About Us
About Us
About Us
Massive Brassband International is part of a long history of Aruba’s Asambeho music tradition, a history that started in 1960.
Massive Brass Band International formed in the fall of 2015 has become a constant visitor at local festivals and venues, performing in the beautiful Carnival parades of Aruba during January, February and March. And during the year at Island Fest, Festival in San Nicolaas Aruba, where Aruba promotes and give tourists a small taste Carnival Season is like on Aruba.
Massive Brass Band Int.
It all started when Roderich Lopez, musical director and owner of Massive Brass Band, came back to Aruba from Holland in 2010.
He was studying and working there for 15 years. Roderich Lopez started playing the music of Asambeho at an early age of 5 years old, he played back then with the Aruba Angels Brass Band. Roderich joined the Aruba Angels Brass Band in 1983 till 1994. He decided to move on and joined Bad Boys Brass Band in 1995 for only 1 year of the brass band’s existence.
He was studying and working there for 15 years. Roderich Lopez started playing the music of Asambeho at an early age of 5 years old, he played back then with the Aruba Angels Brass Band. Roderich joined the Aruba Angels Brass Band in 1983 till 1994. He decided to move on and joined Bad Boys Brass Band in 1995 for only 1 year of the brass band’s existence.
1995/1996 4 leading brass bands came together to form Unity Brass Band for an important international sport event in Aruba. The Queen games of the Netherlands (known as “Wega nan di Reino”). Eventually Roderich moved to the Netherlands for his study in 1996. He was already scouted by another Brass Band in the Netherlands, Authority Brass Band international. Which he formed part of for 15 years and still is a member of Authority Brass Band International for professional performances and reunions of the Brass Band in Europe.
When Roderich went back to Aruba in 2010, he started playing with a local brass band for a few play outs and parades. This was with Selection Brass Band. He also freelanced as a trombone player in different Brass Bands,
Also performing in the reunions of Aruba Bad Boys Brass Band and Academy Brass Band. That was the moment when Roderich decided to make his dream come true and start his own Brass Band, which he named Massive Brass Band. Massive Brass Band officially became an international brass band when they went over seas to the Netherlands. They performed for a concert in the Ahoy Rotterdam Arena, for the Four Days Walk marathon in Nijmegen, the Carnival Parade in Rotterdam and a few festivals. Massive Brass Band plays modern and old school music combined with our own rhythm, Asambeho which was originally made in Aruba by 3 friends. By Arnold Beide Alfonso Bulto Gibs and Samuel Hodge back in 1960.
Before that period there were marching bands type of rhythms but not Asambeho.
ASAMBEHO is from their names, A of Arnold, And Alfonso SAM of Samuel, BE of Beide and HO of Hodge. The popularity of the Asambeho rhythm was down for the last 20 years.
Roderich knew of the rhythm from when we played in Aruba Angels Brass Band in 1983. Which was also a big motive he started his own Brass Band, he wants the world to know of the beautiful music of Asambeho created originally on Aruba.
And dedicates this to all the musicians that once played Asambeho, a soul rhythm and happy music.
Title Director Reinwald Roderich Lopez
Signature 297 Studio "Asambeho School" Roderich Lopez.
Signature 297 Studio "Asambeho School" Roderich Lopez.
