MEHDI CHAMMA GROUP
MCG was formed in Vienna in 2019 by the Moroccan multi-instrumentalist, composer and singer-song-writer
Mehdi Chamma. The group consists of five members from the active Austrian
music scene: Mehdi Chamma (guitar, guembri & vocal), Jakob Mayr (trombone), Nikolaus
Holler (sax & flute), Michael Acker (bass) and Walter Sitz (drums).
Performing original tunes written by Mehdi Chamma, combining North-African warm
grooves with more sophisticated details of contemporary jazz, blues and rock elements,
using as well a fretless three strings instrument called the guembri from the spiritual
gnawa music from North-Africa.
MCG today comes with a new album “Layla wa Bahr (Night and Sea)” resulting in a
refreshingly distinct and authentic sound, powerful groove filled with original lyrics and
poetry in his mother tongue, the Moroccan Darija, and Arabic.
The MCG is performing regularly in venues and festivals.
MEHDI CHAMMA
Guitarist, guembri player, original
composer and singer from Morocco,
born and raised in the North-west
African music culture such as the
spiritual Gnawa music, oriental
tarab, rock, pop, African-blues and
the Moroccan chaabi. At first as
an autodidact he was exposed
to different music genres, learned
playing by ear. Out of his African-
oriental roots, the traditional and the modern, Mehdi developed with time a very distinctive music touch, harmonies and musical vocabulary that are inimitably his own. Between 2006 -2015 Mehdi has worked and toured as a sideman with notable artists from Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Turkey, Congo, France and USA, and performed at various festivals, before he moved to Vienna, studied jazz and popular music, where he was graduated.
Jakob Mayr
lives and works as a musician and
composer in Vienna. Born in Linz, he
started at BORG Linz for Popular
Music and made his first steps as a
musician with the Youth Bigband Am
Dam Jazz.
His music experience goes over a
wide range, though his specialty lies
in jazz, pop and world music.
Besides playing in the bands Parov
Stelar Band, Listen to Leena and The
Reef Formation he is also leading his own quartet Dr. Urban’s
Conglomerate. He already played in
Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania. In 2011 he graduated under Christian Radovan
at the Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz with a Bachelor’s degree for jazz
trombone with the major in composing. He’s currently completing his Master for jazz
trombone under Johannes Herrlich at MUK Vienna.
Nikolaus Holler
Born in 1994 in Styria/AUT is an Austrian
multi-instrumentalist (all saxophones, bass
clarinet, Bb clarinet, flute, alto flute, duduk,
EWI, piano and drums) and a contemporary
composer. He is a bandleader but also a
sideman for several projects of different
genres. Since the age of 18 he teaches in
several schools and on workshops at high
schools as well as universities. Nikolaus
Holler graduated from Kunstuniversität Graz /
Institut Jazz with a Bachelor degree and
absolved a Master degree in Vienna at MUK.
He performed on renowned stages all over
Austria.
Concerts with; Billy Cobham, Sheila Jordan, Ray Anderson, David Berger, Hayden Chisholm, Ed Neumeister, Matheus Jardim, Bobby Shew, Ivar Krizic, Emiliano Sampaio, Tomi Nikku, Tobias Meissl, Anontio de Padua, Gerhard Ornig, Christopher Pawluk, Tobias
Pustelnik, Daniel Holzleitner, Thilo Seevers, Marijn van de Ven, Luis Oliveira, Robin
Gadermaier, Valentin Duit, Erik Asatrian,Fabio Devigili, Christoph Cech, Solarkreis,
Blowing Doozy, Raphael Wressnig…
Michael Acker
Born and raised in Romania, Michael Acker grows up in
a musical environment thanks to his mother. In her
children’s choir and instrumental ensemble he learns the
basics about music theory and instruments like
recorder, xylophone and percussion. Quickly his talent is
recognised. Piano and guitar lessons are soon to follow.
Starting off in a funk band, he soon discovers the liberty
of expression jazz has to offer.
Therefore he moves to Bucharest to study jazz at the
National University of Music under the famous romanian
jazz pianist Mircea Tiberian. Also during this period he
adds upright bass and synthesizer to his abilities. At this point he is considered one of the leading bass players in his homecountry. His influences range from styles like jazz, funk, Afrobeat all the way to deephouse or drum n’bass. He collaborates with the vast majority of jazz musicians in Romania like Mircea Tiberian, Sorin Zlat or Luiza Zan. International collaborations include Owen Hart Jr. (USA), Anton Eger (SE), John Betsch (USA), Eamon Dilworth (AUS), Ellie Wright (AT), Matheus Jardim (BRA).
Walter Sitz
A drummer for Joe Zawinul,
Karl Ratzer, Mamadou Diabate,
Rainhard Fendrich, Georg
Danzer, Sigi Finkel,
performances with The
Syndicate (former Joe Zawinul
Band) together with Jorge
Bezerra Jr, Munir Hossn, Amit
Chatterjee and Peter
DeGirolamo. With the latter two
exceptional musicians and
friends he also had the
pleasure of playing in the Amit Chatterjee Alliance. As a composer and drummer with Christoph Helm and Jojo Lackner in Walter Sitz Trio or with Philipp Jagschitz and Vilkka Wahl in the Hammond organ trio Organ3men. As a composer, arranger, drummer and guitarist with in the Quetschwork Family and as a composer, arranger and producer currently working for the Lalá Vocalensemble.
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