Looking back on Acoustic Roots 2020
This is the last Acoustic Roots of 2020, and as usual, Karin van de Boogaerdt, Carolien Cleiren and Hans look back at, and present recordings made during the past year. Because of the lockdown, several times, it was not possible to receive musicians in the studio in Podium Oost (Utrecht). In spite of the coronavirus measures, we have been able to make nice programmes anyway.
First of all, you hear recordings of Neco Novellas and Ernst Reijseger, the occasional duo was brought together by Sonja Heimann and Stan Rijven of Dutch Delta Sounds and the Ritmundo Foundation. They organized several concerts by the name of ‘Old Roots New Routes’, with, in total, 6 world music bands. Neco Novellas is a singer and guitarist from Mozambique, now living in the Netherlands. Ernst Reijseger is a famous Dutch cellist who likes to seek musical adventures. Just what Dutch Delta Sounds is after!
Raj Mohan and his ensemble, featuring Mark Alban Lotz, also performed in the series ‘Old Roots New Routes’. Raj Mohan is a Geet/Ghazal/Bhajan/Pop singer, composer, singer-songwriter and poet. He is the most famous Sarnámi artist in the Netherlands of the last thirty years. The ensemble consists of: Raj Moha, singing, tanpura, harmonium and guitar; Tammo Heikens, acoustic guitar; Mark Alban Lotz, bansuri, flute; Suresh Sardjoe, tabla; Melanie Tangkau, double bass.
Singer-songwriter Jono McCleery is from South East London and now living in Rotterdam. He started to play the guitar when he was 18 years old. He learnt the trade in the London live-music scene. Because of the coronavirus measures, the Acoustic Roots team visited him in his (garden) studio to record a programme there. Meanwhile, Jono released a new CD: ‘Here I a am and there you are’. See here
On 27 June 2020, the Belgian duo Naragonia and the Italian Simone Bottasso performed together in venue Batavierhuis in Rotterdam. Pascale Rubens and Toon Van Mierlo make up duo Naragonia. From 2003 on, Pascale Rubens and Toon Van Mierlo have played together, and have contributed to the innovation of the folk music scene in Dutch-speaking Belgium.
Accordion player Simone Bottasso has been our guest in Acoustic Roots twice before. On 16 October 2015, did a solo performance for Acoustic Roots in the Pieternel chapel of the St Peter’s church in Utrecht. This time, Simone brought his brother Nicolò along, for years they have formed Duo Bottasso. Nicolò plays the violin and trumpet. Although he studied at Codarts in Rotterdam, just like his brother Simone, Nicolò lives in Italy, while Simone has stayed on in Rotterdam.
Aleksandra Popovska and Soos were our last guests in this year. Aleksandra Popovska is a Dutch-Macedonian mezzo-soprano, 
composer, singing teacher and choirmaster, pianist and flute player. Her background is just as versatile as her career. She grew up in former Yugoslavia, and was educated in Serbia, Macedonia, the Netherlands and England. So, her life and creative work have been formed by both the Balkans and the West. Zoli Soos is a guitarist and a singer, he is involved in several bands and projects. He is frontman of the group Vinsky. After one year at the academy of music (drums light music), Zoli decided to focus more on the profession of producer.
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