Percussionist Nils Fischer enjoys to work with his own groups Timbazo, CaboCubaJazz and with Nueva Manteca as well as with many others, such as The Cubop City Bigband [for 17 years] and Drums United [12 years]. He has shared the stage with such luminaries as Giovanni Hidalgo, Pío Leiva, Orestes Vilató, Armando Peraza, Paquito D'Rivera and Chocolate Armenteros.

He studied in Cuba, Brazil, Puerto Rico and at the Rotterdam Conservatory where he obtained his “Masters Degree Percussion” in 1996 cum laude. His teachers include Giovanni Hidalgo, John Santos, Jerry Gonzalez, Orestes Vilató, Roberto Vizcaíno, Panga and Anthony Carillo.

Nils’ interest in music started at an early age, growing up in a musical family in Bremen, Germany. One of his earliest memories from childhood is his father practicing guitar before gigs at night. His own instrumental experience started when he began to attend piano lessons at the age of ten. He remembers: “One day my sister brought home a Paquito D’Rivera record with Daniel Ponce on congas - this changed my life, all I wanted from then on was to play percussion.” At that time, he would have never imagined that 20 years later he would find himself performing with Paquito in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Another milestone in Nils’ career was his 2014 performance at the prestigious Havana Jazz Festival with his own group CaboCubaJazz.

Nils has appeared on more than 60 albums as a recording artist.

End 2007 he released a CD with his own group Timbazo. It is entitled ¡Gracias Joe Cuba! and serves as a tribute to veteran percussionist Joe Cuba. Top artists including Brian Lynch, Alain Pérez , José “Pepe” Espinosa contributed to its making. The album – mixed by Jon Fausty - received rave reviews both at home and abroad. It was pre-nominated for the Latin Grammy Awards 2008 in four categories. TIMBAZO was nominated for the Mixed Magazine Worldmusic Award 2009.

In 2008, Nils - together with pianist Carlos Matos - founded CaboCubaJazz. “CaboCubaJazz melts two different cultures without any effort - sensational!” -  Volkskrant [national Dutch newspaper]. CaboCubaJazz‘ albums ‘Rikeza y Valor’ [2011] and Corason Africano [2017] are receiving great reviews internationally.

The band is succesfully touring world wide.

In 2015 Nils releases his 2nd album with Timbazo - “Rumberos a Montón”. A joyful, exuberant all-star celebration featuring luminaries like Lucrecia, Changuito, Calixto Oviedo, Alexander Abreu, Carlos del Puerto, Julito Padrón & many others. 34 musicians contributed to the international recording sessions in Rotterdam, Antwerp, Barcelona, Atlanta, Havana, Turku, Phoenix, Detroit and New York. Arrangements by Alain Pérez, Marc Bischoff, Jan Hartong & Iván ‘Melon’ Lewis. Mastered by legendary engineer Bob Katz in Orlando, US.

Nils teaches at Codarts [Rotterdam Conservatory] and at the Pentaton Percussion School in Germany.

He gave workshops in Spain, Malaysia, Belgium, Norway, the US, Great Britain, Finland and Austria.

In 1995 he received the award for “outstanding service to Jazz education” in Los Angeles. 

Nils Fischer endorses Pearl Percussion , Regal Tip drumsticks and Remo drumheads.

CURRICULUM

2016 CABOCUBAJAZZ release single 'Boas Festas'

2016 Noordpool Orkest, tour Dutch theaters, festivals

2016 TIMBAZO Sunfest, Canada

2016 TIMBAZO tour The Netherlands

2016 Concerts Loet van der Lee quartet   

2016 CABOCUBAJAZZ extended Israel tour

2016 CABOCUBAJAZZ tour The Netherlands & Germany

2016 Dutch Music Community concerts

2016 Concerts with Tito Paris, Bonga, Sodade Festival, NL

2016 Boy Gé Mendes, Denmark

2016 Lutchinha, Rotterdam, NL

2016 Lucrécia feat. Ramón Valle & Nils Fischer, Centro Born, Barcelona

2015 TIMBAZO album release tour, major venues, TV, Radio

2015 CABOCUBAJAZZ Penang Jazz Festival, Malaysia

2015 ‘America Como Te Adoro’ w/ Lucrecia & Ramón Valle, Spain

2015 Noordpool Orkest, tour Dutch theaters, festivals

2015 CABOCUBAJAZZ tour

2014 CABOCUBAJAZZ Havana Jazz Festival, Cuba

2014 CABOCUBAJAZZ extended tour, Germany

2014 Elsa & Ramón Valle Recording session Budapest, Hungary

2014 CABOCUBAJAZZ Viersen Jazz Festival, Germany

2014 Nueva Manteca Crime Tour

2014 Noordpool Orkest, tour Dutch theaters, festivals

2013 Caribbean Cocktail Theater tour

2013 CABOCUBAJAZZ, April Jazz Festival Espoo, Finland

2013 Volkan Baydar, Germany Tour

2013 CABOCUBAJAZZ, Marmer, Luxembourg

2013 Banda Ritmo Cubano, Germany Tour

2013 CABOCUBAJAZZ, Samui Jazz Festival, Thailand

2013 CABOCUBAJAZZ, Colors of Percussion, Austria

2013 Noordpool Orkest tour feat. Bert Visscher

2013 Nueva Manteca Crime Tour

2012 Nueva Manteca Gwangju World Music Festival, South Korea

2012 CD recording session Timbazo w/ Changuito, Carlos del Puerto, Calixto

2012 CABOCUBAJAZZ Drammen, Norway

2012 SKINS & KEYS, tour w/ N. Biswas, Ramón Valle, A. Mussawisadeh, NL

2012 CABOCUBAJAZZ Samui Jazzfestival, Thailand

2012 CABOCUBAJAZZ Bangkok City of Jazz, Thailand

2012 Drums United tour, NL

2012 CABOCUBAJAZZ tour, NL

2012 Drums United tour USA

2012 CABOCUBAJAZZ Sunfest, London, Canada

2012 CCBB tour, Uruguay’s music, NL

2012 Nueva Manteca ‘Xicano Rock’ tour, NL

2012 Drums United tour Canada

2012 Hosting Super Salsa Session, monthly, Lossdrecht, NL

2011 CABOCUBAJAZZ ‘Rikeza y Valor’ tour, NL

2011 Nueva Manteca ‘Xicano Rock’ tour, NL

2011 TIMBAZO Dias Latinos, Amersfoort

2011 Nueva Manteca Colombia tour

2011 Performance at Montreal Drum Fest, Canada

2011 Nueva Manteca Israel tour

2011 Chando Graciosa CD release Party, Rotterdam

2011 CCBB tour feat. Edmar Castañeda

2011 Carlos Matos Band, Dunya Festival, Rotterdam

2011 Drums United tour, NL

2011 Descarga Amsterdam CD release Party, Amstelveen

2011 Doble Jugada Frankfurt

2011 Drums United tour, Canada

2010 TIMBAZO Salsa Festival Drammen, Norway

2010 clinic/concert with Calixto Oviedo, Drum3daagse, NL

2010 TIMBAZO Festival Mundial, NL

2010 Nueva Manteca Requiem tour

2010 TIMBAZO Summer Carnaval Rotterdam, NL

2010 Drums United Algoma Festival, Canada

2010 TIMBAZO De Doelen, NL

2010 Nueva Manteca Tango con Clave tour

2010 TIMBAZO RASA, NL

2010 CABOCUBAJAZZ tour, NL

2010 Drums United Norway

2010 Drums United tour Germany

2010 Drums United Sun Fest, London, Canada

2010 Van Merwijk’s Music Machine, Cypres

2010 Cubop City Big Band tour 'Musica Afro Venezolana'

2009 CABOCUBAJAZZ tour & CD recording

2009 Concert w/ Elsa Valle at Budapest Concert Hall

2009 Concerts with Van Merwijk’s Music Machine [Holland & Bulgaria]

2009 Drums United Mexico

2009 Drums United Norway

2009 Drums United tour The Netherlands

2009 ¡Oido al Tambor!  - Concerts with Marco Toro Band

2009 Concertgebouw with Jorge Martínez & Paul de Leeuw

2009 Concert w/ Metropole Orchestra, Rotterdam

2009 Concerts with Estrella Acosta and Carlos Irraragorri

2008 TIMBAZO Dutch tour “¡Gracias Joe Cuba!”

2008 TIMBAZO North Sea Jazzfestival  with Brian Lynch & José “Pepe” Espinosa.

         Sharing the stage with the Herbie Hancock Quintet.

2008 CABOCUBAJAZZ tour

2008 Cubop City Bigband tour Colombia, Aruba, Curaçao, Suriname

2008 Nueva Manteca Mexico

2008 Drums United Cyprus

2008 Nueva Manteca tour featuring Dave Valentín

2008 Cubop City Bigband tour featuring Andy Gonzalez

2008 Metropole Orchestra tour “Memorias De Cuba”

2008 Drums United tour "Rhythms Of The World”

2008 Various recording sessions: Cubop City Bigband, Metropole Orchestra,

         Nueva Manteca, Drums United, Latin Roma.

2007 Cd release party, founding of NILS FISCHER &  TIMBAZO

2007 Cubop City Bigband tour "Latin Divas"

2007 Bulgaria/Serbia tour Drums United

2007 Drums United tour "Ritmo Inferno"

2007 Recording session Doble Jugada

2007 Nueva Manteca tour "Motown Mambo"

2006 Nueva Manteca tour Colombia

2006 Recording session with Ramón & Elsa Valle in Budapest, Hungary

2006 Pure Jazz Festival Cubop City Big Band

2006 writing  articles for Dutch Magazine "Slagwerkkrant"

2006 Recording sessions for solo cd

2006 Nueva Manteca tour "My Fair Lady"

2006 Nueva Manteca Croatia

2006 North Sea Jazz Festival Cubop City Big Band

2006 Fabian Nodarse tour Belgium

2006 Drums United tour "Ritmo Inferno"

2006 Drums United tour "World of Rhythm"

2006 Cubop City Big Band tour Bonaire & Curaçao

2006 Cubop City Big Band tour "Latin Vocal Explosion"

2005 Recording sessions in Madrid and in The Netherlands for solo cd

2005 Nueva Manteca tour "My Fair Lady"

2005 Drums United tour "World of Rhythm"

2005 Cubop City Big Band tour "Tribute to Afro Cuba"

2005 Cubop City Big Band tour "Latin Guitar Explosion"

2005 Buena Vista Social Club concert  in  Brussels with Pio Leiva, 

El Nene, Cotó  and Luís Frank

2004 Nueva Manteca tour with Orestes Vilató

2004 North Sea Jazz Festival

2004 Drums United tour "World of Rhythm"

2003 Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Festival with Nueva Manteca

2003 Nueva Manteca tour "The Westside Story" with Jeroen van Merwijk

2003 Cubop City Big Band Tour "The Mambo Kings"

2002 Trip to Puerto Rico, sitting in with with Michael Stuart and other bands 

2002 till present with FABIAN NODARSE

2002 Nueva Manteca tour with Ralph Irrizarry

2002 Drums United tour "HIT"

2001 Trip to Cuba, playing & recording with members of  "Charanga Habanera"

  (supported by Dutch Performing Arts Fund)

2001 Rumbata tour Greece

2001 Gerardo Rosales y su Trabucombo  tour with Frankie Vazquez & Roberto Quintero

2001 Euro Radio Big Band  Meeting for EBU 

2001 Descarga Amsterdam tour with Brian Lynch

2001 Cubop City Big Band tour with tresero Nelson Gonzales

2001 Cubop City Big Band France

2000 till joins percussiongroup Drums United

2000 Nueva Manteca  tour Israel

2000 North Sea Jazz Festival

2000 La Banda Iré in  Imatra Finland

2000 Carlos Matos tour

2000 Bomba Moderna France

1999 Trip to New York (supported by Dutch Ministry of Arts)

1999 Tour Bonaire, Sint Maarten, Curaçao & Aruba with the Cubop City Big Band

1999 Rumbata in Cape Verde

1999 Recording concert video with  "Combinaçao Malta Dumee" starring Carlos Malta

1999 North Sea Jazz Festival

1999 Cubop City Big Band tour with percussionist Armando Peraza

1999 Carlos Matos tour Cape Verde with Luis Morais and Ildu Lobo

1998 till present percussion teacher at Rotterdams Conservatory (CODARTS)

1998 Nueva Manteca tour with Luis Conte 

1998 Nueva Manteca at Salsa Festival Turku Finland

1998 Carlos Matos tour with Titina

1997 till 2001 with LA BANDA IRÉ, houseband in clubs: Amsterdam's "Meander", “De Pater”

1997 Nueva Manteca tour USA & Canada

1997 Nueva Manteca tour Denmark & Finland

1997 Cubop City Big Band tour with Edy Martinez

1996 Nueva Manteca on Trinidad & Tobago

1996 Nueva Manteca Jazzfestival Kouvola Finland

1996 North Sea Jazz Festival

1996 Cubop City Big Band tour with Chocolate Armenteros

1995 joins Cubop City Bigband

1995 Nueva Manteca tour with Claudio Roditi

1995 Nueva Manteca tour with Bobby Sanabria

1995 Nueva Manteca tour USA

1995 Nueva Manteca tour Germany

1995 Nueva Manteca tour Denmark

1995 “Award for outstanding service to jazz education” in Los Angeles

1994 till present with CARLOS MATOS

1994 Nueva Manteca tour with Orestes Vilató

1994 Nueva Manteca Leeds International Music Festival

1994 North Sea Jazz Festival

1994 Euro Jazz Night TV show

1993 till present teacher at the PENTATON PERCUSSION SCHOOL

1993 Nueva Manteca tour with Armando Peraza

1993 Nueva Manteca tour Porgy & Bess

1992 till present concerts at Dutch concert halls and tv shows such as Van Barend & Dorp, VARA Laat, Reiziger, Klokhuis, Bert Visser.                    

1992 till present  with NUEVA MANTECA 

1992 Nueva Manteca with Giovanni Hidalgo

1991 until today playing in the Dutch jazz, worldmusic and Latin scene

1991 till 1996 studies at Rotterdams Conservatory, graduating Cum Laude

1988 tour in California, USA with highschool band

1988 extensive studies in Santiago de Cuba and Havana

1986 till 1991 busy in local jazz, worldmusic and Latin scene

1983 starts playing percussion

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS/CONCERTS

Europe/Africa/Asia

North Sea Jazz Festival 2017

Borneo Jazz  Festival  2017

Kuala Lumpur Jazz Festival  2017

Israel Theater tour 2016

Penang Jazz Festival, Malaysia 2015

Samui Jazzfestival, Thailand 2013

April Jazz Espoo, Finnland 2013

Colors of Percussion, Austria 2013

Samui Jazzfestival, Thailand 2012

Bangkok City of Jazz, Thailand 2012

Gwangju Worldmusic Festival, South Korea 2012

Sfinx Festival, Belgium 2012

Israel Theater tour 2011

Festival  Mundial, NL 2010

Salsa Festival Drammen, Norway 2010

North Sea Jazzfestival 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2008

Budapest Concert Hall 2009

Worldmusic Festival Drammen, Norway 2009, 2010

Cyprus Jazz Festival Limassol 2008,2010

Cyprus Jazz Festival Nicosia 2008,2010

Pure Jazz 2006

Serbia Spancirfest Varazdin 2006

GreeceTessaloniki Salsa Festival 2001

Euro Radio Big Band  Meeting 2001

Baia Das Gatas, Cape Verde 1999

Jazzfestival Kouvola 1996, 2000

Latin Jazz Festival Iväskyla 1996, 2000

Copacabana Helsinki 2000

Imatra Big Band Festival 2000

Toros y Salsa Festival Dax 2000, 2001

Salsa Festival Turku 1998

Jazzhouse, Kopenhagen 1995, 1997

Århus Jazzfestival 1997

Euro Jazz Night 1994

Leeds International Music Festival 1994

Jazz Behind The Dikes 1995

Latin America & Caribbean

Havana Jazz Festival Jazz Plaza, 2014

Universidad de Bogotá, 2011

Medejazz, Medellín, Colombia, 2008

Barranquijazz, Barranquilla, Colombia 2006, 2008

Aruba Jazz Festival 2008

Curaçao Jazz Festival 2008

Suriname Torarica Paramaribo 2008

Ollin Kan Festival, Mexico City 2008, 2009

Bogotá Jazzfestival 2006

Bonaire Jazzfestival 2006

Curaçao Jazzfestival 2006

Heineken Jazz, San Juan, Puerto Rico 2003

Jazz Festival Sint Maarten 1997, 1999

Curaçao KLM Jazz Festival 1994, 1997

Free Winds, Aruba 1999

International Festival Bonaire1999

Pan Jazz Festival VIII Trinidad & Tobago1996

USA & Canada

Sun Fest, London, Canada 2016

Sun Fest, London, Canada 2012

Ipay Festival, Austin Texas 2012

Ordway Festival, St. Paul/Minneapolis 2012

Children’s Festival, Cleveland 2012

Pittsburg International Children’s Festival 2012

Children’s Festival, Calgary, Canada 2012

Montreal Drumfest 2011

Sun Fest, London, Canada 2010

Algoma Festival, Canada 2010

S.O.B.’s New York City  1995

Congress of Jazz, Anaheim 1995

Catalinas, Los Angeles 1995

City Theater, San Diego 1995

Joshi’s, Oakland 1997

San José Jazzfestival 1997

Festival International de Montreal 1995

Toronto Jazz Festival 1995

NILS PERFORMED

OR/AND

RECORDED WITH

Orestes Vilató

Armando Peraza

Michael League

Giovanni Hidalgo

Michel Camilo

Calixto  Oviedo

Carlos Del Puerto

Alexander Abreu

Maite  Hontelé

Andy Gonzalez

Alain Pérez

Lura

Lucrecia

Luisito Quintero

Amik Guerra

Metropole Orchestra

Issac Delgado

Ramón Valle

Edmar  Castañeda

Changuito

Julio Padron

Pio Leiva

José “Pepe” Espinosa

Pedro Lugo ”El Nene”

Juan de la Cruz “Cotó”

Roberto Quintero

Ralph Irizarry

Ramón Valle

Paquito de Rivera

Amaury Perez

Dave Valentin

Claudio Rodíti

Brian Lynch

Luis Conte

Bobby Sanabria

Alfredo “Chocolate” Armenteros

Roberto Vizcaino

Ali B.

Luisito Rosario

Larry Harlow

Carel Kraayenhof

Edy Martínez

Nelson Gonzalez

John Benitez

Lilian Viera

Izaline Calister

Eveline Carels

John Santos

Karl Perazzo

Raúl Rekow

Rebeca Mauleón

Alberto “Molote” Muñoz

Luis Morais (Cesaria Evora)

Denise Jannah

Luis Frank

Laura Fygi

Manuel d’Novas (Cesaria

Sello LA (...sitting in)

Yolandita Rivera

Meñique

Chando Graciosa

Michael Stuart (...sitting in)

Tito De Gracia (...sitting in)

Roberto Quintero

Frankie Vazquez

Janne Schra