DRUMS UNITED ‘Worldbeat’
African drums, dance, oriental percussion, Japanese taiko’s, Venezuelan percussion, Cuban rumba’s and much more. It all comes together in Drums United’s thrilling new show Worldbeat!
Drums United is an explosive and exciting world-percussion group led by multi awarded drummer Lucas van Merwijk, that brings together rhythms and percussionists from all directions.
Drums United is made up of 7 percussionists, from four continents and seven different countries, Turkey, Japan, Senegal, Germany, the Netherlands, Surinam and Venezuela, and is much more than just a drum group. It’s a smoking live band that not only gives the audience an opportunity of listening and watching top players, but also imparts the underlying message that people from widely varying nationalities can work well together.
On both its previous show World of Rhythm and the current Ritmo Inferno the group mixes African, Latin, Spanish and Indian drum traditions with western drumming, utilizing contemporary electronic options open to the DJ.
Since its inception in 2002 the band has been virtually on tour all the time. Their first theatre program World Of Rhythm was recorded live and is out now on DVD as well as CD.
Drums United occupies a unique place in the world of percussion groups by combining elements of the rich traditions of percussion with those of song and dance.
Lucas has been at the forefront of the European jazz, latin and percussion scene for over 30 years He was elected 'Best Jazz drummer' in the Benelux countries by the readers of De Slagwerkkrant many times running between the years 1993 and 2019.
Press Quotes
‘...Drums United hits you like a bomb...’ Amersfoort Cultuur ‘.
..Driving, always overwhelming drums... Heartbeat is a revelation... ’ Mixed Magazine
‘...The magic of drums...ein Supersound...’ Sticks Magazine
‘...It's the extraordinary level of playing that makes this group so unique. What else can you expect, if you bring together the finest players and let them do what they do best!...’ The Telegraph
‘...One of the best Latin Drummers In The World...’ The Parool ‘
...Drums United has it all...’ De Slagwerkkrant
"A really amazing journey through the many path's of drums, percussion, and world music. Five stars all the way!!!!"
Horacio 'eL NEgRO' Hernandez.
" I remember when I first met Lucas, it was many years ago, as a member of Nueva Manteca. I was very impressed with his musicality, and he was my introduction to the great Dutch drum scene. I've been a fan of his drumming since first hearing him, then in 2000, had the pleasure of touring with him and Aly N'Diaye Rose, in the very first version of Drums United, as part of The Big Bang. There was just the two of them, but it sounded like many more!!! Today, their numbers have increased, and this great live DVD showcases real "world" drumming at its best. Congratulations to Lucas, and Drums United."
David Garibaldi (Tower of Power):
Line up
Lucas van Merwijk (The Netherlands) • Drums & percussion
Alper Kerkeç (Turkey) • Oriental percussion
Julio Pimentel (Brasil) • Brazilian percussion
Gianna Tam (Surinam) • Drums, percussion & vocals
Ryoko Imai (Japan) • vibraphone & Taiko drums
Marco Toro (Venezuela) • Latin percussion
Moussé Pathé (Senegal) • African percussion
Discography
World of Rhythm cd Tam Tam Records
World of Rhythm dvd Tam Tam Records
Ritmo Inferno dvd Tam Tam Records
Heartbeat cd Tam Tam Records
Rhythm Dreams cd Tam Tam Records
Artists who worked with Drums United
Aly N'Diaye Rose (Senegal)
Misirli Achmet (Turkey)
Pape Thiam (Senegal)
DJ Kokos (The Netherlands)
Nuria Manglano (Spain)
Andres Marin (Spain)
Vince Mendoza (USA, Multiple Grammy Award Winner)
Luis de Luis (Spain)
Gerardo Rosales (Venezuela)
Ro Krom (The Netherlands)
Metropole Orchestra (Multiple Grammy Award Winner)
Artvark Saxophone 4Tet (The Netherlands)
Ryoko Imai (Japan)
Simone Sou (Brasil)
Julio Pimentel (Brasil)
Niti Ranjan Biswas (Bangla Desh)
Denise Jannah (Surinam)
Randal Corsen (Curaçao)
Drums United toured in
Canada, USA, Mexico, Colombia, China, Thailand, Surinam, Estonia, Germany, Norway, Belgium, Bulgaria, Turkey, Serbia, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria.
Line up Lucas van Merwijk (The Netherlands) • Drums & percussion Alper Kerkeç (Turkey) • Oriental percussion Gianna Tam (Surinam) • Drums, percussion & vocals Ryoko Imai (Japan) • vibraphone & Taiko drums Marco Toro (Venezuela) • Latin percussion Moussé Pathé (Senegal) • African percussion Han Bingchen (China) • Chinese percussion Juan ‘Bulu’ Viloria (Venezuela) • Sound Engineer
Quotes De Slagwerkkrant: De percussietrein dendert in volle vaart over je heen met af en toe een verstild moment, soms een lach en soms feestelijke publieksparticipatie: Drums United heeft het allemaal in de vingers! North America press: Drums United a smash hit with young audiences! Jazzprofiles: Lucas van Merwijk is one of the great drummers of our time. He lays down so much good stuff that even the eyes of a trained drummer can't catch it all.
