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Christophe ‘Cacha’ Vaassen

Bassist

Biography

Bio-Christophe-Vaassen-800.jpg

Photo credit: ©Luna Valderrama

Christophe Vaassen, born in 1977, experienced his first musical emotions at the Waterloo Academy of Music, where, as a child, he took piano and music theory lessons for a few years. At the same time, he seized the opportunity to join the Shepherds' Choir - again in Waterloo - whose repertoire combines sacred and secular songs. He will be a soprano for three years. This was his first contact with the stage (including multiple performances in Bozar, Brussels), professional orchestras and classical musicians, a TV show and, as a memorable souvenir, a European tour in five countries when he was barely ten years old.


As a teenager, he began to let off steam on a six-string guitar. Blessed period of Woodstock's 25th anniversary, discovery of the Hendrix, Clapton, Led Zep, Pink Floyd, etc. Then some friends approached him: they were looking for a bass player and convinced him to get rid of his cuti. Then began a waltz of concerts at the school, and he will remain confined to the bass.


Well, not quite: like other bass players, he gradually became a multi-instrumentalist. It was the time of "world music", so-called "exotic" influences. He discovered other horizons and instruments: djembe, darbukka, didjeridoo. Then sampling and electronic music.


In 2005, thanks to a new professional page, he joined a swing band, led by a British trombonist and former Royal Navy. After hovering to the sound of psychedelic rock from the seventies, then stopping off in the grunge rock repertoire of his teenage years, landing in "Dixieland" proved to be very laborious, but the support and perseverance instilled by the leader, a true musical father, paid off and it was in this context that he crossed paths with Anthony More, a talented pianist.


In 2007, a meeting of Anthony More during a dinner with Philippe Quevauviller gave the ferment of a group around bossa nova and Henri Salvador's songs, and they invited Chris to join the brand new group BosSalvador with Dyanne Bennink (saxophone, flute, vocals) and Jacques Gillet (drums). They were joined in 2010 by percussionist Miguel Uribe. The group dissolved at the end of 2011 while keeping links that will take shape over the years through new encounters around bossa nova, French song and jazz.


Christophe started playing electric double bass, and joined the group Betty & Co, led by Bruno Desart (guitar), with Dyanne Bennink (vocals), Julie Legrand (violin), Anthony More (piano) and Eric Ivens (drums). 


Since 2020, he joined the Pataphysique Orchestra, which covers, in a jazzy form ,French chanson repertoires, in particular Boris Vian, Michel Legrand, Claude Nougaro, Serge Reggiani. The group is made up of Philippe Quevauviller (vocals), Bruno Desart (guitar), Anthony More (piano), Berny Hoste (trumpet), Jacques Martinez (saxophone) and himself on electric double bass. This same group participated in the project "Brassens dans tous ses états".

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