughout 2014. Basic lessons I also had in African djembe and talking drum. I also was in a Netherlands-based Rastafari-inspired Nyabinghi group (Each One Teach One), including chanting and kete drumming, between 2014 and 2017. Other instruments I learned or am learning through self-study.
MUSICAL PREFERENCES
Soul and funk (Stevie Wonder, James Brown) I already enjoyed even as a small child. This soon expanded as I got to know other Black music. I especially developed a strong love for Jamaican Reggae music. Reggae became a specialized taste, but I kept an open mind.
My study of percussion helped me to delve more into both Afro-Cuban and (traditional) sub-Saharan African music, and realize even more the beauty of polyrhythms and clave-based music too. This made furthermore sense in relation to the African origins of Black music.
Several visits to Cuba between 2001 and 2006 already had increased my interest for specifically Afro-Cuban music.
Spanish Flamenco, Fandango and Jota music were other early influences on me (my mother hailing from the SW part of Spain), and I still appreciate aspects of Flamenco, yet as well other authentic forms of Folk music throughout the world, also outside of Africa (e.g. Celtic music, Amerindian, parts of Asia).
ACTIVITIES
Recording at home since young, I made connections with other musicians and studio owners, such as Robert Curiel, in whose reggae-minded Dubcellar studio in Amsterdam I recorded my reggae song Rastafari Live On in 2012, on a riddim (instrumental part) eventually created (mainly) and played by Curiel. I released this song in October 2012.
Since then I continue(d) to record at home, which came to include for instance instrumentals based on percussion - "percussion instrumentals". These compositions include various (often acoustic) percussion instruments played by me, mostly on a clave/polyrhythmic basis. These are often published online (e.g. YouTube). On occasion I also compose songs with (more) vocals and me singing, being mostly interested in lyrics with social messages.
So I continue my creative experimenting and free composing, albeit based on solid rhythmic and musical grounds, and meanwhile stay open for collaborations with other musicians and artists.Have you performed in front of an audience?I have participated in many jam sessions in various locations in and around Amsterdam (Netherlands), playing various percussion instruments. This became more frequent since 2014 and 2015, as my knowledge of percussion increased, also after lessons. Some of these jams were reggae-minded, others broader, such as those held in the Bourbon Street and Waterhole bars /clubs in Amsterdam, known for their live music focus. I played and performed there a lot, mostly loose covers of various genres (like Latin, Funk, Blues, Jazz, Rock, Pop), and still go to jam there up to this day.
I played on percussion with various musicians (house band Mosquito band at Bourbon Street), visiting ones (e.g. Arrested Development members), as well as veteran ones in the Dutch music scene, such as drummers Eddy Veltman, Gus Genser, percussionist Victor Sams, bass players Kay Hasselbaink, Biko Basman, August Hornberger, multi-instrumentalist Sticko a.o.
Right now, I am percussion player in Amsterdam (Netherlands)-based Reggae band Flavour Coalition.
Your musical influences
See introduction. Reggae remains an important influence, concerning both vocal and instrumental (e.g. percussion) aspects, especially classic Roots Reggae from artists like Burning Spear, Culture, the Wailing Souls, the Mighty Diamonds, Ijahman Levi, the Itals, Black Uhuru, Dennis Brown, and Gregory Isaacs. Great, soulful singers like Alton Ellis, Horace Andy, and Ken Boothe. I also appreciate much of the current New Roots from Jamaica, by people like Sizzla, Richie Spice, Fantan Mojah, Queen Ifrica, Iba Mahr, Chronixx, Morgan Heritage and others. More selectively, some Dancehall and Dub I like too.
Outside of Reggae, I like James Brown, Curtis Mayfield, Fela Kuti, Paco de Lucia, Carlos Santana, some Afro-Cuban bands/artists (like Sierra Maestra, los Van Van, Ibrahim Ferrer a.o.), Nirvana, Public Enemy, Weather Report, Manic Street Preachers, Talking Heads, Tom Waits, Simon & Garfunkel, and some others.What equipment do you use?
MIDI keyboard, and music/studio software. Further mainly various percussion instruments (large and small) of different brands or self-made, and some (Spanish) guitars. Plus practicing on Yamaha digital drum kit.
Amsterdam, NH
Netherlands
ID
1433280
Contact
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