Band MEMBERS

Chris Latul

guitar/vocals

Because there was always music at Chris’s home, his love for music and the guitar started in his early years. His father gave him his first electric guitar when he was fourteen, but he never took any lessons. By watching his guitar heroes like Hank B Marvin and simply playing their songs by ear, he soon knew how to play his guitar. A few years later Chris was asked to play as a solo guitarist with The Eagles. This was the band that later grew into the successful Massada, which stormed the Dutch charts in the 1970s.

Armando Monsanto

vocals

In the 1980s, Armando played with the show band Jenny & Flashback in wintersportsresorts in Switzerland and Austria. In the 1990s, he performed with the Spacebustrio in Switzerland’s top hotels.

Back in the Netherlands, Armando played with the band DownTown at company parties, where they accompanied many famous Dutch artists. In the Kurhaus in Scheveningen he was part of a permanent house band trio.

Fred Berkemeier

saxophone & flute

Fred Berkemeier started his professional career with the Amsterdam funk formation Small Talk.

Later he played on many Dutch and foreign stages with bands and artists such as Massada (Pinkpop), Latul, Wim Overgaauw, Jaap Dekker and Laura Fygi. As a studio musician he worked with Harry Muskee and many others.

Arthur Rombouts

piano/keyboards

Arthur started very young on drums and switched to drum computers, analog synthesizers and music programs on computers at the age of 15.

After studying jazz piano at the Hilversum Conservatory with teachers as Henk Elkerbout, Rob Madna, Frans Elsen and Rob van Bavel. And he obtained a diploma for keyboards at the conservatory in Alkmaar.

Marcel Sapthu

keyboards/percussion

When he was 12 years old, Marcel discovered his love for the drum set in high school and the joy of making music with others. When he was 19 he got his own drum kit and he was allowed to take drum lessons. During that time he also received piano lessons from Arthur Rombouts. From that moment on, the musical ball started rolling and he played as a drummer in various bands.

In recent years Marcel can also be found on stage as a keyboardist and he works as a drum teacher and band coach and he gives percussion workshops at the music school in Baarn and Soest.

Ruud Baron

bass

Ruud played in studios, nightclubs, musicals, revues and was the orchestra leader of The BandStand, who has played in theatres with many artists from home and was abroad for years. Artists like André van Duin Revue, 100 years Carré, Simone Kleinsma, René Froger, Marco Borsato, Randy Crawford, Ingram Washington, Toni Braxton, Bobbie Eakes, Jeff Trachta, Bold & Beautiful theater tour, Gordon, Gerard Joling theater tour, Jan Vayne theater tour etc.

Jeroen de Rijk

percussion

Jeroen is a freelance multi-style percussionist and producer/music entrepreneur. Since 1981 he has been doing studio sessions (now for hundreds of albums, countless jingles, TV commercials etc.), he also plays live and works as a clinician for the percussion brand Meinl.

The studio sessions started in the 1980s with Piet Veerman’s ‘Sailing Home’, ‘Dance Around The World’ by Richenel, ‘Liefdesliedjes’ by De Jazzpolitie and ‘Wonderful Life’ by Mathilde Santing. There were also performances and/or sessions with Mezzoforte, Toots Thielemans, Candy Dulfer, Gino Vannelli, Golden Earring, George Duke, Bruno Mars, Michael Jackson, but also Toppers and Holland Zingt Hazes.

Jai Jai Vos

drums

Jai-Jai has been playing drums since he was 11 years old and took drum lessons at the Muzieklyceum in Hilversum, . He soon entered the band circuit and performed frequently. When he was 18 he went to America and stayed in Woodstock with master drummer Jack DeJohnette who was his teacher. Also Jai-Jai accompanied Jack DeJohnette on his tours.

From the age of 19 Jai-Jai studied in the light music department of the Conservatory in Hilversum. From 1980 he played in various theater shows with André van Duin, Gerard Joling, Gordon and was the drummer for TV and theater productions by Karin Bloemen for 5 years. He also performed with The Bandstand, backing band of many artists. In recent years he has been a freelancer and plays with various bands in different styles and he runs his own drum school!