SALOMEA isn’t just a band, but a chosen family, shaped by years of living and surviving together: love and breakups, loss and recovery, literal therapy, extensive touring, laughter and tears, communal silence when words aren’t enough. Together, they’ve climbed mountains, waded through rivers, created rituals, chopped barrels of wood, fed the piglets and lived life. From all of it, a sound emerged that’s like a home — built slightly off the beaten path.
German/US-American singer, composer, lyricist and instrumentalist Rebekka Salomea and her high profile band, Yannis Anft on keys, Oliver Lutz on bass and Leif Berger on drums, have built a strong following with their unique contemporary Jazz Electronica sound and spectacular live shows.
They have opened for Brainfeeder artists Louis Cole & Genevieve Artadi, collaborated with artists like Salami Rose Joe Louis, Ray Lozano, Silvan Strauss, Gianni Brezzo, Stimming, NDR Big Band & Oscar #Worldpeace as well as multimedia artists like Luise Zücker, Sophie Yukiko, Parissa Charghi & Gîn Bali.
The band’s long term passion and persistence landed SALOMEA firmly into the European music scene, seeing them light up some of the hottest festival stages like Elbjazz (Arte concert), ÜBERJAZZ, co pop, XJAZZ, Berlin Popkultur, Jazz Open, Moers Festival, Cologne Jazzweek (GER), Chile Jazzfestival (CL), Tallinn Music Week (EE), Athens Music Week (GR), Waves Vienna (AT), Jazzablanca (Morocco) and Avignon Jazz Festival (FR) and winning them an equally passionate fan base along the way.
Against the backdrop of Hip hop infused Jazz and trappy Electronica SALOMEA offers their music and the stories that come with it as a place, a sound and a feeling of belonging and freedom.
REBEKKA SALOMEA, *1991, WAS RAISED IN A GERMAN / US-AMERICAN HOUSEHOLD FULL OF MUSIC. AS A CHILD SHE INVENTED LANGUAGES AND MELODIES ON THE BACK SEAT. 2013 SHE WROTE HER FIRST SONGS AND TRIED THEM OUT WITH YANNIS ANFT. 2014 SHE FOUNDED SALOMEA. SINCE THEN SHE HAS BEEN EXPRESSING PERSONAL AND CREATIVE CHALLENGES AND CHANGES WITH HER BAND. NEXT TO RECORDING, TOURING AND TUTORING AT THE CONSERVATORY FOR MUSIC AND DANCE, COLOGNE SHE’S A CAT MOTHER AND INTO DANCING AND DEEP TALK.
AT THE AGE OF 11 YANNIS ANFT, BORN IN 1993, BEGAN TO PLAY THE PIANO. FROM 2013 UNTIL 2019 HE STUDIED JAZZ-PIANO AT THE CONSERVATORY FOR MUSIC AND DANCE IN COLOGNE, WITH TEACHERS LIKE HUBERT NUSS AND JÜRGEN FRIEDRICH. SINCE THEN HE HAS BEEN WORKING AS A PIANIST, KEYBOARDIST AND MUSIC PRODUCER. NEXT TO ENGAGEMENTS IN NUMEROUS SIDE PROJECTS LOCATED IN DIFFERENT GENRES, HE CALLS SALOMEA AND HIS OWN PROJECT DELUSIONAL MIND HIS MAIN PROJECTS. HIS ENTHUSIASM CENTERS AROUND CREATING SOUNDS WITH HIS SYNTHESIZERS AND INCORPORATING ELECTRONIC ELEMENTS IN INSTRUMENTAL CONTEXTS.
OLI STUDIED JAZZ & POP MUSIC AT THE CONSERVATORIES IN MANNHEIM AND COLOGNE. HE LOVES ELECTRIC BASSES, SYNTHESIZERS, JAZZ MUSIC AND HIS MOUNTAIN BIKE. WITH HIS QUARTET “RE: CALAMARI” HE RELEASED HIS THIRD ALBUM AS A BANDLEADER IN 2020. MELODIC SONGS RICH WITH MULTILAYERED, POWERFUL TEXTURES - CHECK IT OUT! OLI IS A DISCOVERER, AN EXPLORER OF SOUNDS - HIS PLAYING RELEASES ENERGIES AND UNLOCKS NEW SPACES IN INTERACTION WITH HIS BAND COLLEAGUES. ACCORDING TO THE F.A.Z. HE HAS A “PERCEPTIBLY DISTINCT SOUND”.
SINCE RECEIVING HIS FIRST DRUM SET IN 1997 LEIF IS A MUSICIAN. SEVERAL STATIONS LATER (LEGO, “AGE OF EMPIRES”, SKATEBOARDING, ETC.), HE DECIDES TO DEDICATE HIS LIFE TO THIS PASSION AND MOVES TO COLOGNE. HERE HE LEARNS THINGS LIKE IMPROVISATION, FRIENDSHIP, TAKING HIS DREAMS SERIOUSLY, LISTENING AND PLAYS IN MANY BANDS. TODAY HE ALSO CALLS HIMSELF COMPOSER, PIANIST, KEYBOARDIST, PERCUSSIONIST, BANDLEADER AND TEACHER. HIS MUSIC CAN BE FOUND ON BANDCAMP. THE 25+ ALBUMS THAT HE PLAYS ON CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET.
