About Olaf
Olaf Keus was born in 1962 in Amsterdam. His parents, both artists, stimulated him in playing music at an early age. Aged six he started playing bongos and congas. In 1972 Olaf got his first real drum kit on his birthday. During the next ten years he followed drum lessons with Ton Rooijers who continued to be his teacher at the Amsterdam Conservatory.
During high school he started playing school dates with his own band Mango. Immediately after high school he started playing as a professional with other groups in clubs like the Citadel and venues throughout the Netherlands.
Current projects
Olaf Keus plays with Brazilian guitarist Célio Roberto Silva in various bands. We perform as a duo or in an extended band on street festivals, private parties, theaters and café's. Olaf and Celio have developed an incredible swinging sound and groove and will take you immediately to Brazil.
Olaf plays with the Fours, an international quartet playing Afro Caribbean /Latin jazz, Salsa and Brazilian music with original compositions. Leslie Lopez on bass (Puerto Rico), Jeen Rabs ( NL) on Guitar and Finn Peters on Saxophones and Flutes. Olaf plays every Tuesday night with The Fours in the Jazz club café Alto in the center of Amsterdam. In the summer of 2023 they will release their first CD
Olaf and the Indonesian virtuoso singer/pianist Nita Aartsen tour successfully every year in Europe, India and Asia. Our music is a fusion of classical music, Latin Jazz and contemporary music. Nita was the state piano player for Indonesia for a period of 15 years. In November 2021 Nita and Olaf performed in Indonesia for 4 weeks, Mike del Ferro also on piano joined him on this tour.
Olaf recently joint forces with Efraïm Trujillo on saxophones/flutes and loop-station. A compact show of funky original and world music compositions with groovy loops.
In 2019 Efraïm won the Edison public Award with the Preacher Men.
Highlights
Olaf performed with the great Brazilian singer Ceumar. In 2010 they released the CD "Live in Amsterdam" with Mike del Ferro on piano and Frans van der Hoeven on bass.
From 1991 to 1998 Olaf toured and recorded internationally with the late saxophonist and singer Rosa King. Together they made three albums: "Live in Paris", "Live in Amsterdam" and a studio album which included guest artists like Jan Akkerman, Alex Britty, Luther Allison and Hans Dulfer.
Olaf played more than 15 years with 4Sure, a quartet playing Surinam Paramaribop and jazz with Brazilian and Cuban flavors. They released two albums “Brujeria” and “Freedom of Speech” with price winning saxophonist Efraim Trujillo. 4Sure toured The Netherlands, Spain, South Africa, Brazil, Suriname, Frans Guyana, Italy & Slovenia. With Juan Pablo Nahar (Surinam) on bass and founder of the band, Mark Milan on piano (Surinam) and Franklin Ceasar on tenorsax (Surinam).
Other activities
Olaf is a drum teacher and ensemble leader at the Amsterdam Muziekschool and teaches body percussion at the Amsterdam Conservatorium.
Olaf gives workshops in trashdrumming (smash your trash), body percussie, Brazilian drumming and West African drumming on Djimbe. Olaf's drumbike is a special project for big events that can be combined with any drumworkshops.
Olaf programs and performs monthly jazz concerts in the jazz church of Ruigoord in Amsterdam. Olaf has invited many outstanding guests like Deborah Carter, Monika Akyhari, Benjamin Herman, Anton Goudsmit, Ronald Snijders, Michelle David, Camilla Costa, Simone Sou and Mike del Ferro in the venues of Ruigoord.
Olaf Keus also programmed for 15 years jazz concerts at the beach venue Blijburg aan Zee in Amsterdam
Olaf has a big passion for painting and making sculptures from piano parts.