Nils Fischer & Timbazo
Biography Nils Fischer & Timbazo
Nils Fischer
is considered one of the most important European percussionists, touring and recording constantly with Nueva Manteca, with his own groups CaboCubaJazz and Timbazo as well as with many others. Nils played for 12 years with percussion group Drums United and 18 years with the Cubop City Big Band. He has shared the stage with such legendary figures as Giovanni Hidalgo, Pío Leiva, Orestes Vilató, Armando Peraza, Calixto Oviedo, Paquito D'Rivera, Changuito and Chocolate Armenteros.
Nils studied in Cuba, Brazil, Puerto Rico and at the Rotterdam Conservatory where he obtained his “Masters Degree Percussion” in 1996 cum laude. His teachers include Giovanni Hidalgo, Jerry Gonzalez, Orestes Vilató, Roberto Vizcaíno, Panga and Anthony Carillo.
Nils’ interest in music started at an early age, growing up in a musical family in Bremen, Germany. One of his earliest memories from childhood is his father practicing guitar before gigs at night. His own instrumental experience started when he began to attend piano lessons at the age of ten. He remembers: “One day my sister brought home a Paquito D’Rivera record with Daniel Ponce on congas - this changed my life, all I wanted from then on was to play percussion.” At that time, he would have never imagined that 20 years later he would find himself performing with Paquito in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Nils has appeared on more than 50 albums as a recording artist.
In 2007 he released a CD with his own group TIMBAZO. It is entitled ¡Gracias Joe Cuba! and serves as a tribute to veteran percussionist Joe Cuba. Top artists including Brian Lynch, Alain Pérez , José “Pepe” Espinosa and Alberto “Molote” Muñoz contributed to its making. The album – mixed by Jon Fausty - received rave reviews both at home and abroad. It was selected for the Latin Grammy Awards 2008 in four categories.
In 2008, Nils founded the group CABOCUBAJAZZ. “CaboCubaJazz melts two different cultures without any effort - sensational!” Volkskrant [national Dutch newspaper]
His new album [2015] with TIMBAZO features an incredible line-up: Lucrécia, José Luís Quintana 'Changuito', Carlos del Puerto, Alexander Abreu, Julio Padrón, Calixto Oviedo, Amik Guerra and others.
Since 2000, Nils teaches at the World Music Department of Codarts [Rotterdam Conservatory]. Among others, he gave workshops in Finland, Spain, Austria & Germany. In 1995 he received the award for “outstanding service to Jazz education” in Los Angeles.
