Massada Latin Explosion XL & Hans Dulfer

This event left both parties wanting more, and so the idea was born to go on a little tour together.

Hans Dulfer is a Dutch saxophonist. He has played with, amongst others, Boy Edgar, Clous van Mechelen, John McLaughlin, Willem Breuker, Jan Akkerman, Herman Brood and Saskia Laroo. He is the father of saxophonist Candy Dulfer.

Dulfer taught himself to play the saxophone and has been a professional musician since the age of seventeen, with the tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins as his great role model. In the late 1950s, Dulfer was a member of Clous van Mechelen’s combo. Later, he played in Heavy Soul Inc. (with, amongst others, guitarist John McLaughlin); Ritmo Natural (the former rhythm section of Max Woiski Jr.); Theo Loevendie Consort; Reflud (an anagram of ‘Dulfer’); De Perikels and Future Groove Express. In the late 1990s, Dulfer enjoyed great success in Japan; his single ‘Streetbeats’ earned him a gold disc there.

Massada holds a special place in the Dutch music scene.

In the 1970s, founder Johnny Manuhutu laid the foundations for the band, which consists largely of Moluccan musicians.

Massada has played a key role in introducing a completely new sound to the Netherlands

Massada were pioneers and trendsetters, as well as trailblazers, in the use of an extensive range of percussion instruments within a band or group setting, and their musical style has been widely emulated by bands across the Netherlands.

Through their spectacular performances at events such as Pinkpop and the rave reviews they received across parts of Europe and Asia (including the International Java Jazz Festival), the band lived up to their reputation as a live act.

The band themselves describe their music as Latin Rock / Percussion Rock.

Massada performs exclusively its own compositions:

In its jury report accompanying the presentation of the Conamus Silver Harp – a major and highly prestigious award in the Netherlands for young creative musicians – the jury writes:

What they offer is not a copy of foreign predecessors; rather, their music is based on the Moluccan mother culture and a combination of Western musical instruments, technology, South American rhythms and Eastern flair.