Biography

Percussionist Nils Fischer enjoys to work with his own groups TimbazoCaboCubaJazz and with Nueva Manteca as well as with many others, such as The Cubop City Bigband [for 17 years] and Drums United [12 years]. He has shared the stage with such luminaries as Giovanni Hidalgo, Pío Leiva, Orestes Vilató, Armando Peraza, Paquito D’Rivera and Chocolate Armenteros.

He studied in Cuba, Brazil, Puerto Rico and at the Rotterdam Conservatory where he obtained his “Masters Degree Percussion” in 1996 cum laude. His teachers include Giovanni Hidalgo, John Santos, Jerry Gonzalez, Orestes Vilató, Roberto Vizcaíno, Panga and Anthony Carillo.

Nils’ interest in music started at an early age, growing up in a musical family in Bremen, Germany. One of his earliest memories from childhood is his father practicing guitar before gigs at night. His own instrumental experience started when he began to attend piano lessons at the age of ten. He remembers: “One day my sister brought home a Paquito D’Rivera record with Daniel Ponce on congas – this changed my life, all I wanted from then on was to play percussion.” At that time, he would have never imagined that 20 years later he would find himself performing with Paquito in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Another milestone in Nils’ career was his 2014 performance at the prestigious Havana Jazz Festival with his own group CaboCubaJazz.

Nils has appeared on more than 60 albums as a recording artist.

End 2007 he released a CD with his own group Timbazo. It is entitled ¡Gracias Joe Cuba! and serves as a tribute to veteran percussionist Joe Cuba. Top artists including Brian Lynch, Alain Pérez , José “Pepe” Espinosa contributed to its making. The album – mixed by Jon Fausty – received rave reviews both at home and abroad. It was pre-nominated for the Latin Grammy Awards 2008 in four categories. TIMBAZO was nominated for the Mixed Magazine Worldmusic Award 2009.

In 2008, Nils – together with pianist Carlos Matos – founded CaboCubaJazz. “CaboCubaJazz melts two different cultures without any effort – sensational!” –  Volkskrant [national Dutch newspaper]. CaboCubaJazz‘ albums ‘Rikeza y Valor’ [2011] and Corason Africano [2017] are receiving great reviews internationally.

The band is succesfully touring world wide.

In 2015 Nils releases his 2nd album with Timbazo – “Rumberos a Montón”. A joyful, exuberant all-star celebration featuring luminaries like Lucrecia, Changuito, Calixto Oviedo, Alexander Abreu, Carlos del Puerto, Julito Padrón & many others. 34 musicians contributed to the international recording sessions in Rotterdam, Antwerp, Barcelona, Atlanta, Havana, Turku, Phoenix, Detroit and New York. Arrangements by Alain Pérez, Marc Bischoff, Jan Hartong & Iván ‘Melon’ Lewis. Mastered by legendary engineer Bob Katz in Orlando, US.

Nils teaches at Codarts [Rotterdam Conservatory] and at the Pentaton Percussion School in Germany.

He gave workshops in Spain, Malaysia, Belgium, Norway, the US, Great Britain, Finland and Austria.

In 1995 he received the award for “outstanding service to Jazz education” in Los Angeles. 

Nils Fischer endorses Pearl Percussion , Regal Tip drumsticks and Remo drumheads.