Focus Netherlands at Jazz I Am in Barcelona, March 16 and 17

10 February 2023

On March 16 and 17, Barcelona international jazz meeting Jazz I Am invites three acts based in the Netherlands: Guy Salamon Group, the duo Sanem Kalfa/Teis Semey, and the trio with Spanish/Dutch flamenco singer Raquel Kurpershoek.

Starting on March 16, the Amsterdam-based Guy Salamon Group will play five shows in Catalonia, the Jazz I Am showcase being one of them. This ‘as sustainable as possible’ Green Pilot Tour is boosted by Europe Jazz Network (EJN), inJazz/Buma Cultuur, and Barcelona music school (and Jazz I Am-organizer) Taller de Músics. Creatures!, Creatures! was selected as one of 2022’s best albums made in the Netherlands by NRC newspaper. For an interview with drummer/composer Guy Salamon, go here.

Both vocalist/cellist Sanem Kalfa (TR) and guitarist Teis Semey (DK) have made Amsterdam their home base after studying at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. They made a name for themselves in various groups and solo projects, occasionally working together as well. And both have been named artist-in-residence by fringe festival North Sea Round Town in Rotterdam, Teis in 2022 and Sanem in 2023. Lately, the duo have started performing together, fueled by a mutual love of improvisation and exploration. More on Sanem Kalfa and Teis Semey here. Read our interview with Sanem and Teis here.

Raquel Kurpershoek Jaldón (born in 1998) started making a name for herself after winning several Dutch talent contests from 2016 on. She studied Cuban, Brazilian and Indian music at Codarts (University of the Arts in Rotterdam) and, through the Erasmus programme, flamenco singing at the Rafael Orozco Conservatory of Music in Córdoba (Spain). Her 2022 release Nizami came to fruition through close collaboration with Spanish guitarist Alejandro Hurtado and Dutch percussionist Danny Rombouts. More on Raquel Kurpershoek here.

Jazz I Am is taking place on March 16 and 17 in Barcelona clubs Ocaña and Jamboree. Please find the full program and ticket information at the event’s website.

For those interested in the Dutch showcases and presentations, this is the time schedule.

MARCH 16

20:00 – 20:30 SHOWCASE
Raquel Kurpershoek

MARCH 17

15:00 – 15:45 PRESENTATION
All you wanted to know about jazz from the Netherlands, but were afraid to ask

17:30 – 18:00 SHOWCASE
Sanem Kalfa & Teis Semey

18:00 – 18:30 SHOWCASE
Guy Salamon Group

18:30-20:15 FOCUS NETHERLANDS NETWORKING BREAK
with drinks & snacks

Focus Netherlands at Jazz I Am is made possible with the help of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Spain, inJazz/Buma Cultuur and North Sea Round Town.