Jasper Van't Hof's Pili Pili

JASPER VAN'T HOFS PILI-PILI PILI PILI In the summer of 1984, JASPER VAN'T HOF - one of the best-known and dynamic pianists and keyboarders of European jazz - burst onto the club scene with the primal force of "Pili Pili" - a 15-minute trance recorded with the percussion formation Isaac Tagul Group of Guinea. Over 100,000 recordings of the piece were sold; the group took on the name of its title piece and became a hit band, especially in the club and disco scene. PILI-PILI's second CD HOOMBA HOOMBA lay the foundation for the career of VAN'T HOFS discovery Angelique Kidjo, the celebrated lead singer of PILI-PILI's next five albums and tours. Annual tours and festival appearances, e. g. at the Jazz Festival of Montreux, fortified the group's reputation, particularly as an excellent live band. In the years to follow, such well-known artists as Philippe Allaert (the producer of Vaya Con Dios, among other things), Nicolas Fiszman (Victor Lazlo), Marlon Klein (Dissidenten), Annie Whitehead (Pinguin Cafe Orchestra) and many other African and European musicians belonged to the PILI-PILI ensemble, both in the studio and in concert. JASPER VAN'T HOF discovered his love for African music on a tour of Central Africa in 1982-83. Since then he has been drawn back to the black continent again and again. He was the first foreign musician to be invited to the Arts Alive Festival and to play in various townships of South Africa before the end of apartheid, an experience which deeply influenced and inspired him. In the past PILI-PILI cooperated with musicians from various African countries, such as Mali, Kongo, Senegal and Guinea. In 2000 for the first time VAN'T HOF realized a project with South African musicians – with the young Zulu choir Phikelela SAKHULA from the city of Durban. After touring regularly in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, PILI-PILI, led by keyboarder JASPER VAN'T HOF, for the first time in 1999 they were invited to do a concert tour in Spain. For ten years PILI-PILI has spent the cold, central European winter, spreading energy and esprit with their funky mixture of jazz, African rhythms and South American charm in highly acclaimed concerts. The internationally renowned members of the band include: the Dutch keyboard dervish JASPER VAN'T HOF with that bundle of Carribean energy, singer Izaline Calister, the well-known trombone player Annie Whitehead of London (Prince, Joan Armatrading, Elvis Costello, James Blood Ulmer etc.), the Hungarian saxophone virtuoso Tony Lakatos, funk bassist Frank Itt (Terence Trent D'Arby, voted 2nd best bassist in Germany 1997), the African percussionist Dra Diarra and Marlon Klein (Dissidenten) on the drums. JASPER VAN'T HOF: "With such a cast of stars, we can be sure of some more of those extra-class concerts ...which with regard to fire and bite do the band's name complete justice (Pili-Pili is an African word for chilli pepper)". The variety of stuff sold as dance jazz these days is mind-boggling! Most of it is pretty lukewarm: neither jazz nor dancable. For PILI-PILI both have been part of the concept from the very beginning: a high standard of jazz, raw, personal, stubborn, always inspired by rhythm and groove and - fantastic for dancing - DANCE JAZZ LIVE. We're celebrating the 20th anniversary in January 2004 with a limited edition of a 2CD digibook with 48pages book included. The first CD contains a best of-compilation, the second CD a new (2003) version of the dance hit "Pili Pili" and some unrealesed live recordings. Press Reviews of recent concerts: "Jazz-imp bewitches rhythms - Percussionist Dra Diara invited the enthusiastic audience to provide the basic rhythm to which PLILI-PILI sang, danced and played until in the end everything had become rhythm, music, fire - simply PILI-PILI. (Westfälische Rundschau, Germany) "PILI-PILI - Paradise of worldmusic - Jasper van't Hof gives his fellow musicians ample freedom for their improvisations PILI-PILI is paradise for the instrumentalists who, working with the big stars, often have to deny their own individual style. It is also paradise for the people in the audience who not only watched but enjoyed extensive dancing." (Hessisch-Niedersächsische Allgemeine, Germany) "As hot as chili pepper - Last Friday the market place was turned into a dance-joint. The audience payed its fee by enthusiastic participation. Hardly anyone was able to stand still, as soon as the highly rhythmical mixture of African and Caribbean rhythms mixed with European jazz tradition started. It is noteworthy that the two women stole their co-musicians the show, especially since Jasper van't Hof played most reserved leaving much space for improvisation. This was primarily used by the renowned trombone player Annie Whitehead from London, who has played with many bigs of the international show business. At first her soli evoked incredulous astonishment, finally giving way to the most frenetical applause." (Lipper Zeitung, Germany) "Dance-Jazz under a good sign - What followed were two hours of rhythmical music, exciting and explosive. The multidimensional and wonderful vocals of Izaline Calister, the Caribbean bundle of enrgy, is the dot over the i of PILI-PILI's music. The conclusion of a grand music event: excellent dance-jazz open air and in dry weather - summer festival athmosphere at it's best." (Siegener Zeitung, Germany) In Chamber Groove through South Africa