Performers
Acoustica
Jazz- Latin and standards
Acoustica is led by guitarist and vocalist Paul Kerr with Chris Haigh on violin/vocals and Olly Blancheflower on double bass. The band has an extensive and eclectic repertoire developed over the many years that they have played together.
Their ever-expanding repertoire ran
ges from
the the Great American Songbook to contemporary pop, from Brazilian sambas and Argentine Tangos to fiery Hot Club jazz,
from country classics to Klezmer and music from Eastern Europe. Acoustica will excite most discerning musical tastes.
The band can be heard regularly on the London music scene and have performed at most of the major event venues in London and the South East.
Andy Schrav Duo
Jazz/Folk/PopJazz/Folk/Pop
SCHRAV covers a wide range from jazz to contemporary pop and originals featuring Keyboard, guitar, violin and double bass.
Schrav is intimate and expressive performing with meaning, and substance. A prolific songwriter everything you hear is a snapshot from his life experiences and he'll take you there with just one listen. Influenced by british pop, gospel and folk, Schrav plays everything from David Grey to Bob Dylan.
Hamish Balfour
& Guest Singer
Latin Jazz, Bossa Nova and Jazz Standards
Hamish was born in Devon, UK, and took a keen interest in the piano and music in general at an early age. Through his early and mid teens he also learnt the french horn and orchestral percussion and went on to university to study percussion and drums (under Malcolm Garrett) at the Birmingham Conservatoire.
It was here he started getting more serious about jazz piano, having studied predominantly classical repertoire until this stage and through listening/transcribing and playing in various settings taught himself an extensive understanding of the jazz piano idiom and its various faculties.
At present he is working regularly in his own duo, trio and quartet, playing originals and standards repertoire and in various other London based bands including female singer song writing sensation Tommy Ludgate (CD Wall of Words 2008) Salsa band Riamba and greek fusion guitarist Tolis Zavaliaris. He also appears as a solo pianist for many occasions around the U.K. He is currently working in the studio on remix and original work with Yam Who and Robert Strauss among others.
Big Smoke Trio
Jazz and world music
Big Smoke Trio are an ensemble of violin, guitar and double bass who aim to satisfy the musical tastes of a varied audience and transport them through their music to a relaxed Parisian café of the 1930s, the sun-kissed beaches of Rio de Janeiro, the heyday of New York's Savoy Ballroom or even the Court of 17th century Spain via Stravinsky's Nutcracker and the British folk revival!
Blue Soup
Latin/gypsy jazz fusion
Blue Soup are a London based band playing in a duo, trio and quartet (vocal/guitar, trumpet, double bass & drums) with an original fresh and exciting upbeat jazzy sound and cheerfully downbeat lyrics - their first album is available from iTunes and others.
They've built up a great live reputation with their entertaining performances. They have a truly original and inviting sound that draws influences from jazz, pop, rock, latin and balkan music. Their songs have style and a ready wit and are delivered with great musicianship, spirit, energy and passion.
The band has had a number of long-running residencies around the capital and nationally. Amongst past gigs, they’ve headlined at the Jazz Café in London and appeared alongside Acid Jazz’s Eddie Piller. They’ve played national and international tours & festivals, including the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, the North Devon Festival, the Canterbury Festival and the Twinz Arts Festival in Paris. They were back in Paris in March to tour the jazz circuit there and wrote a couple of French songs for the occasion.
They've just had confirmation of a date at the Royal Festival Hall in London next summer - and are in the midst of recording their next album.
Photos & videos of their recent European tour, sneak previews of their forthcoming album and much more at:
Helen Burnett
Vocal jazz standards
With a voice like a breath of fresh air, possessing a smooth and pure tone and impeccable timing, Helen mixes carefully chosen favorites with lesser known gems, from her vast repertoire of predominantly jazz standards.
Recently graduated from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and accompanied by some of the top jazz players in London, she is not to be missed.
Farouk El Safi
Arabic percussion
& Oud Duo
A master of Egyptian drumming (bendir, daf and others). He is best known for his work with Jimmy Page & Robert Plant, which earned him a platinum disk. Farouk still records, directs/plays many Zaffa and other live roles, from his home in London.
Amongst western audiences, Farouk is best known as the bendir/daf player, on the No Quarter album and, live for their legendary MTV Unplugged performance. His is the proud owner of a platinum disk, given in recognition of his part in the million-plus seller, by the former Led Zeppelin.
Farouk is a classically trained musician, with a career spanning more than forty years, he still loves to record and perform his music. With a name of high renown in Middle Eastern circles, he is well known especially in Europe and throughout the Middle East.
Farouk El Safi has also collaborated with many of the greats in Middle Eastern music, including: Farid al Atrache, Warda (Warda Al-Jazairia), Sabah, Walid Tawfic, Ragheb Alama, Kazem Al-Saher & Hani Shaker. He has performed live on countless occasions, including command performances for heads of state in Egypt, Tunisia and Belgium.
Jandira Silva
Bossa Nova
Singer Jandira Silva brings the real flavour of Brazillian music with a taste of smooth jazz mixing Bossa Nova and jazz like no one else.
John Martin Trio
Jazz standards, bosses and ballads
This young, talented trio features guitar, tenor sax and double bass in an upbeat yet elegant performance that will leave you reminiscing over days long gone.
Payam
Flamenco/ World Music
Armed with his classical guitar and his voice,
Payam plays a soulful eclectic set featuring music from around the Mediterranean including influences from The Middle East and North Africa. Payam sings in Arabic,
Farsi and Turkish.
Stan Stanchev
Balkan Music
With a smooth, distinctive voice and wide vocal range, Stan brings the real flavor of Balkan music with his passionate performance and folk roots. Stan plays the acoustic guitar and sing Bulgarian, Macedonian, Romani and Greek, performing expressive and soulful interpretations of world pop and rock hits.
Belly Dancers
Claudia Massera
Belly Dancer
Claudia is an international performing artist, singer, instructor and choreographer. She began her dance training at the young age of 10 studying ballet, gymnastic, jazz, salsa and yoga.
The moment Claudia was introduced to belly dancing she fell in love with the art. Since then she been studying from the very best artists and choreographer (Raqia Hassan, Diana Tarkhan and Suhaila Salimpour amongst others) and she has been performing as a professional belly dancer for the past 8 years earning a reputation as a highly sought after dancer in the UK. Her clients include Royal Albert Hall (London), The Ritz (London), Grosvenor House (London), B4U TV Comercial, Momo, Sugar Hut, Maroush, Cafe de Paris, Ronnie Scotts and of course all the Del`Aziz branches.
Being a well-rounded and gifted dancer, Claudia is known for her grace, fluidity and precision. Her unique style blends yoga, classical dance with modern techniques that makes her dancing remarkable, soulful and absolutely enchanting.
www.myspace.com/claudiabellydancer
www.facebook.com/claudiabellydancer
Dinah
Belly Dancer
Dinah is originally from Hungary where she began dancing at a very early age, studying formal ballet and modern dance.
She also learned traditional Hungarian folk dance, performing regularly in her home country.
Her passion for ethnic dance styles developed into a love of Arabic music and dance.
As a renowned belly dancing performer she has graced many prestigious venues in London.
She has also danced across the UK with the Mystic Nights Touring Company and further afield internationally as a solo/group performer in Europe and Africa.
She now teaches belly dancing and performs freelance as a featured artist all around London with a focus on Egyptian belly dancing.
You can catch Dinah performing regularly in our Westfield branch.
www.dinah-bellydance.co.uk
Nadja Enab
Belly Dancer
Originally from Colombia Nadja’s dance style is Tribal Fusion Belly Dancing (which is a mix between Egyptian, Classical Arabic belly dancing, Flamenco, Samba,
Colombian dance and Tribal belly dancing).
Nadja was a dancer of the famous Colombian ballet group, 'Ballet de Colombia Sonia Osorio', dancing Colombian Folklore.
Almost a decade ago she came across belly dancing and fell in love. Studying belly dancing for years with several renowned teachers around the world,
Nadja moved into performing and teaching professionally.
Currently she teaches in variety of different dance courses in London including Colombian dance with Sunbailante in Angel
(www.sunbailante.com), belly dancing workshops for children in the Latin American charity IRMO,
salsa classes and on top of all that she also finds time to perform as a percussionist and dancer in the musical group CUMBE
(www.myspace.com/cumbemusic).
www.myspace.com/nadjadancer
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=519776606
Solariss Sunstar
Belly Dancer & Snake Charmer
Solariss is one of London's most established belly dancers working for many years as a professional dancer,
performer and teacher with vast experience spanning the globe. Performing for film premiers and parties for the rich and famous,
its easy to see why Solariss is the dancer of choice by many.
Working successfully in dance and the healing arts for many years Solariss specialises in teaching belly dance as a technique and as a sacred dance that empowers women
and supports spiritual growth.
Her performances are always distinctively mesmerizing with a focus on Egyptian belly dancing integrating Oriental dance rhythms such as moksum, masmoudi,
saiidi and fulahi and accompanied by her beautiful snakes, adds an unforgettable experience.
In Bermondsey, Solariss comes every last Friday of the month. Be sure to book ahead so you don't miss her incredible performance.
www.bellydanceuk.com
Manfredi Gelmeti and the 'Mediterranean Arts Experience'
Flamenco dancing and acoustic music from around the Med
Born with a passion for dancing, Manfredi started dancing Flamenco in 2000 and fell in love with the art. Shortly thereafter he moved to Spain to become a professional in this art and found a method to link the common language between words, music and movement experimenting with fusing the dance of Flamenco with classical and contemporary theatre accompanied by Mediterranean music which is how the ‘Mediterranean Arts Experience’ was formed.
For Del'Aziz the performance is a variation on this concentrating more on the dance and musical aspects but nevertheless a gem of a show.
Tom Hannah
& Hilary Cameron
Vocal Swing
Two singers, two instrumentalists, two inventive musical minds - Tom and Hilary take a selection of Pop and Swing standards, and send them soaring above the realm of the ordinary.
Musical journey around the world featuring Cosimo Keita and musical guest
Latin Jazz/World Music
A lively and eclectic duo Cosimo Keita teams together with a variety of different, talented musicians who play percussion, guitar, keyboards and brass instruments. You never know what you’re going to get.
A favourite at Del'Aziz this group will leave you tapping, clapping and singing along to your dinner.
Tommy Ludgate
Blues/Soul
Possessed of a voice that is as rich and soulful as it is cool and expressive; Tommy can deliver a ballad to break your heart but equally can uplift you with a funky blues inspired tune. She melds her influences together with the end product being an outstandingly rich and rustic tone that is perfectly tailored to carry her message subtly, but not lightly.
‘A warm jazz/blues sound that is the perfect soundtrack to the end of a great night’ -Blues Matters Magazine
Esprit Manouche
Gypsy jazz ensemble
Esprit Manouche was formed by Simon Harris in 2005. The ensemble features two 'Manouche' guitars and vocals and this duo performs an infectious mixture of traditional classics and up-beat quirky original compositions written by Simon. These originals bring a unique and contemporary take on the genre and the repertoire.
"Nice balance of strong original compositions, cool street, and reverse lip service attitude make these guys worthy guardians of the music." Dave Kelbie, Guitarist - Angelo Debarre Quartet
Netto Pio
Bossa Nova/Samba
Originating from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Netto is an experienced musician, having performed professionally since he was 15 years old.
Growing up in the hometown of Iguape where 6 out of 10 people were either playing an instrument or just born musical,
Netto picked up the guitar for the first time at the tender age of nine and started learning from the people around him.
At the age of 19 he moved to Sao Paulo (capital) and joined the School of Music &
Technology where he gained a 1st class degree after five years of studying.
In 2007 he decided to relocate to London with a wish to share his passion for Bossa, Samba, Forro, Pop rock and to learn more about other genres of music.
Netto’s love of the old classics combined with his own unique touch brings the music he plays to life with a modern twist.
www.nettopio.com
