Quetzal

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ORANGE

The Quetzal: Once a holy bird, now threatened with extinction. The beauty and absurdity of our daily life are  inspiration, QUETZAL is our vehicule and the human voice  the perfect instrument to transfer listeners into a daydream. Its sincerity and pureness can hardly be topped and reveals us instantly all human feelings.

Our daily embarassment, confusion, blindness and dissilusion, as well as our enthusiasm, clarity, beauty und softness can be heard. Lyrics are avoided to let dream every listeners own dream. Influences from traditional music which may not be ours, are treated with conscious naivety and thus made to our own.

The Band:

Lukas Mantel, Drums/Composition

Born 1982 in St. Gallen, based in Zürich and now living in Biel. Background as DJ in Hip Hop Crews, started to play drums at the age of 17. He is strongly interrested in natural sounds, complex structures, Stravinsky, T. Williams, ethnic music and free improvised music. Inspired and teached by tutors as Pierre Favre, Norbert Pfammater and recently deceased Fabian Kuratli. They influenced musical skills, comprehension and knowledge in a strong way His drumming style is based on  a jazz- and groovetradition but searching for own expression and sounds. Masters of Arts in Music at Jazzschool Lucerne. Among others he can be heard with: Pierre Favre and the Drummers, Wolfgang Zwiauer, Nat Su, Nils Wogram, Christoph Baumann.

Veronika Stalder, Vocals

Grown up in Liestal (Basel) now living in Lucerne. She gained a lot of stage experience as singer and violin player on irish stages and is touring now with her own Band NDIIGO in Switzerland. She feels confortable in every musical context from Folk to Jazz and her singing comes straight from the heart with big naturality and lightness. Whith an uncomparable musical sincerity and spontanity she brings life and freshness to the music. Like all other members of the group she graduated at the Lucerne Jazz School where she studied with Lauren Newton and Susanne Abbühl.

Nina Gutknecht, Vocals

The versatile girl from Bern with an extra diploma in transverse flute can be heard as well  in a Big Band  as in Soul and Popbands (GUNDI, LILLY YELLOW) in Switzerland. The little mastermind with extraordinary technique and sensitivity for structure and sound has nevere ending energy ressources and is a indispensable engine for the band.

Urs Müller, Guitar

Equally humble and talented, the guitar player from Lucerne adds always lot of weight, groove and atmosphere to a track. His timefeel and highly energetic playing makes the band sound  round and complete. He studied with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Christy Doran and Frank Möbus and can be heard with SERPENTINE and BLUE VEINS on stage.

Simon Iten , Bass

Grown up in the countryside of Zürich, living in Lucerne. As co-developer and co-inventor of many QUETZAL ideas he`s a nucleus member of the group. He´s occupied playing the acoustic and electric bass guitar with EVELINN TROUBLE and has big affinity for computer-modified music.

passed concerts:

6.9.10 Kofmehl, Solothurn

5.10.10 Kugl, St. Gallen

17.10.11 ZKB-Jazzpreis, Moods ZH

DI. 7.12.10 JAZZ AM WALDSEE, FREIBURG I.B.

FR.10.12.10, 20H ESSE BAR, WINTERTHUR

SA 11.12.10, 20H THEATRE DE POCHE, BIEL

MO 31.1.2011, 20H ISEBÄHNLI BADEN