HI,
My name is Joram Kroon. I’m a musician, DJ, producer and artistic leader. In my work as musician and DJ, I came across several creative concepts to host a party (like Bankra, Safari and Echo Sekte). I regulary play DJ-sets for Bankra on internet radiostation StrandedFM.
During my music eduction period, I went to Palestina and discovered the richness of the Arabian music. Up until now, this is the biggest influence in my music.
Musical Influences
One of my biggest interests on musical level is the Arabic music. One in a while, I travel to the Mid-East to go on a musical journey, to explore the arabian music and cultures. Check out my tutorials about Arabian music here (Arabian music lessons for infidels) and Arabian music research & explorations here.
FREELANCE MUSIC TEACHER 2009-NOW
2017-now Boempatsers (JCK) developing music education program for elementary schools in Kanaleneiland. Boss, artistic leader, concept development, teaching at the Lukasschool. With a strong focus on the interests of the children (lots of rapping and drumming and creating our own music)
We use the website Boempatsers.tumblr.com as a method to keep track of the progress, cool music we made and to show inspiring/inspirational content.
Next challenge is to add traditional Moroccan influences.
2017 Arabic Music Lessons for Infidels (currently 4 videos)
Educational videos about arabic music/culture. Playful lessons, accessible for everybody online. It is about democratizing musical knowledge.
2014-2016 Muziekroute (UCK) percussion teacher at all elementary schools in Overvecht. I’m interested to work in chance-poor neighborhoods, elementary schools and prison to keep learning. Still working as a pianoteacher for UCK in Overvecht.
ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP
04-2018 De kunst van delen (JCK for ‘Utrecht : Age Friendly Cultural City)
Create a musical dialogue with Hindustan elderly (70+) and Kanaleneiland streetrappers. Performance is the 12-04-18.
10-2017 Marinela Senatore Protest Forms: Memory and Celebration (BAK)
Production for music performance. It was my job to create an pluriform ensemble with the conditions marinella gave me: get together protests artists, women, kids on the same stage.
So I found people from the conservatory, different ages, different quality of work, an egyptian rapper, Maarten Vos (like ‘high art music’) and Cengiz (Arabic flute). I managed the group. I had to translate Marinella’s ideas to a variety of musicians with different social/cultural backgrounds.
CREATIVE PROJECTS
2017 The Bankra Bike Sound System
The Bankra Bike Sound System is about playing music in public spaces and music festivals. Our mobile sound system on bikes which allows us to move during performances and reach our public in the street and public space. In 2016 we went to the Refugee centre in Hoograven to create a segment for the Tour de Caravane, the parade before the Tour the France starts. The goal of this parade is to represent Utrecht (students, different neighborhoods and layers of society etc). Together with the children we developed a segment to spread the message that the refugees also want to participate in Itrecht.
We also did Grote Trek (Art & Society – Leidse Rijn) – The power of the Bankra is that it is a peoples thing. The context decides what is going to happen. Im leading this concept artistic direction and I am developing a kind of music that could be performed live involving the Bankra Sound System as a musical element in its own right.
ARTIST PERFORMER
02-2018 Prace live set for Stranded.FM at festival Radio Kootwijk
1 hour live electronic music performance.
08-2017 Prace x Sattar – Performance at Atlas Electronic Morocco
Sattar al Saadi is a multi-instrumentalist from Irak playing ney (flute) and percussion. I performed with electronic instruments. Atlas Electronic is a place of cultural friction where a western event takes place in the Moroccan context. This was a good experience to see how the local population and the western public interact and appreciate each others. This is an interesting format that I would like to push further, with a more balanced relationship between actors.
There, I also met musicians from the Diapazone organization (diapazone.net) who are also researching how to work with electronic machines and traditional Gnawa music (collaboration on going).
Our hybrid was the only performance that exceeded it’s ambitions,
to make music that is Arabic and electronic at the same time.
2000-now DJ and music-producer
Preferably at illegal parties or for the Bankra Bike Soundsystem.
Besides disrupting the ordinary club atmosphere, I also DJ for the Dabke Night (Syrian folkdance). I love pluriform crowds and those events allows a very diverse population to meet. Experiencing the music becomes the common denominator. Yallah Yallah! Is an pan-arabic/utrecht clubnight with more arabic people than dutch people I DJ for. Tonight 🙂 (6april)
I also developed & managed concepts like Echo Sekte (AMS), Safari (Utrecht) and occasional stuff.
COMPOSITION
2017-now HXZE (to be released on INI Recordings)
Introvert electronic music with arabic melodies and sounds. Enough material to release music throughout 2018/19 on a structured basis.
2018 Composition for modern dance (ENS Company) with Sarah Brown (theater maker – choreographer)
Composition and sound design (currently in development).
The piece is called ‘Who is she‘ and it’s about presenting female archetypes. It’s about existentialism and sexuality of women in the 21st century.
EXPLORATIONS OF ARABIC MUSIC & CULTURE
2009-2010 The First Statement (management: Iris Vos)
Travel to Israel/Palestina with a field recorder to learn about how the conflict is affecting the people and recording the IDF shooting teargas at me. There I studied arabic music in Ramallah (westbank, pseudo-Palestina). Back in the Netherlands I put together an ensemble of 15 people from here, Morocco, Russia, Iraq, Israel, Ukraine, .Playing a couple of shows in the Netherlands.
Also worth mentioning: Iris and me worked together with Merlijn Twaalfhoven. He is a composer just like me for Al Quds Underground. An underground music festival in the old city of Al Quds (Arabic for Jerusalem) performing amongst Palestinian artists as a reply to the Israeli ‘boycot’ on Palestinian culture.
The festival took place in the homes of Palestinian residents of the old city.
I worked with local Palestinian musicians to develop one of the performances. Best explained here.