Zurich Jam Session 5-24
Vagalumes feat. Sylvie Klijn (vocals), Paul Gonzalez (guitar, maracas), Samuel Boutros (percussions)
L200, Langstrasse 200, 8005 Zurich, Switzerland | 30 June 2024 | 18:00 to 21:00 h
What an amazing Sunday at the fifth Zurich Jam Session with the Vagalumes from Lausanne!
Thank you to everyone who came out and made it such a memorable event. The energy, the talent, and the vibes were off the charts! Photos © 2024 Martina Knecht
Featuring:
Vagalumes, meaning "fireflies" in Portuguese, illuminate the music scene with their radiant performances. Led by Dutch singer and composer Sylvie Klijn, the band takes you on an evocative journey to South America through her intimate compositions and soulful voice. Singing in Spanish and Portuguese, Sylvie draws lyrical inspiration from renowned poets such as Fernando Pessoa, Alfonsina Storni, and Pablo Neruda. Accompanied by Paul Gonzalez on guitar and maracas, and percussionist Samuel Boutros, the trio brings the essence of poetic Latin jazz to life. In 2021 the band was honoured with the Coup de Coeur prize at the JazzContreBand festival, leading to numerous performances across Switzerland and France. Their debut album Vagalumes was released in 2024. In the picture above, from left: Samuel Boutros , Sylvie Klijn, and Paul Gonzalez.
Lineup:
Sylvie Klijn
Vocals
Sylvie Klijn is a dynamic singer and composer captivating audiences in Switzerland, France and the Netherlands. With master's degrees from Fontys Conservatory and the University of Utrecht, as well as advanced studies in jazz voice and composition from Haute École de Musique Lausanne, her musical expertise is profound. Sylvie embarked on her musical journey as a classical pianist. Transitioning from her classical roots, Sylvie delved into jazz and pop music, seamlessly blending these genres in her compositions. Her works evoke distant realms through wordless melodies or convey narratives with subtle influences. She also performs in the duo Oxeon with accordionist Lea Gasser, blending classical influences with original compositions, and released Somewhere Far in 2023. Sylvie has graced stages at the JazzOnze+ and Cully Jazz Festival, and her music has been featured on Swiss radio. Photo © 2024 Martina Knecht
Paul Alberto Gonzalez Ostos
Guitar, maracas
Paul Alberto Gonzalez Ostos is a passionate and versatile guitarist, born in 1993. From a family of musicians, he was introduced to Venezuelan and South American music at a young age, playing guitar with his parents and sisters. At 11, he began guitar lessons at the Lausanne Conservatory. During his teenage years, he developed a passion for manouche, bop, and various improvisation techniques, building a comprehensive background in classical, jazz, and Latin music. In 2018, he graduated from the Haute École de Musique de Genève. Since then, Paul Alberto has performed at various music festivals in Switzerland and abroad and collaborated with renowned musicians and groups across different musical styles and cultures. He has explored numerous other musical genres, particularly jazz, pop, manouche, and Latin American music, studying them with great passion and dedication. Currently based in Lausanne, Paul Alberto teaches classical, jazz, and rock guitar at the Ecublens School of Music. Passionate about music education, he strives to inspire his students to discover their own style and musical path. Photo © 2024 Martina Knecht
Samuel Boutros
Percussions
Born in 1994, Samuel Boutros began studying classical and oriental percussion at age 7 in Paris. In 2008, he switched to drums. Alongside his musical training, he pursued literary studies, specializing in art history and theater in Khâgne, the preparatory classes for the Grandes Écoles in Paris. He earned a Bachelor's in Music and Sound Professions in 2015 and a Master's in Music and Musical Informatics Research in 2017 from the Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée. Passionate about acoustic and electronic sound exploration, he writes electroacoustic pieces for radio and hybrid instruments. Influenced by Max Roach, Meshuggah, Björk, Xenakis, and Ligeti, Samuel plays in various musical and interdisciplinary ensembles. Since 2020, he has played in the Maghreb rock band El Mizan, which won the 2021 Best Concert Award by La Coquette and will perform at the next Paléo Festival. Samuel earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Jazz Drumming from the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne in 2020 and 2022. In 2023, he co-wrote and performed the show SOï for Schauspielhaus Zürich. Samuel is currently preparing for a residency in Egypt with the traditional music project Tinka. Photo © 2024 Martina Knecht
