Drummer, improviser, composer, music educator, and yoga teacher Nicolas Chkifi is based in Belgium.
Born from a Moroccan father and a Belgian mother,
Chkifi has evolved in the jazz and improvised music scenes since 2002.
He has been studying with drummers and composers such as Stephane Galland, Dre Pallemaerts, Jim Black, Billy Hart, Tyshawn Sorey, Dan Weiss, and Susie Ibarra.
He has collaborated with a host of artists on many scenes including Josh Berman, Larry Ochs, Darren Johnston, Dave Rempis, Tashi Dorji, John Dikeman, Susie Ibarra, Marta Warelis, Jozef Dumoulin, Augusto Pirodda, Jeroen van Herzeele, Gregor Siedl, Jan Rzewski, Pierre Vaiana, Audrey Lauro, Hugo Antunes, Lennart Heyndels, Frans van Isacker, Giovanni Di Domenico, Pak Yan Lau, Ruben Machtelinckx, Nils Vermeulen, Mathieu Robert, Julien Tassin and many others.
He has 4 albums to his name as a bandleader with Gang and Fnussjen that feature his writing.
With his quartet Fnussjen, which includes Ananta Roosens, Ann Eysermans, and Christian Mendoza he has released 2 records that have been critically acclaimed for their unique approach to sounds, compositions, and creative improvisations.
Chkifi also leads a powerful free improvisation quartet called Supernova featuring John Dikeman, Seppe Gebruers, and Hugo Antunes. This band is dedicated to the greatest avant-garde saxophonists of our time like Albert Ayler, Pharoah Sanders, Jimmy Lions, and John Coltrane. Supernova has been touring in Belgium and recording his first live album which will be released in 2024.
As a sideman, Chkifi is playing with Laniakea, Tassin/Chkifi, Nima, Four Circles, Oracle Quintet, JNK trio, Mathieu Robert New Ensemble, and singer-songwriter Aissatou.
Chkifi’s study of Jazz, North Indian, and West African music makes him a versatile, intense, sensitive drummer and composer.
Since 2011, Chkifi has been studying the tabla under Sandip Banerjee and Nabankur Bhattacharya.
In 2016, Chkifi traveled to Benin to learn West African Vodou drums with Master Eric Lazare Akakpo.
In addition to his musical career and research, Chkifi has been teaching drums at the Kunstacademie van Brussel since 2009.
"Chkifi explores every nook and cranny of his instrument. Chkifi's playing is at once crisp, precise, and chiseled...but above all, immensely delicate"
"The dialogue between double bass and drums is reminiscent of William Parker and Hamid Drake style"
(Jazzques)
