Dieter van der Westen was born and raised in Netherlands. He works as a musician with his North African group Kasba with which he internationally worked in Africa, South America and Europe. In The Netherlands he worked with artists like Thé Lau, Blof, Paul de Leeuw, Frank Boeijen, Ali B, Eric Vloeimans, Gerard van Maasakkers, Astrid Nijgh, The Metropole orchestra and Fouradi. www.kasba.nl

He also works as a composer and songwriter for his own music. Inspired by various artists, he began to compose his own songs. The album “Save my memories’ was released in 2008 and it was his first solo album. Dieter has a strong preference for using acoustic instruments in his music. The lyrics are associative and partly autobiographical, the melodies are basic, pure and simple. His second solo album will be released in the autumn of 2015. www.dietervanderwesten.com

In 2015 Dieter initiated a new acoustic band together with fellow musicians Samira Dainan, Khalid Jahklal, Sami el Ghousli and Joris van Beek, the name of the group 5amsa. This group plays acoustic North African songs written, composed and arranged by the members of the group. A mixture of traditional and modern North African acoustic music. www.5amsa.nl

In this video podcast interview, we speak with Dieter about his influences, the new album Old Oak Tree, surviving as an indie musician in the digital age and more.

Full Q&A video along with links to subscribe to Mid Tenn Listens podcast below. You can also subscribe on YouTube.

Use the links above to discover more great music from Dieter van der Westen.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Email | RSS