Technical Rider / Biography / Pressinfo
copyright: Phunky Pheasant Records / Columbusplein 9hs / 1057 TS Amsterdam / The Netherlands
telephone: +31-20-6186311 / email: info@mendoza.nl /site: www.mendoza.nl
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Biography
The Dutch band Mendoza Dance Parti started in the summer of 1993. Since ‘93 the seven-piece band already created 3 vinyl- maxis and 4 cd-albums, which reflects the productivity and creativeness of the band. The band is wellknown for their groovy and energetic live shows all over Europe. The Mendoza’s don’t only play at big stages, but also at more intimate clubs and parties. Live playing with a strong line up, the Mendoza’s have recorded their albums with different vocalists, rappers and horns to create a fat and funky sound. Their CD’s were reviewed in OOR (the most important music magazine in Holland) as ‘fabulous’ and the band has been reviewed as one of the best of its kind in the Dutch Funk Scene!
The music on the latest album ‘This Life’, can be described as a step further in the development of a new and organic funk-sound. In the early years the group started with more jazzy orientated songs, the new album contain much more funk and pop-vibes. You can hear influences of the JB-Horns or Graham Central Station but also some Trip-Hop, Disco or Drum 'n Bass. Recorded on analogue equipment in a centuries old farmers house, this album is even more dynamic and surprisingly fresh as the former CD Birdskin!
Right now the Mendoza's just finished the 5th album and performing all over Europe! Featuring star vocalists such as Raffaela Herbert, Ivar, Junior, Monique Bakker, Lilian Vieira, Job Chajes and others...
Line-up of the band:
Greg Smith: drums
Theo Holsheimer : guitars
Patrick Kuschel : bass
Ben Mendes : saxophones / bandleader
Frans Cornelissen : trombone
Danny Kepel: keyboardsVocalists: tba / changes per concert / tour
The ‘Mendoza Dance Parti’ already played at: NORTH SEA JAZZ, PARADISO AMSTERDAM, MELKWEG AMSTERDAM, BOOGALOO BERLIN, ROCK ISLAND RIMINI ITALY, SOL APOLLO BARCELONA, HIRSCH NURNBERG, AREZZO WAVE ITALY, POPKOMM KOLN and many more places!
Stage Technical info:
Monitoring :
1 drumfill
4 monitorgroups for floormonitors (1 for vocals + 1 for sax, 1 for trombone) 1 monitorgroup for keys +(occasionally sidefills )
Selection of stages & festivals where the Mendoza Dance Parti played:
Netherlands:
013 Tilburg / Kadans Maastricht / Jazz festival Alphen a/d Rijn / Heineken Jazz Schiedam / Burgerweeshuis Deventer / Bevrijdingsfestival Rotterdam / Fellini Utrecht / Merz Dordrecht / Mazzo Amsterdam / Melkweg Amsterdam / Paradiso Amsterdam / Luxor Arnhem / AOR Eindhoven / Tunnel Boskoop / Kelder Amersfoort / Braskoer Terschelling / PARA Breda / Drum Rhythm Amsterdam / LAC theater Leiden /Willem II Den Bosch / VIAVIA Oirsohot / BeachBop Petten-Bloemendaal / O'42 Nijmegen / Swing Jazz Groningen / Spiegheltent Arnhem / Verderop Delft / Atlantis Alkmaar / Bibelot Dordrecht./ Hedon Zwolle / Grafity Enschede / Paard Den Haag / Drieluik Zaandam / LVC Leiden / Nieuwe Pul Uden / Noorderslag Groningen / Charelli Breda / Theater Romyn Leeuwarden / MiddelseaJazz Leeuwarden / Noorderlicht Tilburg / Stuif In Wyk aan Zee /Fenix Sittard / Metropool Hengelo / Bevrijdingspop Haarlem / Oerol Braskoer Terschelling / KIos Emmeloord / HBO SOOS Nijmegen / Bolwerk Sneek / Kern Purmerend / De Hoogte Enkhuizen / Studio Haarlem / Spieghel Groningen / Irish Inn Zwolle /Vooruitgang Eindhoven / Popular Rotterdam / Don Quishot Heemskerk / Postbrug Den Helder / Zeezicht Utrecht / Taverne Bergen / Peppel Zeist / Arena Amsterdam / Gevangenis de Marwei Leeuwarden / Stairway to heaven Utrecht / Appelpop Tiel / Bleekpop Doetinchem / U- pop Utrecht / Bluesroute Bolsward / Heineken Jazz Rotown Rotterdam / De Piek Vlissingen / Diana Assen / Winston Kingdom Amsterdam / Muziek Elastiek Festival / De Kelder Amersfoort
Outside Holland:
Waagfestival Antwerpen / Franz Club Berlin / Boogaloo Berlin / Markthalle Hamburg/ Lockschuppen Rostock / Kesselhaus Darmstadt / Unbekannte Tier Stuttgart /Nachtleben Frankfurt / B-plan Chemnitz / Objekt 5 Halle / Hirsh Nurnberg / Kantine Halle / La Peche Paris / Blue Note Gottingen / Billy Blues Heidelberg / Down Town Dresden / Recklinghausen Open Air Festival /Arezzo Wave Italy / Bar La Parsena Castigliano / Rock Island Rimini / Sibiu Jazz Roemenia / BAM Barcelona / Sol Apollo Barcelona /Am Bahnhof Munster / Pub Thor Nice / Chez Wayne Nice / Festival Tiber Rome / Spazio Musica Milano / Tele+ Milano /Auditorium Flog Florence / Hip Hop Trieste / Fitzcarraldo Genova / El Tigra Lanaken / Gronau Jazzfest - open air concert /
Radio/TV Concerts / Performances / Interviews:
Hans Dulfer Streetjam (VPRO radio / JFK Funk Special / Live Concert Radio Noord / NOW TV RTL4 / WDR Popkomm Magazine / RAl-Uno Italia / Tele+ Italia / Roumenia National Television / Leidse Kade Live! / Denk Aan Henk VARA radio 3 / Breakfast Club Radio 3 / Kink FM / Goede Tijden Slechte Tijden (National TV-soap) music played club setting.
Backgrounds and CD history
As a start, a local pop-organization from home-town Deventer (Holland), pressed 500 CD's containing tracks of local artists and one of them was the Mendoza Dance Parti. The response was so good that the Mendoza's wanted more of this. Unfortunately there were no record labels available at that time who were interested in a release, so the Mendoza's formed their own label 'Phunky Pheasant Records'. And on this label, in the summer of 1993, the 6-trackvinyl EP ‘Pheasants’ came out! This record was quickly followed by the second Phunky Pheasant release, in the year 1994. This 6-track vinyl EP ‘Strazz’ features the Groningen based rapper Sherlock. Sales all over the world proved the credibility of the Mendoza's. Because of strong demand from the audience, these two records were compiled on 1 CD. At this time the Mendoza's already played all over Europe, from Barcelona to Hamburg and lots of stages and festivals between! In the summer of 1994 ‘Strazz Jazz Compilation’ CD came into this world. The tracks on this CD were all recorded 'live' to 8-track, with a very ambient lively and ‘rare groove’ character.
In 1995 the album ‘Speedy Chicken’ came out on CD. Recorded in the Boterdiep Studio Groningen and some additional live tracks (Boogaloo Club Berlin), this CD gives a impression of a band with a strong live-approach. With Mo'nique Bakker as the new gifted singer and Frans Cornelissen as the new trombone player, the material gets a special and soulful touch. (Phunky Pheasant Records Distribution: records/PIAS).
With a new drummer, the first single (Side Dish) for VIA-music was produced. After the single this mainly jazz-orientated label from Holland, signed the band for a whole new album. This single gave good impression of the new dimensions and possibilities of the new line-up of the band and the coming-up album! This multi-media album ‘Birdskin’ was released in 1996, containing 14 tracks and CD-ROM data. Good grooves and smashing vocals combined with modern multi-media like cartoons, video's and photo's on 1 CD!
In the year 2000 the new album ‘This Life’ has seen the light. Filled with fresh tunes and multimedia stuff, the album surely is a good start of the new millennium! New vocalist Linda Bloemhard and Canadian drummer Greg Smith have added their spicy vibes to the Mendoza Dance Parti style. The result is a new and tasteful crossover between funk, pop, jazz, drum & bass, disco, soul and many more styles without loosing the specific Mendoza Sound.
The past 3 years have been very important for the Mendoza's: there was a a change of line-up and the 5th album has to be produced. A group of singers featured on the new album: Adriana Romijn, Ivar Vermeulen, Raffaela Herbert, Lilian Vieira, Monique Bakker, MC Charme and Linda Bloemhard. Due to the various music backgrounds of these singers you can find a unique blend of elements of soul, R&B, funk, latin and hiphop on the 5th album.
Released:: Summer 2005 on Phunky Pheasant Records / availble through CD Baby.com
"This band has a organic approach to funk, and can take you on a funky trip from oldschool jazzy breakbeats to modern r&b flavoured grooves"