Kanda Stéphane Galland, Lúcia Pires, Louise van den Heuvel

• 1 Xr6 03:59
• 2 Akāśa-Dvāra 06:14
• 3 Synaptic Umami 05:11
• 4 Pung Fu Kanda 04:47
• 5 Neurones Miroirs 05:24
• 6 Quantum Koan 03:31
• 7 Joya 05:40
• Total Runtime 34:46

Info for Kanda

Master drummer Stéphane Galland (Aka Moon, The Rhythm Hunters, Ibrahim Maalouf…) presents Kanda, a fresh and polymorphous trio with Lúcia Pires (Steps, Edoardo Cimino, Tomorrow’s Warriors) on flute and EWI, and Louise van den Heuvel (Sonic Hug, Dishwasher_, Stéphane Galland & The Rhythm Hunters) on electric bass, samples and effects.

Kanda refers to many different concepts. In Sanskrit, the word means “chapter” and in South Indian music, Kanda Chapu is used to define a 5-beat cycle. In Thai, the word is a mark of affection for loved ones, and in Hatha Yoga texts, it refers to roots, both of plants and of the energy flows known as Nadis.

With these branching spiritual meanings, it’s no wonder that the project Kanda exists in many forms. It Is at once a purely acoustic trio with flute, bass and drums, and at other times more electronic with the addition of effects and keyboards to the bass and the use of the EWI (electronic wind instrument). The EWI can take over the role of the bass, while the bass plays the melodies and chords.

Kanda is energetic and rhythmic as well as fragile and atmospheric all at once. Rhythmic complexity is used to pave the way towards new territories of sensation and groove. From its conception, the trio immediately started developing its unique essence.

With this project, master of rhythm Stéphane Galland aims to explore a new direction in his ever-evolving quest for fresh musical adventures.

Lúcia Pires, flute, EWI
Louise van den Heuvel, bass, effects
Stéphane Galland, drums

Lúcia Merzenich Pires
is a jazz flutist based in Brussels. She studied at the KCB with Bruno Vansina and Jeroen Van Herzeele. Lúcia plays in a variety of musical projects that all converge on improvisation. Despite her young age, Lúcia is a rising star on the Brussels jazz scene, which is reflected in her close collaboration with Stéphane Galland in projects as LNDNxBXL Interplay and KANDA.

After spending several years working with singer-songwriters, jazz players and improvisers, co-writing songs in different languages and pondering the meaning of either writing or improvising music, Marco Giongrandi - Sardinian by roots, a Milanese by birth, and a “Brusseleir” by choice - has now started a new project about his own songs. They're in English, they're about what he loves and fights and they might have a touch of Nick Drake, Julia Holter, Daniel Rossen. Alongside Marco, you’ll find Hendrik Lasure, Casper Van De Velde, Soet Kempeneer, one or two guitars, a banjo sometimes, a piano, some synths, a bass, drums, some bells. Marco Giongrandi, a jazz graduate of the conservatories of Brussels and Milan, is a guitarist and banjoist in various international bands: Hendrik Lasure Warm Bad, Dear Uncle Lennie, Martha Moore, Kettle of Kites, ANK among others.

Louise van den Heuvel
is a dynamic Dutch bass player and composer. She’s known for blending modern music technologies and effect pedals in her compositions rooted in the contemporary electronic/jazz scene. Louise founded the up-and-coming Belgian electronic jazztrio Dishwasher_, collaborated with renowned artists on stage such as Zwangere Guy & Lander Gyselinck and Bruno Vansina Orchestra, and is part of Stéphane Gallands’ The Rhythm Hunters, The Gallands, and the neo-soul artist STACE.

Her own creations expose themselves as elaborated melancholic songs filled with elegant grooves, crystalline vocals and experimental jazz excursions. She’s brilliantly using her own musical voice — even literally, since you will also hear her sing (for the first time!) on some of the tracks. ‍

Surrounded by three equally inevitable peer musicians in the front of the new Belgian jazz generation Sonic Hug became a very personal, unique new project. Influenced by the sounds of Scandinavia and artists such as ADHD, Nala Sinephro, Floating Points, Y Otis and Joni Mitchell, the vibe of Sonic Hug is etheric, elegant, melodically narrative, and always searching for a grasping groove.

Stéphane Galland
was born into a musical family and received his first drum set at the age of three. He decided to take lessons in classical percussion when he reached the age of nine, at the conservatory at Huy (Belgium) and started playing jazz with his fellow pianist Eric Legnini two years later. At the age of 13, having had the opportunity to play with the best jazz musicians in Belgium, he developed a growing interest in this musical field. Always in search of new musical experiences, he met Pierre Vandormael, Fabrizio Cassol and Michel Hatzigeorgiou, and formed later with the last two the band called AKA MOON. The band, which recorded over 25 CDs and performed worldwide has been a unique and invaluable field of development and experimentation with different musical traditions.

In 2019, Stéphane Galland was selected by the French magazine “Batterie Magazine” as one of the top 10 drummers of 2018 worldwide.

He has composed three pieces for solo piano entitled Jeux (1.Unisson, 2.Waves and 3.Transe) that were released on Isil Bengi’s album “Hikaye” on Fuga Libera in 2020. His latest personal projects include “Polar Dwarfs” a duet with Adriaan van de Velde (also known as Pomrad), album to be released in September 2021, and “The Gallands” a duet with his son Elvin Galland (Keybords and producer with many different artists including Manu Katché (French drummer for Peter Gabriel, Sting,…). His actual collaborations include: Ibrahim Maalouf “S3NS”, SHIJIN, Keyvan Chemirani & the Rhythm Alchemy, Frank Woeste “Pocket Rhapsody”. He is teaching Master degrees in drums, rhythm and ensemble at KCB Royal Conservatory of Brussels and Antwerp and is regularly invited to give seminars, Clinics and Master classes worldwide. And is currently doing a PhD on cultural roots and interactions of contemporary rhythm in jazz.

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