About The Nu Nova Compound
The Nu Nova Compound is a jazz based multimedia performance ensemble based in the Netherlands. The leader, California native and multimedia performance artist Ghasem Batamuntu, performs on soprano saxophone, didgeridoo, misc percussion and self made instruments. Oroviding as well in put thru poetics and projected visual streams. He has resided in Holland for the past 26 years. The ensemble is comprised of musicans and artist from a variety cultures and countries including Senegal, The Americas/USA, Brazil, Cuba, Suriname, Turkey, and the Netherlands.
World stage performance credits include: The InJazz Festival 2018 (nl), The North Sea Jazz Festival (nl), The Bimhuis (nl), Lantaren Venster(nl), The North Sea Jazz Festival Around Town (nl), Rotterdam Jazz Festival (nl), Womack Music Festival (sp), The Jerish International Festival of Art and Culture (Amman, Jordan), Jazz Club Minsk Belaruse, Berlin Performance Podiums, San Fancisco Jazz Festival (Ca), Oakland Jazz Festival (ca), The San Jose Jazz Festival(Ca), The World Stage (Ca) and a wide variety of international clubs, theaters, radio broadcast.
Performances are an eclectic mix of a wide variety of musical genre which feature West African/Brazilan rhythm fusions, along with contemporary and traditional jazz infra structures. Performances can include spoken word, visual arts, even dancers. Recognizable musical influences include Sun Ra, Miles Davis, Gil Evans, John Coltrane.
Los Angeles native Ghasem Batamuntu has a long history of musical collaborations and associations which include Jackie Mclean, Julius Hemphill, Sam Rivers, Bobby Hutcherson, Horace Tapscot, Eddie Henderson, Sonship Theus, Tootie Heath, Eddie Moore , Eddie Marshall, Rasul Siddik, David Murray, Omar Sosa, Pharoh Sanders, Archie Shepp, Sonny Simmons, Julian Priester to mention but a few.
Spoken Word is an intergral part of performances. Featured spoken word artist have included: Will Alexander(USA), Kamau Daaoud(USA), K.Curtis Lyle(USA), M.C. Complex(Sur/Nl)
Recorded Projects:
“Life on Uranus”- Challenge /A Records(Nl)
“A Gift From Trane”- Tahoe Records(USA)
Personnel:
-The Nu Nova Compound-
Ghasem Batamuntu- sop.sax, didgeridoo, electronics, misc. percussion-www.batamuntu.com
Regis Molina- alto/baritone saxophones-fr-fr.facebook.com/public/Regis-Molina
Franklin Caesar- bass clarinet, alto saxophone, flute-franklincaesar.com
Yannick Hiwat- violins, electronics-yannickhiwat.com
Mark Milan- keyboards-www.4sure-latinjazz.com
Maxim Baghuis- synthesizers-3dmusicfilms.com/pianist
Saskia Jonker- vocals-3dmusicfilms.com
Johnny Tevreden- acoustic and electric bass-www.jazztival.nl/johnny-tevreden
Andro Biswane- guitar-www.abigui.com/andro-biswane-beroepsmusicus
Owen Hart Jr.- trap drums-www.allmusic.com/artist/owen-hart-jr-mn0002037535 Luiz Perillo- brazilian percussion-www.luizperillo.nl
Mamour Seck- tama-nl-nl.facebook.com/public/Mamour-Seck
M.C. Complex- spoken word poet-www.nowhere.nl/nowhere/tag/mc-complex
Special Guests in residence:
Will Alexander- spoken word poet-www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/will-alexander
Scheherazade Stone- vocals-www.scheherazadesings.com
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT GHASEM BATAMUNTU
Curicullum Vitae: Ghasem Batamuntu
Saxophonist, Composer, Arranger, Percussionist, Instrument Maker, Poet,
Music Educator, Visual Artist
Band Leader : The Nu Nova Compound, The Nova Ghost Sect Tet
Contact:
Govert Flinckstraat # 19
8932 KN Leeuwarden, Nl.
novanu2017@gmail.com
home phone +31 58 2164639 mobile +31 0629254824
Born:
26 January, 1952; Oakland, California
Residence:
1/68-80 Los A ngeles , California
1/5/81-92 Oakland, California
9/92-Present: Amsterdam, The Netherlands….Leeuwarden, NL.
Education:
Jackie McLean/Artist Collective; 1970-1975, Hartford, Connecticut
B.A. Humanities (Graduated with Honors), Trinity College; 1974, Hartford, CT. -U.S.A.-
Contact and Digital Platforms:
www.batamuntu.com
https://novanu2017.podomatic.com
Youtube.com/nova music group….or….batamuntu channel
Soundcloud/Batamuntu
Face Book/ ghasem.batamuntu.7
Performance Credits:
Individuals:
Jackie McLean, Bobby Hutcherson, Julius Hemphill, Curtis Lyle, Woody Shaw, Pharaoh Sanders, Sun Ra Arkestra, Rasul Siddik, Odean Pope, Tootie Heath, Eddie Moore, Billy Higgins, Sam Rivers, Eddie Marshall, Donald Bailey, Sonship Theus, Julian Priester, Horace Tapscott, Nancy Wilson, Cab Calloway, Hugh Massakela, Stanley Jordan, Archie Shepp, San Francisco , Sonny Simmons, Prince Lasha, Hein van der Haag, Paul Stocker, Saskia Laroo, Billy Harper, Sunny Murry, David Murry, Gildo Valu, Gil Scott-Heron, Will Alexaander, Franky Douglas, Kamau Daaoud
Groups:
The Nu Nova Compound, Los Angeles, California/The Netherlands
The Nuranus Vortex, The Netherlands
The Nova Ghost Sect Tet, Oakland, California/The Netherlands
Star base 4 Communications Outpost Band, The Netherlands
Direct Mpac, The Netherlands
Rasul Siddik and The Now! Artet, New York/Oakland/Paris
Afrikan Roots of Jazz, Oakland, California
The Mirror Conspiracy, Rotterdam, Nl
Fra Fra Sound Amsterdam, Nl
Dimensions Dance Theater Inc., Oakland, California
Nuba Dance Theater, Oakland, California
Balle Saba West African Dance Co., Oakland, California
Mandingo Griot Family, Senegal, West Africa
Ifang Bondi, Gambia, West Africa/The Netherlands
Akwaba, Ghana, Wes Afrika/The Netherlands
The Funk Ambassadors, The Netherlands
Human Flavor, San Francisco, California
Awards and Honors:
1992 The Isadora Duncan Award for Jazz Composition for Dance; performed w/ The Nova Ghost Sect*Tet and Nuba Dance Theater in Oakland, CA
1991 The Creative Artist Fellowship Award for Jazz Composition; Oakland, CA
2013 Willem Vwonker Free Jazz Award Rotterdam, Nl
Arts and Education:
7/94 Artist in Residence at Buurthuis Hobbema, Den Haag, NL Community Arts Center
8/92 Curriculum Consultant for Carbonize School District; Carbonize, CA
89-92 Artist in Residence at Cassadero Music Camps, Inc; Cassadero, CA
89-94 Master Artist/Educator: The California Arts Project; Marin, CA
85-92 Artist in Residence for Berkeley High School Cultural Arts Dept.; Berkeley, CA
85-92 Artist in Residence for Young Audiences of America; San Francisco, CA
85-92 Artist in Residence for Oakland Parks and Recreation, Oakland, CA
83-94 Artist in Residence, San Francisco Bay Area School Districts
83-87 Artist in Residence at Feather River Music Camp, Inc.; Feather River, CA
Television/Film /Acting
6/98 The Lounge: Live Internet Broadcast Production; Veronica Television,NL
7/97 The Man With the Dog: Netherlands Film Co-op Production; A’dam,NL
5/93 Bubblin’ Brown Sugar: Liberty Film Productions; Amsterdam, NL
2/93 Commercial for Bugles Corn Chips: Liberty Film Productions; A’dam,NL
Audio/Visual Credit:
03/10 Black Dutch and More Fra Fra Sound Sampone Records The Netherlands
03/09 Mosaic The Mirror Conspiracy Dying Giraffe Records The Netherlands
12/08 A Gift from Trane…Tahoe Records….Lake Tahoe, Nevada
4/07 House of Art….Rasul Siddik and The Now! Artet…..Paris, France
5/98 Deep Syntax CD: Yellow Moon, Utrecht, NL
2/98 Nova Ghost Sect*Tet CD: Live at Dizzy’s; Rotterdam, NL
11/97 Saskia Laroo CD: Body Music; Amsterdam, NL
10/97 Nova Ghost Sect*Tet CD: Life on Uranus; Amsterdam, NL/Berkeley, CA
7/97 Gildo Valu; Amsterdam, NL
7/97 Kofi K.O.; Amsterdam, NL
4/97 Nova Ghost Sect*Tet: Live Broadcast; NPS FM 4; Hilversum, NL
4/97 Saskia Laroo Music Video: Body Music; Amsterdam, NL
3/97 Saskia Laroo CD: It’s Like Jazz II; Amsterdam, NL
7/94 Saskia Laroo CD: It’s Like Jazz; Amsterdam, NL
5/94 The Funk Ambassadors CD: I Wanna Blow; Amsterdam, NL
7/93 Video Production of Crossing Borders Music and Poetry Festival
w/ The Nova Ghost Sect*Tet and Dancers; Amsterdam, NL
11/92 Video Production w/ Curtis Clark at The Bimhuis; Amsterdam, NL
8/90 The Black Film Makers Hall of Fame; Oakland, CA
Literary Publications:
1998 Synesthesia; Fetish Fiction Muse, Amsterdam, NL
1996 Projections ‘96; Fetish Fiction Muse, Amsterdam, NL
1993 Fetish Fiction Folk Mythz; Fetish Fiction Muse, Amsterdam, NL
2010 Myrth Trimetric Monolith….Fetsih-Fiction Muse, Leeuwarden, Nl.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT GHASEM BATAMUNTU
Places and Events
7/2018 Project: Conference of the Birds Leeuwarden, Nl
6/2018 Injazz Festival Show Case Performance 2018 Rotterdam, Nl
w/ The Nu Nova Compound featuring Will Alexander
9/2016 De Dolen Fall Festival
w/ Yannick Hiwatt String Ensemble Rotterdam, Nl
6/2015 The North Sea Around Town Festival @ Podium Grounds Rotterdam, Nl
w/ The Nu Nova Compound
7/2014 Performance Jazz Club Minsk Minsk, Bl
7/2013 Performance Jazz Club Minsk Minsk, Bl.
7/2013 Podium Grounds…Wilem Wonker Free Jazz Award Presentation Performance
w/ The Nu Nova Compound
7/2012 The A Trane Berlin, Germany
w/ Diwight Trible/Fuasi Abdul Kalique Ensemble
11/10 30 Year Celebration of Fra Fra Sound
w/Rasul Siddik and Renee Butler…Bimhuis, Amsterdam, Nl
10/10 Tour Suriname, French and British Guyanna
w/ Fra Fra Sound………Amsterdam,Nl
10/10 Tour Netherlands
w/ Fra Fra Sound
10/11 De Dolen Rotterdam
w/ The Mirror Conspiracy
10/10 Rotterdam International Jazz Festival
w/ The Mirror Conspiracy………Rotterdam, Nl
7/2010 Belgium Jazz Festival Antwerp, Be
w/ Mirror Conspiracy
4/10 The Music Meeting Festival ……..Nimegen,Nl
w/ The Mirror Conspiracy
1/10 The Paradiso Amsterdam, Nl
w/ The Mirror Conspiracy
12/09 International Society of Improvising Musicans Improvisational Festival
w/ Karlton Hester’s Divine Particles Ensemble
U.C.Santa Cruz, California
9/09 The Puur Jazz Festival w…….Den Haag, Nl.
w/ The Mirror Conspiracy
7/09 North Sea Jazz Festival Round Town
w/The Mirror Conspiracy…….Rotterdam, Nl.
3/09 Rotown Performance Cafe Rotterdam, Nl.
w/ The Mirror Conspiracy and Shariff Simmons
1/09 The Bimhuis Music
w/ The M.P.A.C. Factor E ft/ Will Alexander….Amsterdam, Nl
05/08 The Leeuwarden Street Festival….Leeuwarden, Nl
10/08 The Amsterdam Uitmarkt City Festival w/ Strawberry Jam…….Amsterdam, Nl
1/08 Mimi’s Jazz Salon w/ The Nu Nova Compound featuring Will Alexander…..Los Angeles, California
4/07 The Synesthesia Lounge… multimedia anthrolpological workshop……..Paris, France
6/07 Guest soloist with Paris Community Gospal Chior……Paris France
06/07 Multimedia Presentation…The Nature Museum…Leeuwarden, Nl.
08/07 Vriland Island Afrikan Music workshops and performance….Baoema Band….Vriland, Nl
09/07 The Lawaii Theater…Drachten, Nl….40×40 graphics exhibition
09/07 The West Afrikronus Dig…featuring Franky Douglas…The Glope Music Centrum…Leeuwarden, Nl
07/07 Blijburg Recording Sessions with The West Afrikrons Dig………….Amsterdam,Nl
11/07 Blijburg Recording Session with The West Afrikronos Dig… featuring Franky Douglas….Amsterdam, Nl
07 07Namaste Production activities….Paradiso/Stunbas Boat fest/Rookerij Coffeeshop Series…Amsterdam, Nl
2006
Anna’s Jazz Island….Berkeley, California
Billy Higgin’s World Stage….Nuranus Vortex….Los Angeles, Calif.
Bobby Few Group…..The Bimhuis…Amsterdam, Nl.
The Sugar Factory….Amsterdam, Nl
2004
Oddyeus Nu….Multimedia Performance Seires
with Marian Smit and The M.P.A.C. Factor E…The Filmhuis…Den Haag, Nl
2003
The Mars Bar and Grill….Multimedia Performance
with Marian Smit and The Nu Nova Compound…The Bimhuis…Amsterdam, Nl
-Berlin Activities-
The A-Trane….with Diwight Trible/Fuasi Abdual Kalique Ensemble
The A-Trane…..with The Nu Nova Compound
Black Dance Forum Community Televsion Multimedia Poetry Presentation
2000
7/2000 Milan Outdoor Music Festival;with Saskia Laroo Group Milan, Italy
7/2000 Dizzy’s Jazz Cafe; Rotterdam, NL
5/2000 Anova Jazz Festival; Amersfoort, NL
5/2000 Dunya Festival; Rotterdam, NL
4/2000 Heiniken Jazz Tour; Dutch Antilles
3/2000 Museum of Contemporary Art; Den Haag, NL
1999
12/99 Dizzy’s Jazz CafÈ; Rotterdam, NL
7/99 Diplomatic Tour of Mali w/ La nef Des Musiques, Paris, France
6/99 25th Festival Intern. de Carthage; Tunis, Tunesia w/ James Lewis Group
5/99 Dunya Festival; Rotterdam, NL
1998
10/98 Kimball’s East Jazz Mecca; Oakland, CA
7/98 Yoshi’s Jazz Garden; Oakland, CA
7/98 National Black Arts Festival; Atlanta, Georgia
7/98 North Sea Jazz Festival; Den Haag, NL
6/98 Dunya Festival; Rotterdam, NL
6/98 Multi Media Performance Project; Den Haag, NL
6/98 Multi Media Performance Project, Institute of Social Studies; D.Haag, NL
4/98 Multi Media Performance Project; Oakland, CA
2/98 Dizzy’s Jazz CafÈ; Amsterdam, NL
2/98 Winston Hotel; Amsterdam, NL
1/98 Meander’s Jazz Cafe; Amsterdam, NL
1/98 The Bimhuis w/ The Nova Ghost Sect*Tet; Amsterdam, NL
1/98 The Bimhuis w/ Franky Douglas; Amsterdam, NL
1/98 Winston Hotel; Amsterdam, NL
1/98 Akwaba Tour; The Netherlands
1/98 Bahia Bay View; Amsterdam, NL
1997
12/97 Bahia Bay View; Amsterdam, NL
11/97 The Bimhuis w/ Sunny Murray & Sonny Simmons; Amsterdam, NL
10/97 San Francisco Bay Area Tour; San Francisco, CA
10/97 CD Recording: Life on Uranus; Amsterdam NL/Berkeley, CA
9/97 P.I. Man; Amsterdam, NL
9/97 Crossing Borders Festival Post Events; Den Haag, NL
7/97 Recording w/ Gildo Valu; Amsterdam, NL
7/97 Recording w/ Kofi K.O.; Amsterdam, NL
6/97 Dunya Festival Events; Rotterdam, NL
4/97 Dizzy’s Jazz CafÈ; Rotterdam, NL
3/97 Alice Arts Theater….multimedia presentation with curtis lyle and the nu nova compound; Oakland, CA
1/97 Winston Hotel; Amsterdam, NL
1996
2-3/96 Hotel Winston Project w/ Nova Ghost Sect Tet; Amsterdam, NL
1/96 The Bimhuis w/ Charles Gayle, Sonny Murray Trio; Amsterdam, NL
1/96 Jazz Poetry Society Project, Equator Productions; Rotterdam, NL
1/96 Duet w/ Curtis Lyle, Pro Arts Gallery; Oakland, CA
1/96 The Now! Artet w/ Rasul Siddik; Berkeley, CA
1/96 Slim’s w/ Sonny Simmons Group; San Francisco, CA
11/95 The World Stage, w/ Kamau Daooud and The Army of Healers; Los Angeles, CA
1995
11/95-1/96 Concert/Tour w/ Human Flavor, Josh Jones and Scheherazade Stone; San Francisco, CA
11/96 Polarity Festival w/ La Mezzinine; Amsterdam, NL
10/95-11/95 Multi Media Performance Project w/ Marian Smit & Anite Breveld; Zeebelt Theater, Den Haag, NL
9/95 Crossing Borders Festival; Den Haag, NL
9/95 New Dawn Festival w/ The Nova Ghost Sect*Tet; Amsterdam, NL
8/95 Dizzy’s Jazz CafÈ w/ Don Bennett Quartet; Rotterdam, NL
8/95-10/95 European Tour w/ Ifang Bondi Afro Manding Sound
8/95 W/ Akwaba Ghanaian High Life Music; Haarlem, NL
3/95 Euro Pop Days w/ Akwaba Ghanaian High Life Music; Boochum & Frieburg, Germany
2/95 Spoken Word Poetry Festival; Amsterdam, NL
2/95 Live Recording w/The Nova Ghost*Sect Tet at The Alto Jazz CafÈ; Amsterdam, NL
1994
12/94 Boy Edgar Awards Ceremony w/ Franky Douglas and Akwaba; Amsterdam, NL
11/94 W/ Rasul Siddik and The Now! Artet; Paris and Toulon, France
11/94 The Bimhuis w/ Burton Green Group; Amsterdam, NL
11/94 The Alto Jazz CafÈ w/ The Nova Ghost Sect*Tet, Amsterdam, NL
10/94 Novatel w/ Akwaba High Life Lovers Band; Den Haag, NL
10/94 Elder Musicians Acknowledgement Ceremony w/Akwaba; Amsterdam, NL
10/94 The Lido Theater, Solo Performance in Madly Amsterdam; Amsterdam,NL
9/94 Protest Festival w/The Funk Ambassadors
8/94 Poetry and Music Production, Occii w/ Garland Kane and Lenny St. Luke; Amsterdam, NL
7/94 Poetry International w/ Franky Douglas Sunchild; Rotterdam, NL
6/94 Parker’s and Naar Boven w/ The Funk Ambassadors; Amsterdam, NL
5/94 The Bimhuis w/ The Burton Green Group; Amsterdam, NL
5/94 The Alto Jazz CafÈ w/ The Roberto Halife Group; Amsterdam, NL
4/94 The Melkweg w/ Edsel Juliet Salsa Caliente; Amsterdam, NL
1993
6-8/93 The Alto Jazz CafÈ w/ Hein van der Haag Trio featuring Douglas Sides; Amsterdam, NL
7/93 Crossing Borders Festival w/ The Nova Ghost Sect*Tet; Den Haag, NL
3/93 W/ Billy Harper Group; Paris, France
2/93 W/ Joe Malinga South Africa Force; Zurich, Switzerland/ Munchen, Germany/ Frankfurt, Germany
2/93 Casablanca Jazz CafÈ w/ The Nova Ghost Sect*Tet; Amsterdam, NL
2/93 The Alto Jazz CafÈ w/ The Nova Ghost Sect*Tet; Amsterdam, NL
2/93 The Opten Bergh & Gabler Gallery w/ Harry Hoogstraten; Amsterdam,NL
1/93 De Muse Jazz CafÈ w/ Randy Greer Group; Antwerp, Belgium
1/93 The Bimhuis w/ Franky Douglas Sunchild Band; Amsterdam, NL
1/93 Oh My God Art Installation w/ Women’s Art Collective; Eindhoven, NL
1/93 The Casablanca Jazz CafÈ w/ The Nova Ghost Sect*Tet and The Paul Stocker Unit; Amsterdam, NL
1992
11/92 Tangents Jazz Gallery w/ Joe Malinga & South Africa Force Band; Lichtenstein, Switzerland
11/92 The Jazz Power Stichting w/ The Sean Burgin M.O.B.; Eindhoven, NL
11/92 The Bimhuis w/ Sunny Murray; Amsterdam, NL
11/92 The Bimhuis w/Archie Shepp; Amsterdam, NL
10/92 The Alto Jazz CafÈ w/ The Patrick Sedoc Group; Amsterdam, NL
9/92 Vision Jazz Club w/ The Eddie Henderson Group; Manhattan, New York
7/92 The Masonic Shrine w/ Hugh Massakela; Oakland, CA
1/92 The National Choreographer’s Conference: Tribute to Katherine Dunham w/ Dimensions Dance Theater; Los Angeles, CA
1991
10/91 Koncepts Cultural Gallery w/ The Nova Ghost Sect*Tet; Oakland, CA
8/91 San Francisco Civic Center w/ The Nova Ghost Sect*Tet, The San Francisco Philharmonic and Cab Calloway
1989
10/89 Davis Symphony Hall w/ Nancy Wilson and Dimensions Dance Theater; San Francisco, CA
8/89 The Nelson Mandela California Tour w/ Dimensions Dance Theater
1988
8/88 The First National Black Arts Festival w/ The Nova Ghost Sect*Tet and Dimensions Dance Theater; Atlanta, Georgia
7/88 The Jerish International Festival of Arts and Culture w/ The Nova Ghost Sect*Tet and Dimensions Dance Theater; Amman, Jordan
1987
8/87 The Visit of Pope Paul, U.S.A. Tour w/ Dimensions Dance Theater; San Francisco, CA</strong></strong>
