Bert Cools

Bert Cools (Antwerpen, 1986) is a Belgian guitarist who studied at the Rotterdam Conservatory. In 2010 he won the Erasmus Jazz Prize.
As a regular accompanist to soul singer Sabrina Starke, he recorded two albums at Blue Note Records. Besides that, he plays with, among others, the orchestra of Bruno Vansina and various jazz and world music bands, including Ifa Y Xangô.

Merope is an alternative world music band with five musicians from as many countries. The band plays a mix of Lithuanian folk songs, electronic soundscapes, instrumental sounds, improvisation and grooves. Merope came about when musicians who did not know each other were brought together in Spain, where they immediately recorded the album 9 Days. The recording used only solar power. After the recordings, the band started touring, and in 2015 their second album Amaranthine was released.
Banjax (formerly Bender Banjax) is a band that won the Jong Jazztalent competition in 2008. The band arose from a collaboration between students of the dance school P.A.R.T.S and the Brussels conservatory class of Kris Defoort.
With bassist Nathan Wouters and drummer Stijn Cools, he recorded the improvisation album Mago in 2011 under the band name Matsenoto.
Pudding oO is a Belgian electronic band that plays funk jazz. The band is a project of young Belgian jazz musicians who themselves play in a host of other bands (including BRZZVLL, STUFF., Libodj, hoera., ...). In 2014 the band released 2 EPs.