The Band

Sayma (stands for Sanja and Max) is a duo based in Brussels, with their different musical backgrounds they`ve started Sayma partly in London and in Brussels in 2000. They are performing together since 2002. Sanja Maas (jazzvocalist, composer, songwriter, arranger and vocal coach) graduated at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels in 2000 and sings since the age of 13. She started her first performances at the same age, she had her own new-wave band and continued to experience all kind of musical styles and workshops (afro-jazz,blues,etc…). Max Vande Merghel (composer, musician, producer, mixer and arranger) graduated at the Gateway School of music in London and started also at the age of 13 with music and as a guitarist in different rock bands. They’ve experienced their project within different set –ups, septet, sextet and nowadays as a quartet. They are currently finishing the mix of their second album, `Panorama Avenue` Their first album’Capricorn’ was released in 2003 and had positive reactions in the Belgian press (see below)

They’ve been performing in Belgium (Grand Place, Belga Queen, Gentse Feesten, Athanor Studio, Le Tavernier (Jazzbreak), Ancienne Belgique late night of Kraftwerk), Paris (Opus Café) and the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switserland),several prisons in Belgium & the artgalleries Beau-Site Oostende, Art-Base Brussels.

They’ve worked or work with artists like Erwin Vann (Kenny Wheeler, Reggie Washington), Maxime Lenssens (Axelle Red, Chris Whitley) Otti Van Der Werf (Octurn, Greetings from Mercury), Laurent Blondiau (Maak’s spirit,Octurn), Renaud Van Hooland (Manou Gallo, Vincent Venet), Philippe Joosens (piano), Renoar Hadri (bassplayer, producer check www.renoarts.com), Aldo Granato (accordeonist, he is the featuring artist on our second album ),Gato Bedseyele and Loup Brenta for the visual part.

Sanja Maas

≡ vocals / melodica

Born in Brussels on January 16th 1975
Dutch nationality (Serbian-Macedonian-Dutch origins)
Contact: +32 (0) 474 03 26 92 - email: sanja@sayma.be
Myspace: www.myspace.com/sanjamaas

¯  Singer / Composer

— 2008 —

• Concerts Sayma, mastering & mix second album.
• Backing vocals & keyboard with the French rock band Rimbaut
• Concert John Chris (Burundi) at Bozar
• Studio sessions Fred Rinaldi, Tony Kabeya
• Concerts with the accordeonist Aldo Granato (Hotel Amigo Brussels, France)
• Workshop Noisegate on closeharmony

— 2007 —

• Performance with DJ Shade, Singapore, event Hugo Boss
• Studio sessions for the second album of Sayma ‘Panorama Avenue’
• Writing lyrics for the Italian r’n’b singer Luka for Chrome-Up Production
• Latin events in Germany, Belgium
• Backingvoocals & concerts with Soapstarter (Ghent)

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— 2006 —

• Project B Girls, vocal coaching for the music centre Novanois (Brussels)
• Song released with DJ Shade (Paris) ‘It’s too late’ on the compilation of the Midem Cannes (Pshent Production Paris)
• Song on Montera Records (Corse) ‘Rescue Me’
• Workshop vocal coaching Noisegate
• Workshop vocal experiments De Markten
• Concert Bouche à Oreille for ‘Ecolo’
• Performance Jazz Marathon with the Sanja Maas Ensemble and the latin big band Charanga Bruselas (Sablon)
• Summer-Autumn tour throughout prestigious discotheques in Europe with Movida Corona (www.movidacorona.com)

— 2005 —

• Concert Paris (Opus Café) with ’Sayma’
• Concerts at the Belga Queen (prestigious restaurant Brussels) with Los Pytufos, salsa band
• Gaume International Jazz Festival August 13th
• Music Village, Belga Queen Ghent
• Eu’ritmix Grand Place Brussels August 18th
Concert in the prison of Namur (Belgium), Arlon and Brussels.
• Workshops Brussels De Markten (Brussels)
• Novanois Music School
• Freelance composer-singer for dj Shade (Paris, Pshent)
• Concert Sweden with the singer John Chris (Les tambours du Burundi, Kadja Nin)

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— 2004 —

• Vocal workshops De Markten (Brussel), ‘T Stuc ( Leuven), teacher ‘CIM’ (Brussels) (centre d’intérêt musical based in Paris)
• Concerts Sayma, Ancienne Belgique, Grand Place (Brussels) Brussels Jazz Marathon, Montreux Jazz Festival

— 2003 —

• November album released,’Capricorn’ Sayma
• Concert Sayma at the Athanor Studio, belgian tour ‘Les lundis d’Hortense’
• Performance with DJ Miss Mee in Rotterdam (De Blauwe Vis), opening new discotheque ‘le You’ (Brussels)
• Teacher at the ‘CIM’(centre d’interet musical parisien), music school in Brussels
• 6 weeks in New York City for artistic research.

— 2002 - 2001 —

• Song released on a compilation in NYC on the recordlabel Shadow records with
• Performances with dj Miss Mee at the Lounge (Brussels), Club ‘T Geluk (Antwerp Belgium)
• Singingteacher: workshops in ‘De Markten’ (Brussels), ‘T Stuk (Leuven), Novanois (Private musicschool in Brussels)
• Tour with Jo Lemaire as a backing vocalist.Concerts in Brussels & Flanders
• Manager & singer in the salsa big band called ‘Banda Bruselas’(13 musicians)
• Concerts in La Tentation (Brussels), The Jazzmarathon, Les Jeunesses Musicales, Jazz Contest in Hoeilaart, Holland & Germany
• Solo vocal project for Audi Jazz 2002 at the Arthome (Oupeye)
• Artistic director & singer for the ‘Sanja Maas Ensemble, concerts in Brussels & Liège
• Performances with Dj Eric’Powa’B, for the North Sea Jazz Festival (Den Haag) and the Culture Club (famous discotheque in Ghent Belgium)
• Interpration on the song ’Saber Nadar’ for the composer Luciano Manente in Formentera (Baleares Spain)

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— 2000 - 1999 —

• Concert for the 50th Anniversary of the UNHCR in Geneva (United Nation High Commision of Refugees)
• Ten days tour in the summer of 2000 organised by the UNHCR
• Graduated at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels at the jazz division with David Linx
• Projects: Populo Jazz Limousine, a modern jazz group with Balkan influences,musicians: Laurent Blondiau, Pierre Bernard, Erik Vermeulen, Jo Hyams, Filip Beart.Tour with ‘Les Lundis D’Hortense’ & in cooperation with Brussels 2000
• Flemish Television VTM soap opera, WITTEKERKE

— 1998 - 1997 —

• Vocal commercial for ‘Bifi’ on the Brussels radio station ‘NRJ’
• Recording of a dance tune on Timeless Records
• Contemporary Jazz Project for ‘Eurostar’, concert ‘Gentse Feesten’ with a Belgian composer Karel Van Marcke

— 1996 - 1995 —

• Participation in the vocal project (African Polyphony) SANGA, with the Angolan singer-songwriter Gato Bedseyele
• Backing vocals on the album of a funk project called ‘PLUG’.Recording + jingle and video recording for the ‘Brussels Jazz Rally ’95.Featuring artists; Manu Hermia, Tony Kabeya, William Wright, Renoar Hadri

— 1994 - 1993 —

• Theatre studies at the Royal Conservatory Brussels
• Workshop with blues singer Kanga Lavrado (from LA)

— 1992 - 1987 —

• Several workshops with Chrisine Shaeller (Swiss Jazz Singer) and Marie Daulne (Zap Mama)
• First band in 1987 Punk-New Wave –Rock band called ‘Plastic Surgery Disaster’, concerts Brussels & Liège

Max Vande Merghel

≡ Bass / Sampler

Contact: +32 (0) 479 479 684 - email: max@sayma.be
Myspace: www.myspace.com/misternervous

¯  Producer / Composer

— Professional experience —

• From december 2002 - teaching at SAE Brussels
• 2001 to 2002 - working as sound engineer and composer for CREASOUND + different music and multimedia projects
• Summer 2001 - wiring of 6 new recording studios of which a studio dolby 5.1 versatile music and movie. ( MASDA ) Wiring for CARAIBES new studio in Uccle (console digital SONY OXFORD)
• from October 2000 to August 2001 - STUDIO CARAIBES in Brussels
• Summer 2000 - TALKIEO / THINK & TALK studios in Brussels
• Summer 1998 – Worked as “sound man” on the movie :”L’amis fantastique”, production: “Les trois petits cochons”
• From 1995 to 2000 - numerous concerts mainly as a guitarist in the band “ Blutch "

Ludovic Legrand

≡ Drums & Electronic drums

Philippe Joosens

≡ Keyboard (Fender Rhodes)

Born in Kapellen on June 28th 1977
Contact: +32 (0) 3541 73 13 - email: philippe@sayma.be
Website: www.jazzvalley/musicians

¯  Keyboarder

— Professional experience —

• Concerts in jazz clubs 1999 - 2002 :
  · Brussels: Marcus Mingus, Sounds, Arts OH Basis, Music Village
  · Antwerpen: Hopper, Muze
  · Rotterdam: Dizzy Jazzclub
• Festivals :
  · Brussels jazz marathon (quintet) 2000
  · Eurostreams Jazz festival, Rotterdam (trio) 2001
  · Jazz Middelheims, Antwerpen (bigband) under the direction of Maria Schneider 2001
  · Hoeilaarts Jazz Festival 2001
  · Festival of Mondays of Hortense to the Botanical of Brussels (trio) 2002
• Contests :
  · Prize-winning of the contest organized by the Rotary Race (quintet) 2001
  · Prize-winning of the contest Maca Jazz (price Léon Felot) organized by Rotary Wavre Europe and Mondays of Hortense (trio) 2001
  

Aldo Granato

≡ featuring Artist on new album (Accordeon)

Website: www.aldogranato.com