"This is the kind of band that kills it live on stage"
DISAGREEMENT (2019)
BAND
SCHËPPE SIWEN
Whoever is looking for party-style folk music would not necessarily think of Luxembourg as a first choice.
However, if you risk looking across the borders, you will definitely make a find in the small Grand-Duchy when it comes to folk rock passion.
While the band might have been founded more or less for fun as a trio on St. Patrick’s Day in a cult bar called ‘Vis-à-vis’,
they have grown to become a true folk rock crowd puller in the last decade, pursuing a sound that is perfectly their own.
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Built to impress, Schëppe Siwen have gone on to mix folk, rock, polka, reggae, punk and ska into a dense melting pot of sounds, pushing boundaries and proudly singing in their native Luxembourgish, earning support slots for folk legends like The Levellers or Carlos Núñez.
With ten members and astonishing four trumpet players alongside an accordion and a fiddle, their music is hurtling through your ears,
full of rampant energy and rapid-fire vocals that crash over a stream of shimmering accordion notes.
The sound of their newly released album is characterized by pure originality, in which the traditional meets the contemporary,
but still fits perfectly to both. Trumpets blare and rules are broken, the tempo shifts and the melodies twist and turn upon themselves,
creating a snarling, spirit concoction that is simply unparalleled.
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The old world of Folk comes crashing together with more modern sounds, proving that language is no barrier to establishing a genuine connection.
The lucky ones, who had the chance to see them live, know what to expect: a lot of sweat, a lot of dancing and a spectacular concert experience.
JOJO
VIOLIN & LEAD VOCAL
Initiated to the violin in the Suzuki school at the age of 4, Jojo joined one year later the Conservatory of Luxembourg to study musical theory and classical violin for more than 15 years with Darko Kodzas and Pierre Laurent (among others). He participated in various projects e.g. a cooperation with the ‘Henschel Quartett’ in the Philharmonie Luxembourg as well as different musical ventures with the University of Luxembourg (Quatuor à cordes & orchestre de chambre) and the 'Eimsbütteler Kammerorchester' (Hamburg).
A vast range of music styles, such as Classical Music, Folk, Country, Hip-hop and Punkrock influenced his musical background. Fascinated by the gypsy, the klezmer and the celtic music, he started by the end of 2009 with two of his childhood friends a new project, where he developed his improvisation skills and (re)learned to compose. The Band Schëppe Siwen was born.
On stage, he surprises the audience with his charismatic and dynamic demeanor.
LIO
GUITAR & VOCAL
Already at a very young age, Lionel got a taste for playing the guitar when his grandmother gave him the precious 6-stringed instrument that was sleeping in the attic. Coming from a family of musicians and having attended music schools, his mind was always focused on the desire to get on stage and share his passion in a group. Since 2009, he is co-founder of the band with Jojo and Chris. Lionel is also the graphic designer of Schëppe Siwen. After creating the band's logo, he went on to design the layout of the three albums. Each illustration is drawn by hand and reworked on the computer.
PHILIPPE
DRUMS
Philippe, our newest member of the team, discovered his passion for the drums at the age of 4. After several years of lessons at the Luxembourg Conservatory, he decided to join the Luxembourg army as a professional musician in 2019. After successfully completing his basic training, he decided to broaden his horizons by preparing for his "diplôme supérieur" in percussion, studying at the Hochschule für Musik Saar and founding his own band, The Cookies. Besides drums and percussion, Philippe also plays piano, jazz vibraphone and trombone. He also enjoys composing and producing his own songs and brings his unique colour to the sound of Schëppe Siwen.
ISA
ACCORDION
Born in 1989, Isabelle began to play the accordion at the age of nine. After three years in the UGDA, she joined the class of the accordionist Maurizio Spiridigliozzi (Conservatory of Luxembourg), who still teaches her to this day. Her fascination for the accordion began in the Folklore Dance Classes, where she had her first encounter with this instrument and the folk music as such. During her musical career, she played in various ensembles (including the ‘Ensemble d’Accordéon du Conservatoire de Luxembourg’) and has often appeared as a soloist on stage. She was introduced to Schëppe Siwen by her teacher Maurizio and joined the band in 2012. The good atmosphere among the band members, the lively concerts as well as the love and interest in folk music motivates her to continue her musical path. As of today she also works as a music pedagogue in Luxembourg.
WERNER
BASS
Born in the early ‘60s in Vienna, he was influenced by the jazz, blues and pop of the ‘70s.
He started his musical career as an autodidact in electrical guitar before learning to play keyboard in a music school. His first encounter with the electric bass was with Marc Demuth, who taught him a different approach to music. Then Pol Belardi deepened his knowledge about harmonics and helped him to improve his technical skills. During this period, he met Remo Cavallini, who introduced him to the world of blues and rock. Embedded in this musical background, he joined the Folkrockband Schëppe Siwen towards the end of the year 2015. With his rock and blues background, he managed to bring his own color to S7’s mixture of Folkrock, Balkan and Ska.
PIER
TRUMPET
Pier started his musical career at the age of eight, where he began to take Solfeggio lessons in the UGDA and later on in the Conservatory of Luxembourg. His passion for the trumpet developed through the desire to play the main themes and melodies of his favorite radio tunes. At the age of 10, he joined the Bertrange Orchestra, where he still plays the first trumpet to this day.
As a teenager, he was caught between the world of basketball and the world of music. Due to the many injuries he suffered while playing for Sparta Bertrange, he decided after completing his studies, to focus more on the music. He supported many different brass bands and various Luxemburgish music ensembles such as the “Bartrenger Bléiser” among others.
In 2014, Pier performed for the first time with Schëppe Siwen at the opening of the IIHF World Championship Div. III on the ice rink in Kockelscheuer. With his incredibly precise and clear trumpet sound, he gave the song a special character and convinced the band to permanently include the trumpet in their music. On stage, Pier enchants the audience with his groovy trumpet sound, which perfectly fits the dynamic style of Schëppe Siwen.
MARC
TRUMPET
Marc grew up in a family of musicians and was introduced to the trumpet by his father, who was himself a trumpet player. Marc got his music education in the UGDA and the Conservatory of Luxembourg City from early age on. Throughout the years, his passion for music never ceased, even though he chose to become a professional sports teacher.
Since the age of 10, he’s playing with Pier and Titi in the music ensemble of Bertrange as well as in the “Bartrénger Bléiser”, a brass band that musically accompanies sport events such as basketball games or the ING Night Marathon.
After the band Schëppe Siwen decided to include a brass section, Marc chose to support Pier in this challenge. He is a passionate trumpet player, who animates the crowd with spontaneous, interactive impulses during the live sets. When not playing the trumpet on stage, he supports the drummer with his beloved tambourine.
TITI
TRUMPET
Titi’s love for music has its roots in early childhood. His first contact with classical music was during the ‘early musical education’ (‘éveil musical’). After this notable encounter, he decided to start his music career. He took trumpet lessons and joined the Orchestra of Bertrange. During his school days, he changed high school to get an education with a special focus on music. At the Conservatory of Luxembourg, he continued his classical music education by solfeggio, harmony, classical trumpet lessons and began at the same time a music education with emphasis on jazz theory and harmony. He joined a jazz ensemble and began learning jazz trumpet. Nowadays Titi plays not only trumpet with Schëppe Siwen, but also in various other music groups, including the orchestra of Bertrange and Schifflange as well as the big band "Crazy Cube".