©
Piotr Bilecki
Tuur Moens
- Instruments : Drums
- Date of birth : 17/04/1985 - Duffel
Introduction
Tuur Moens is a Belgian drummer and composer, cherished for his versatility and his unique musical voice. Drawing influences from jazz, Latin American, African, and Brazilian traditions, he captivates audiences with dynamic, expressive, and soulful drumming. His powerful style has brought him together with a wide range of renowned artists on stages all over the world.
Youth
Born in Duffel (BE) in 1985, Tuur grew up in a musical family. His father played guitar and drums, while his mother’s passion for world music exposed him at an early age to an eclectic range of genres. His fascination with rhythm was evident from the start: from improvised drum kits made of cardboard boxes to his father’s drum set in the attic. From the age of three, he visited the Sfinks Festival in Boechout every year, where he was able to admire greats such as Youssou N’Dour, Salif Keita, Baba Maal, and Daniela Mercury live. At the age of eight, he began classical percussion studies with Nik Goovaerts at the music academy in Mechelen. By the age of fifteen, he was already performing on stages in Sweden, Denmark, and Germany with various ensembles, including a percussion duo.
Education and Early Career
Determined to make music his life’s work, Tuur pursued secondary studies at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven (BE) and in 2005 enrolled at Codarts, the Rotterdam Conservatory (NL), focusing on jazz and world music. Codarts was renowned for its outstanding drum department, with teachers such as Hans van Oosterhout, Joost Kroon, Remco van der Sluis, Peter Ypma (†), Lucas van Merwijk, Joost Patoka, Owen Hart Jr., and Ruben van Rompay. During his studies in Rotterdam, he took masterclasses with greats such as Joshua Redman, Richard Bona, Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, Dave Valentin, Billy Hart, Nelson Faria, among others, further deepening his artistic development.
Even while still a student, his professional career had already begun: he collaborated with artists ranging from Cameroonian singer Ntjam Rosie to the Mozambican Novellas brothers.
His ensemble teacher, Ben van den Dungen, invited him in his second year to join the Dutch nu-jazz band State of Monc, with which he toured in China, Brazil, and Morocco. Soon after, he appeared with various groups at prestigious festivals such as Java Jazz Festival (Indonesia), North Sea Jazz Festival (Netherlands), Ollin Kan Festival (Mexico), Borneo Jazz Festival (Malaysia), and more.
In 2009, Tuur won the Erasmus Jazz Prize in Rotterdam.
Tuur Moens & Syndicate
In 2011, Tuur founded his own eleven-piece band, Tuur Moens & Syndicate, with musicians from Brazil, Germany, Greece, and Colombia. Their debut EP Clockwise was released in 2012, followed by performances at, among others, North Sea Jazz Festival and Breda Jazz Festival.
Despite its artistic success, the project was paused in 2013 due to logistical challenges.
Collaboration with Munir Hossn
A turning point came in 2013, when he connected via YouTube with Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Munir Hossn. Tuur added drums to Hossn’s track Tudo Bala and uploaded it to YouTube (watch here), which led to Hossn’s enthusiastic response. This was the start of a close musical and personal friendship. With Hossn’s projects, including Made in Nordeste, Tuur performed in Paris (Baiser Salé), Barcelona (Jamboree), Madrid (Café Central, Café Berlin), several festivals in France and Spain, and the Mindelo Summer Jazz Festival (São Vicente, Cape Verde). Through Hossn, he came into contact with a wide network of top musicians from Portugal, Spain, Cuba, Brazil, Angola, and Morocco, including Jorge Pardo, Luis Guerra, João Frade, João Silva, Joaquin Sosa, Cra Rosa, Joel Hierrezuelo, Michael Olivera, Adriano DD, and many others.
Work with Angolan Artists
In 2015, Tuur met Angolan producer Adilson “Nino Jazz” Tito Sousa, for whom he still frequently records remote drum tracks. He played the drum tracks for Kuameleli, the album of Angolan singer Anabela Aya, and was invited to perform at its release show in Luanda, Angola. He also recorded drum tracks for Angolan R&B, soul, and world music singer Toto ST’s album Nga Sakidila. Around this time, he became a much sought-after session musician, collaborating with a variety of artists and projects.
Composer, Sideman and Producer
From 2015 onwards, Tuur increasingly devoted himself to composition, developing a distinctive personal style: complex rhythms and textures interwoven with emotional depth. He remained active as a sideman, contributing to albums by Ntjam Rosie (Elle, At the Back of Beyond, The One), Teus Nobel (Journey of Man, Social Music, Pleasure is the Measure), and the Rogier Telderman Trio (Contours), while also expanding his role as producer and arranger.
Collaboration with Cape Verdean Singer Lura
From 2016 to 2020, Tuur was the regular drummer of Cape Verdean singer Lura, with whom he performed at international festivals such as Bahia das Gatas (São Vicente, Cape Verde), WOMADelaide (Australia), Super Bock em Stock (Portugal), JazzKif (Kinshasa, Congo), and WOMAD Recoletas (Santiago, Chile), among others, alongside tours in Poland, France, and Portugal. In mid-2020, Lura ended the collaboration due to the pandemic and her decision to keep her entire band based in Lisbon.
Own Projects
In 2018, Tuur recorded his first full solo album, Nebula, inspired by a vivid dream about the universe set in the village where he grew up, Sint-Katelijne-Waver (BE). The album was recorded with João Frade (accordion player of Mariza, PT), Thomas Maasz (piano, BE), and Munir Hossn (guitar and bass, BR), with Jorge Pardo (flute, ES) as special guest on the track Mr. Time.
In 2022 came the album Rewind, a collaboration with João Frade, recorded during lockdown in Albufeira (PT), Rotterdam (NL), and other locations. The project revolved around resilience as an essential value and brought together artists from across the globe, including Panagiotis Andreou, Yarel Hernandez, Léo Vrillaud, Jesus Bachi, Tony Grey, Nino Jazz, Luis Guerra, and João Silva.
Recent Activities
Today, Tuur remains internationally active with artists such as Teus Nobel, Naamu, Mariana Ramos, Assol Garcia, Jorge Pardo, Anabela Aya, Munir Hossn, Marmoucha Orchestra, Antonio Lizana, Lucia Fumero, Mehdi Nassouli, Aziz Ozouss, and many more. His ability to move effortlessly between jazz, fusion, and world music makes him a sought-after musician and an established name on the international music scene.
Tuur Moens Quintet
In 2024, he launched an entirely new project: the Tuur Moens Quintet. With this formation, he presents his own compositions in the jazz and world music genres. In early 2025, the quintet recorded a new album, Resilience, to be released in fall 2025. The first single "Sougri" from the upcoming album was released on September 13, 2025. The studio video of Sougri was released on YouTube on September 16, 2025.The compositions, written by Tuur, were inspired by the turbulent years 2020–2023. The line-up features Álvaro Artime Jiménez (trumpet), Jesse Schilderink (tenor saxophone), Xavi Torres (piano), and Jeroen Vierdag (double bass & electric bass), with special guests Antonio Lizana (ES) and Morgana Moreno (BR).
Tuur continues to explore new musical horizons, always open to fresh collaborations, and consistently pushing the boundaries of his craft.
