Michael Simon & Friends Concert in Malaysia

The son of a musician, Michael Simon grew up surrounded by music in Venezuela. His whole family, including his brothers, was immersed in it, and so it became an integral part of his daily life.

"Marlon and Edward started before me, experimenting with different instruments and leaving behind the ones that didn’t appeal to them. After Marlon left a trumpet in the closet, I started playing it, taking lessons from age ten."

After a few years of practicing, Michael gained early experience playing salsas, merengues and boleros with a local band. Inspired by the music of Irakere, Michael studied music at the Ignacio Cervantes Music School in Cuba and moved to the Netherlands to study at the jazz department of the Rotterdam Conservatory where he obtained a degree in arrangement and composition in 2002.

As a busy trumpeter and arranger-composer in Europe, Michael has collaborated with producer/percussionist Gerardo Rosales since 1994, has been a member of the world/jazz ensembles Fra Fra Sound and Fra Fra Big Band for 20 years, has worked with Lucas van Merwijk & The Cubop City Big Band, La India, and shared the stage with Lester Bowie, Larry Harlow, Paquito D’Rivera, David Murray and Giovanni Hidalgo. Another notable collaboration teamed him up with Samuel Torres: combining, and fusing the sounds of Colombian percussion with Venezuelan jazz. Their compilation, Michael Simon & Samuel Torres provides delightful and fresh poetry via music.

Michael leads his own Latin jazz septet named Roots United (with whom he recorded "Revelación"), and his MS-5, a group of passionate musicians from Rotterdam in The Netherlands. Close to Michael’s heart are his collaborations with his brothers, including being part of Marlon Simon’s sextet, The Nagual Spirits and the Simon, Simon & Simon Reunion Project.

New York Encounter (2009 Fresh Sound Records), a unique and stirring album, is filled with stirring and original music. It was a giant step forward for Michael, both as a writer and as a trumpeter, and shows that the Simon Brothers are one of the most talented families in jazz.

Dutch Caribbean Groove Orchestra (DCGO) is another project that Michael, along with Fra Fra sound, developed. Melting together the sounds of African, Latin, American, Caribbean and Jazz, this educational project is a platform for music lovers to come together, regardless of the level of expertise, and have fun, while spreading their message of love and unity.

“Our message, of course, is to celebrate and live deeply while igniting people through music. Music is blind; music transcends barriers of gender, age and creed and brings people together. Music in itself a language that touches all people; and DCGO is a platform to touch people's hearts all over the world while jamming out to some jazzy sounds.” ~ Michael Simon

We are thrilled to announce that this talented musician will be performing on the 19 October in Kompleks Kraf Malaysia.

The concert will be open to public and we hope to see you all there!