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If you ask Claes Cem what kind of music he plays, he will smile and say ‘Modern Folk-Pop’. Listening to his guitar driven songs, it does not take long to realize that his writing is shaped by a life on the road.
His work is heavily inspired by the lyrical world of songwriters such as Paul Simon, John Martyn and Darrell Scott: no frills, just music.
In search of these folk influences, Claes spent years in Scotland, cutting his teeth on the circuit of open mic nights, clubs and bar gigs there. Returning to Denmark in 2007, Claes began realizing his solo work with a collective of musicians built around his energetic playing and singing style. “The arrangements are flexible and work with anything from a solo set-up to a full five-piece band, which gives me far more options live”, says Claes.
Since winning “Best Singer” in 2008 at the Emergenza contest in Copenhagen things have been moving fast. The last year has seen Claes perform two tours in Scotland, make more than forty appearances in Denmark, and release a first single: “Freak Without A Frame”.
Claes’s outstanding talent was spotted in the summer of 2009 by American producer and engineer Carlos Bedoya. That night Claes and Carlos, who has worked with artists like Mick Jagger, Missy Elliot and Beyonce, decided to begin work together on Claes’s new recordings. The results of their work are set for release in early 2010 as the EP “Californian Babe”.
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