Ayoub Houmanna Band
Ayoub Houmanna has put together his band in Warsaw. Its members originate from various countries, including Morocco, Senegal, USA and Poland. Coming from different places and cultures, they connected in mutual affection to the world music genre. Each brings a unique spice to their artistic oeuvre, making it thought-provoking and culturally rich. Ayoub Houmanna’s Band uses mainly West African scales and rhythms, mixing them with a palette of styles, such as funk, jazz, blues, reggae and folk.
The band usually performs as a quartet with Ayoub Houmanna (Morocco) as a leader, singer and multi-instrumentalist, Bartek Łęczycki (Poland) on the harmonica (since 2018), Mohamed Taha Abouyassine (Morocco) on the bass and backing vocals, and Dominik Jaske (Poland) on drums (since 2021).
Ayoub Houmanna’s band has two additional members creating the horn section when they play in a larger squad on festivals and big stages. It’s Krzysztof ‘Chris’ Kasprzyk (Poland) on the saxophone and Nathan Williams (USA) on the trumpet. Amadou Fola (Senegal) joins the band sometimes, playing djembe, sabar, dam, balafon and ngoni.
Mohamed Taha Abouyassine
Born in 1995 in Casablanca, Mohamed Taha Abouyassine is one of the grooviest bass players from Morocco. He grew up with the rhythm in his blood, raised in the rich Moroccan music culture, surrounded by many influences from all over Africa and Western Europe. From early years, he absorbed many different music tastes and styles.
Taha played with an indie/electronic rock band called Haraj, which won many music contests. He also participated in the creation of the ‘Manbita al Ahrar’ album with a famous Moroccan artist, BARRY, with whom he did many tours and concerts. Taha played at the international jazz and contemporary music festival Jazzablanca.
Recently, he joined Ayoub Houmanna’s band, with whom he already performed many concerts in Poland.
Mohamed Taha Abouyassine
Born in 1995 in Casablanca, Mohamed Taha Abouyassine is one of the grooviest bass players from Morocco. He grew up with the rhythm in his blood, raised in the rich Moroccan music culture, surrounded by many influences from all over Africa and Western Europe. From early years, he absorbed many different music tastes and styles.
Taha played with an indie/electronic rock band called Haraj, which won many music contests. He also participated in the creation of the ‘Manbita al Ahrar’ album with a famous Moroccan artist, BARRY, with whom he did many tours and concerts. Taha played at the international jazz and contemporary music festival Jazzablanca.
Recently, he joined Ayoub Houmanna’s band, with whom he already performed many concerts in Poland.
Dominik Jaske
Dominik Jaske aka “Jaskeeniowiec” (“Caveman”) is a Polish drummer and percussionist born in 1993 in Zielona Gora. Among others, he honed his skills at the Jazz Department of Frederic Chopin State Music School in Warsaw under the tutelage of Polish jazz veterans.
Currently, he studies jazz and stage music at the Wroclaw Music Academy and is a member of The Cuban Latin Jazz group, playing a dance fusion of Cuban and jazz music.
Dominik moves freely in various musical styles like jazz, salsa, gospel, funk, hip-hop, and world music.
Bartosz Łęczycki
Bartosz Łęczycki is one of the most versatile harmonica players in Europe. He received two platinum records for the album Koledzy (2007) and Męska Muzyka (2008). He conducts about 30 music workshops and plays about 100 concerts every year.
In 2010, he was the first Pole invited to the largest harmonica festival in Minneapolis, organized by SPAH, where he played a solo concert and gave a masterclass to the most advanced convention attendees from around the world.
He feels comfortable in any genre of music and is proficient in the overbending technique, which allows him to play any scale in any key on a regular 10-channel diatonic harmonica.
Official website: www.bleczycki.com
Bartosz Łęczycki
Bartosz Łęczycki is one of the most versatile harmonica players in Europe. He received two platinum records for the album Koledzy (2007) and Męska Muzyka (2008). He conducts about 30 music workshops and plays about 100 concerts every year.
In 2010, he was the first Pole invited to the largest harmonica festival in Minneapolis, organized by SPAH, where he played a solo concert and gave a masterclass to the most advanced convention attendees from around the world.
He feels comfortable in any genre of music and is proficient in the overbending technique, which allows him to play any scale in any key on a regular 10-channel diatonic harmonica.
Official website: www.bleczycki.com
Krzysztof ‘Chris’ Kasprzyk
Chris Kasprzyk is a Polish saxophonist residing in Vienna. He began his musical journey studying classical saxophone in Krakow. Later, Chris relocated to Graz, Austria, to attend the Institute for Jazz at the University of Music and Performing Arts, securing the Dr. Karl-Böhm Scholarship in 2002. By 2003, he was studying at the University of Music in Vienna. Since then, Chris has delved deeply into improvised music and sonic exploration.
He collaborates with many Austrian and international jazz artists and lends his talents as a session musician in hip-hop and singer-songwriter bands. As a band leader, he recorded albums with the ‘Public Exposure’ trio, featuring Martin Burk (Denmark) and Alex Yannilos (Austria). His piano duets with Sylvia Bruckner (Austria) are available on various digital platforms.
Official website: www.chriskasprzyk.com
Nathan Williams
Hailing from Denver, Colorado, Nathan Williams is a distinguished American trumpeter and pianist. He embarked on his musical journey with the trumpet at the age of 9 and delved into jazz and piano by 11. Nathan pursued his studies at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas.
His talent has graced numerous jazz festivals across North America and Europe. Before settling in Warsaw, he showcased his skills in renowned jazz clubs in cities like Boston, New York, Dallas, Cleveland, Denver, and Wichita. Over the years, Nathan has been honoured with several accolades, including those from the University of North Texas Jazz Festival, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and The National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts (NFAA).
Amadou Fola
Amadou Fola, originating from the culturally rich city of Dakar in Senegal, stands out as a highly-skilled multi-instrumentalist. He has honed his expertise in many instruments, notably the djembe, sabar, dam, balafon, guitar, and ngoni.
Beyond just playing instruments, Amadou has made significant contributions as a composer, creating pieces that reflect the essence of his homeland. His talents don’t stop at music and composition; he is also an adept dancer and a captivating vocalist, often blending traditional and contemporary styles. His deep-rooted passion for music is not only personal, it’s also a reflection of his lineage, as he hails from a family that has been entrenched in musical traditions for generations.
Official Facebook page: @AmadouFolaAmoulBayiFall
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