VI.BE

Who we are

Masala is a band of five guys, each having their favorite music styles, each having their musical background. Through a mix of voices, instruments, sounds, atmospheres and styles they celebrate their passion for music.

It can barely be called a coincidence they found in each other a soulmate and fellow musician : piano, vocals, violin, bass, drums. Opposites attract, counterparts fit.

Obscure, joyful, musing, moving, exciting, ... Their compositions, combined with only a few covers, come to life through the interaction between 5 musicians with 1000 ideas but yet only 1 recipe.

The acoustic sound is being influenced by a whirlpool of music styles from all over the world: a touch of folk, jazz, rock, country, tango, blues, classic, world music, ... without being exactly that.

Humor, sadness, improvisation, discipline and spontaneous interaction reflect their emotion in your heart en brings your smile upon their faces. A feeling good experience shared by audience and performers.

Where we come from

The band started in 1996 as a duet, called Someone Els, with Els Artois on vocals and Raphaël Van Goubergen on the piano. It all started, as is usual for lots of bands, “just like that”, for this one occasion: an exhibition. Then another exhibition followed, and then a birthday party, a wedding reception, a café-concert … and we connected.

In 1999 they asked Piet Haven to play the bass. When singer Eva Tulkens joined the band, in 2005, the repertoire evolved towards 3-voice vocal harmony. Pieter Dedoncker joined, on drums, in 2007.

Els left the band in 2008 and Karen Van Humbeeck took over. Someone Els became Someone Els”e”, but we did never bother to add that last “e” to the band’s name. In 2009 Karen went for new horizons. Mariske Broeckmeyer joined the band. But Eva and Mariske both finally also were drawn elsewhere for new challenges.

When the violinist and singer Andries Baele joined the band, Someone Els became an “All Boys Band”. In this setting all members began composing and a whole new sound was developed. The combined voices of Piet, Andries and Raph, accompanied by violin, piano, bass and drums are the typical sound. Thus MASALA was born.

In 2017, after a few successful live sessions with Arthur Maes, the five of us thought it would be a great idea to add his particular guitar playing as an additional source of sounds, styles and … inspiration.

Meet the Masalians

Raph Van Goubergen

Raph Van Goubergen started to play with garage bands in 1974, at the age of 12, first as a singer and guitarist. In the late ’70-ties he returned to his childhood instrument, the piano (and synths), and formed his own Progressive Rock band PSOPHO (1981 album PSOPHO - Sheer Profundity). The band evolved towards Jazz Rock, and changed its name to APG. After the split of APG, in the mid ‘80-ties, he played the Blues at the legendary Brussels Blues Corner Café (1990 album BC and U – Backslider). He was asked to play with many bands in various styles: Afro Beat (Feso Trombone, ex-Fela Kuti musician), Italian Pop, Flemish Pop, French Chanson (1994 album BLANC MARIE – Sous les Ponts), more Blues (1996 album CALVIN OWENS and his Blues Orchestra – That’s Your Booty), … In 1996, he formed the Jazz band Someone Els that, only recently, became MASALA.

He’s also a music teacher, both in Classical Music and in Jazz/Pop/Rock (piano, jazz harmony, composition, improvisation, singing) since 1983. In 2009, he created his own company, CLASS & JAZZ, that combines music tuition, management and publishing.

Pieter Dedoncker

Pieter discovered his passion for playing the drums at the age of 9. Wanting to enroll in the local music school he was told that “they didn’t really have a drum teacher, so whether he wouldn’t be interested in playing violin or piano”. But thanks to his stubbornness they soon found a teacher, which guided him for about 8 years. At the age of 11 he started playing in the local brass band, switching from bass drum to marching snare, percussions and drum kit.

At the age of 14 he started playing in a surf/garage band LOS VENTURAS. With this band, which is still active today, he discovered the joy of touring, recording albums and playing lots of venues. Still training his skills he got more interested in playing jazz and in 2007 finally he met Raph and joined the jazz combo SOMEONE ELS, that recently evolved to MASALA. Ever since he has played with various bans and projects ranging from classical music over rock/punk, to soul/jazz and blues (Kostas Chatz, Jobee Project, Die Staubzauger, Mechels Salonorkest, Overweight, The Hydrosonics, MFF, …)

In 2010 he started teaching in Raph’s company Class & Jazz.

Andries Baele

Andries is a creative, virtuoso violinist and a funny entertainer. Professional musical training at the Lemmensinstitute and the College Ghent, and, countless masterclasses in stage-arts (a.o. music, theatre, dance, clowning, ...) in Belgium and abroad. Concerts with a.o. Bart Peeters, Jean Van Lint, Stijn Meuris, Takuya Taniguchi, Ronny Mosuse, Jokke Schreurs, Jean-Bosco Safari, Andries Boone, ... He loves to combine many kinds of stage-arts (a.o. singing, violin, mime, theatre, tapdance, exotic instruments, electric violin, improvisation, ...) on stage.

Andries also works at Class & Jazz as a music teacher.

Piet Haven

Since the age of 15, Piet Haven wanted to be on stage and found out pretty soon the guitar, his voice and acting skills where the better means (compared to being an acolyte). By then Neil Young, Kansas, Scorpions, Saga, Clannad, Yes, and many others were his heroes and inspiration. Always being his own teacher he had the chance to play with great musicians (Raph Van Goubergen, Jo Ysebaert, Koen Deca, Els Artois, Zohra...) who shaped his experience and improved his composing skills. With Raph and Els he formed the jazz combo Someone Els.

Being a former rock singer, keyboard player and guitar player (4' too late), bass player and vocalist in a number of cover bands (WAS, Delay 99, KIFKIF, Charly & the Checkpoints) and by having been the bass player of the acoustic 4 male singers band Basso Gitano, co-composing their songs and writing their lyrics, it is no wonder Piet can do his thing and can further explore his musical talent with the other members of Masala. Together with them he can combine his styles and influences from over the years ... and go far beyond.

Arthur Maes

Arthur Maes started playing and study music at young age. He inherited the passion and love for music from his parents. His mother was a singer and his father a guitarist. He first practiced the piano at a classical academy and afterwards took back on the guitar, with different teachers and schools, in different styles of music (classical/rock/blues/jazz). He graduated at the Tritonus Jazz Studio of Antwerp in 2007.

He played with many bands, not only as an instrumentalist, but most often also as composer and music-director. Amongst his main productions are M.A.F. Orquesta & Soul T and North Sea Ska Jazz Band. He also organized a lot of jam sessions in the Brussels area and played with several Latin and African musicians.

He’s part of the Class & Jazz teachers team too.