Nicolas Puma

Born on February 29, 1988, he began playing the violin at the age of 4, and later switched to the electric bass, teaching himself at the age of 13.

His love for the double bass emerged after listening to the music of Charles Mingus, which he discovered at his musician friend Clément Dechambre's (Tenor Sax) house.

Mentored by André Klénes, he prepared to enter the jazz conservatory, where he continued his training with Jos Machtel for 2 years. He then took classes with Jean-Louis Rassinfosse for 3 years at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, completing his Bachelor's degree with Piet Verbist and his Master's with Nicolas Thys at the Antwerp Conservatory.

He won first prize and the audience prize at the XL-Jazz Contest during the Brussels Jazz Marathon 2015 with the group Four of a Kind.

In 2024, with his duo "Puma Dechambre Duo," he won first prize in the "Sphère Sonore" competition, and also secured second prize with Aurélie Charneux's trio (Tropical Tayga).

He has performed on numerous renowned stages such as the Jazz Station, Bravo Jazz Club, Music Village, Sounds Jazz Club, Théâtre La Samaritaine, Hot Club de Gent, Jacques Pelzer Jazz Club, Blue Sphère, L'Anvert, L'Aquilone, and many more. He has also participated in numerous festivals including Brussels Jazz Marathon, Jazz à Liège, Tournai Jazz Festival, Gouvy Jazz Musical, Bruxellons 2015, La Mélodie du Bonheur, Toots Jazz Festival, and Jazz au Broukay.

For him, music knows no boundaries, which drives him to instinctively be part of groups from completely different musical universes. He currently performs with Puma Dechambre Duo, Aurélie Charneux Trio (Tropical Tayga), Ista Swing, Nena "La Raiz", About that Puma in the Garden, Pavel Puma Gionata Trio, Neige Trio, Fernando Neris Blues Trio, and is a member of L'Œil Kollectif (improvised music).

Free improvisation is a cornerstone of his musical creations, guiding him towards new sonic, rhythmic, and harmonic textures, beyond traditional paths. His playing style is refined and airy, with a full and powerful sound. He draws inspiration from bassists such as Charlie Haden, Ben Street, Johan Berthling, Eivind Opsvik, and Ingebrigt Håker Flaten.

He is also the only maker of organic gut strings for double bass in Belgium, which gives him a unique and personalized sound, as he plays on his own strings.