Sapiens Unlimited - walking confidently into 2024

Heleen van den Hombergh has started a new musical project: Sapiens Unlimited, songs inspired by the early history of humankind and what makes us into who we are today. 

Primate, thinker, storyteller, believer, adventurer, hunter, farmer, lover, inventor- or a bit of all? The songs will tell a compelling tale of an extraordinary species on an extraordinary planet, with recordings, live performances and new national and international Green Beat Performers collaborations.

Concept, lyrics and music by Heleen van den Hombergh arranged in cooperation with Erik Rutjes, to be recorded live with Jeroen Vierdag, Marcus Olgers and Arthur Lijten in April 2024. Performances can be booked from 2024 onwards. https://sapiens-unlimited.com

January 2024.

Blue Lifeblood 2018-19 ends in Schoorl Dunes

Heleen van den Hombergh and Bert van den Brink gave 13 concerts with Blue Lifeblood, including the album launch with the full album team last November. This June 2019 the series ended by giving back the song Dunes Dance to its original source of inspiration: the Schoorl Dunes. The public watched the concert against the beautiful scenery of the forested dunes, the highest ones in the Netherlands. After the concert the public was invited to a walk through the area where the historical roots of Dunes Dance were explained by an expert in nature conservation of the Dutch State Forestry Service (Staatsbosbeheer). Green Beat in its essence. Culture and musical inspiration meet science and dedication.

The season's very last show after that was an openings act at a scientific conference about people and the sea, where Bert and Heleen did a tailor made performance of Blue Lifeblood songs.

Blue lifeblood

After so many inspiring travels over the years to impressive water sources- seas, lakes, rivers, wetlands and waterfalls - Green Beat's director Heleen van den Hombergh herself worked on a new project:
Blue lifeblood, the power and tenderness of the water world.
She developed her own compositions with top jazz musicians Bert van den Brink, Theo de Jong and Sjahin During Live performances and recordings took place in 2018, 2019 and are still possible. 

Atewa Ambassadors in Amsterdam!

AUGUST 2018. OBOUR, SHERIFA GUNU, MZVEE, great artists from Green Beat Performer's  ATEWA TILL ETERNITY project travelled to Amsterdam, gave an energetic concert, talked to the Dutch Ghanean community and Dutch water specialists. One main result of the musical move was that a petition was signed by important Chiefs residing in the Netherlands. Make Atewa into a National  Park and protect the water provision of Ghana. The Concert and other activities were organized in cooperation with IUCN NL, A Rocha Ghana, Akwaaba Holland and Ghanean communities in Amsterdam.

Atewa 'till Eternity!

This February/March 2017 Green Beat has collaborated with a great Ghanaian hiplife artist called Obour, an energetic performer and president of Ghana's  music association MUSIGA. Obour has a heart for nature and has been an ambassador to engage other musicians too on our inspiring composition journey in Atewa Forest. Very well-known artists such as MzVee, Nero X, Sherifa Gunu and Kojo Rana were part of the team, next to great versatile instrumentalists. We created a new song, guided by hit-producer Richie Mensah and hopefully will inspire many others with it. AtewaTill Eternity is a third and thrilling Green Beat Performers collaboration project featuring some of Ghanian music industry V.I.P s. Heleen had the honour to perform the first version of the Atewa song live for an enthusiastic public in the National Theatre during an international concert and Ghanian music honors evening. Now the video clip is out: check You Tube for Atewa Till Eternity.
In this project, Green Beat collaborated with the NGOs A Rocha and IUCN NL, organizations actively advocating for Atewa's becoming a national park, to ensure the water provision of 5 million people and the survival of many unique types of butterflies.

Green Beat Cafe: proof of concept!

With 100 people united together in the Jungle Amsterdam we celebrated Green Beat Cafe number two this January! I heard from so many people from the audience the concept now has proven its value I'm determined to find collaborations for new editions. In Amsterdam, the Hague, Accra, Asuncion and further?  A green network cafe with nature inspired professional music, short personal pitches from nature conservationists about their passion, and fascinating audiovisuals. Green Beat Performers is aLIVE and kicking!

Green Beat Cafe... second evening with Bert van den Brink

After a very well received first Green Beat Cafe a second one is planned on Thursday January 19th, with piano miracle Bert van den Brink as a special guest. You will hear him perform solo, and accompanying me, together with two other great musicians: Bart Fermie (percussion) and Theo de Jong (bass). 
Apart from us performing material from various of my albums (including the upcoming one!) we will show and tell some about Pantanal Poetica and will have guests from World Wildife Fund and Both ENDS tell us more about the people, animals and plants in this unique nature area.
Concept: great music inspired by nature and landscapes, good food, pitches about personal passion for nature and a new boost of green and musical energy!
In: the Jungle Amsterdam, Tweede van Swindenstraat 26, Amsterdam. Close to Royal Tropoical Institute, Muiderpoortstation in teh Eastern part of Amsterdam. Admission 10,- Hope to see you there after 17.30 (music start at 18:00).

Green Beat Cafe... first evening with Tony Overwater

Heleen van den Hombergh is organizing the first Green Beat Cafe in Amsterdam, a long standing plan!  High quality music inspired by landscapes around the world is combined with short audiovisuals, & pitches about nature and sustainability. Having resources now for at least two evenings - which should grow into five or more soon!- we start with a GRRREAT team on NOVEMBER 17th, from 17.30- 21:00, in the Jungle Amsterdam, Tweede van Swindenstraat 26. Close to Dappermarkt, Tropenmuseum, Oosterpark and Muiderpoortstation.

The title is "Over water en woestijn" or "About Water and Desert", in which Heleen's new Blue Lifeblood project on powerful water sources meets Tony Overwater's musical passion for the dry, dry Middle Eastern world. Musicians accompanying Tony Overwater (double bass, violone, compositions), will be Nizar Rohana (ud) and Ruven Ruppik (percussion). These three incredible musicians will also join in with Heleen (voice, compositions) and Thijs Cuppen (piano) performing the first songs from the Blue Lifeblood project. The pitches and videos will surely deal with the green side of climate change.Thanks Amsterdam Stadsdeel Oost for supporting the birth of
Green Beat Cafe!

Pantanal Poetica: dream coming true, Green Beat gets blue

Green Beat has made a dream come true in October 2015. In Pantanal Poetica, musicians environmentalists and scientists made a collective journey of 4 days in the inner part of this world largest wetland bordering Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia. Inspired by scenery and science, the musicians created TEN (!) new songs to share the experience, beauty and uniqueness of the area with a large public. In defense of it, because numerous threats face this beautiful and important fresh water area and its inhabitants such as the caiman, the hyacynthe macaw, the jaguar, tapir or giant otter.

Check out the special page on this website and watch the videos on The Green Beat Performers channel on You Tube

Participating artists were Ruben Goldin (Argentina), Marcio de Camillo, Jerry Espindola, Rodrigo Teixera, Roberto Oliveira, Mayon Vianna (Brazil), Junior Estigarribia, Daniela Rojas (Paraguay)  and  Sheila Romero & Leonardo Rivas (Bolivia). Under the coordination of Green Beat director Heleen van den Hombergh, co-creating songs and leading the whole lot to a recording of the results on the last day of the encounter. You will hear more!  Thanks to the great support of the Ecosystem Alliance and local NGO MUPAN.
October 2015

Workshops in France, Ecolonie

From 8-12 August Heleen has given singing and song writing workshops at the Ecolonie site near Hennezel, Vosgues, France in which our physical, mental and emotional connection to nature were the key ingredients. Ecolonie is a summer meeting place for people concerned with sustainability and inspired by spiritualty, and we were happy to contribute to their work and joy with music! 

Green Beat meets....Manuel Obregon

Newest and honorary member of our network: Manuel Obregon, from Costa Rica. Long standing practitioner of nature-inspired music,  cultural collaborator across Latin American countries, ex-minister of culture. Recently, Obregon received 

an Honorary Doctorate from York University for his outstanding achievements as musician and environmentalist. Green Beat congratulates Manuel and warmly welcomes him to our nacient international network of nature inspired musicians. You will hear and see more of him on our website over time as far as Green Beat is concerned.
Photo: Manuel plays at York University (Latin Jazz Network)

Summer Workshop Schoorlse Duinen

From 18-24July 2015   Heleen has held a workshop in one of the most beautiful and interesting nature areas of the Netherlands: the Schoorlse Duinen. Result of long struggle and cooperation between humans and nature, and home to the nightingale and many other beautiful species it is the perfect scene and subject for contemplation and inspiration for our music. Singers, songwriters participated in this week, and prepared a collective and poetic performance at the end of it. We strolled through nature, listened to it and its history, and provoked our imagination and inspiration in various ways. Also, we trained our stage performing, interpretation and songwriting techniques.
July 2015

Green Beat meets....Robi from Navicula

A great new friend to the Green Beat network: (Gede) Robi, singer composer from heavy metal band Navicula in Indonesia. I visited Robi and his wife Lakota in Bali where we had extensive conversations about songwriting and inspiration, the role of art in social change and keeping yourindependence as as artist while engaging in the movement. For example on Bali, where Robi and Lakota are co-founders of the forum ForBali, which mobilizes against destructive land reclamation, together with other bands, visual artists and NGOs. Robi also campaigned for protection of the tiger to which he dedicated a superb song.... Surprise yourself and see the interview with great impressions of his music at the Green Beat Meets pages!

On the photo: meeting the band and manager before the evening show.

Jazz Hijau concerts and radio shows Jakarta and Medan

On the photo bassist Bintang Indrianto and cultural campaiger Dinand Rachim, producers of Jazz Hijau in Jakarta. I performed together with young and established jazz musicians in both Medan and Jakarta 3,6 and 7 June. We were major guest in two hour-long nation-wide radio talk shows reaching out to probably 2-3 million listeners in the big cities in Indonesia. We could talk about Jazz Hijau, nature as a huge source of inspiration and basis of our urban lifestyles....and the many nature conservation challenges in the country. Great co-operation with WALHI, showing how Green Beat can and will work: professional, synergetic and adaptive team work!

June 2015

Back to Indonesia in June 2015

In March 2015 the Jazz Hijau CD was officially launched in Jakarta with musicians such as Bintang Indrianto (bass) and Arief Setiadi (sax) and Bonita and the Husband as well as Margie Seegers (vocals). Heleen will travel back to Indonesia in June to give some concerts for Jazz Hijau and hopes to produce 1 or 2 videos of her nature-inspired songs in Bahasa.
November 2014, update March 2015

Video on Heleen's work for Jazz Hijau

During the recording days in Jakarta in December 2013, a short video was made of Heleen's work and inspiration in relation to WALHI's Jazz Hijau project. Check it out through Green Beat Meets pages
May 2014

Exploration in the Pantanal

During a trip in Brazil, meant for her work in nature conservation for IUCN NL, Heleen had the opportunity to re-visit the Pantanal, the largest wetland in the world with a spectacular beauty in bird species. She visited the cultural festival America do Sul in Corumba, and got in touch with people from the cultural sector and great local musicians. They explored the possibility for a music & nature project in 2015...We'll keep you posted on developments!
May 2014

Steps ahead with Indonesia!

At the end of 2012 I visited Indonesia where I met with inspiring forest activists and jazz & world musicians, contacts that have led to further collaboration.

In December 2013 I record a number of my own and collectively composed songs on a CD with them, part of the JAZZ HIJAU (Green Jazz) project, led by WALHI and Warta Jazz, under musical leadership of bassist Bintang Indrianto.

One of the further plans is to perform together on Earth Day April 22 at a large music festival in Jakarta and present our new songs in Bahasa Indonesia!

Nov 2013, Heleen van den Hombergh

Plans in the making

There are many plans and ideas that cannot yet be announced, but let me mention some: a plan for a beautiful documentary about nature as worldwide source of inspiration with a great director, and invitations -yet to materialize- to do concerts in cooperation with nature and sustainability specialists in Paraguay, Brazil, Colombia and Australia. Beside Indonesia, see above!

Nov 2013, Heleen van den Hombergh