During the summer of 2006, 2007 and 2008 I worked with the Welsh duo Ember performing in the UK on festivals and in folkclubs and recording the album "Open All The Doors".

I met these talented singer-songwriters in the summer of 2005 while doing voluntary work in the UK. Immediately I envisioned percussion with their music and proposed to try working together. In March 2006, a few days before their Dutch tour kicked off, we rehearsed together and the rest is history... A typical case of synchronicity which Einstein called ‘useful coincidence’ and is an important belief within the Mayan calender.

In the first half of 2006 I played 27 Dutch theatres with the performance group Zenga in a show called ‘Inventions’. The group which was founded by two former members of the legendary Flairck, combines dance, acrobatics and world music.

In 2004 I participated in the XL Jazz Project, focusing on the music of the Brazilian genius composer and multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal. For the project I mainly used a large table full of sound colors including muted cowbells, woodblocks, nutshakers, keychimes, whistles and children's toys.

The band of singer-songwriter Cecile Morel from The Hague was the first real opportunity I had to provide accompaniment without a drummer. From that moment on this became my main focus: not only playing colors but providing the main groove as well. The guitar and lapsteel player in this band was the great Paul Deneer, formerly of Nancy Works On Payday.

In the summer of 2008, after a gig I played in the north of Wales with Ember, I was approached by guitar player Simon James (one of the founders of Acoustic Alchemy) to participate in a project called Almaraya, formed by him and singer Lynieve Austin. Together they compose exciting new music on the crossroads of flamenco and jazz. In November I went to Croydon (south of London) to start rehearsals and play a gig at the Warehouse Theatre. A positive review was written in the local paper. In 2009 Almaraya will do selected dates in the UK and a recording as a trio. Photos by Brian O’Connor.