Nicolas Van Belle is a Belgian guitar player, bouzouki player, singer and composer, mainly active in improvised and textural music. Nicolas is currently bandleader, co-leader and member of Suura, Erem, Belle//Maris and Yarès.

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Nicolas studied jazz guitar at KASK in Ghent and RAMA in Aarhus, which he completed in 2019. During his studies, Nicolas had the opportunity to meet various Scandinavian artists in Denmark and Norway. These encounters stowed him to the further development of his own music and to the further deepening in textural music and less conventional practices of the guitar. 

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Besides the Scadinavian influences, Nicolas also underwent big influences from Greek Rebetiko music. These influences led to various encounters with profound musicians and to the beginning of the Rebetiko project Yarès. 

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These diverse influences are an important source of inspiration for his compositions and for the general premise of Suura, Erem and Belle//Maris.

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In 2019 Nicolas recorded his debut album 'Luwte' as a bandleader with the project Suura. The same year arose the project Erem. Together with Mirte Leconte and Stan Maris, they co-lead and compose music for Erem.

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In 2020 Nicolas released his debut album 'Luwte' as a bandleader with the band Suura on the Belgian label bwaa.records.

Besides Nicolas started, together with Fotis Drakopoulos, the Rebetiko project Yarès in which both members co-lead the project.

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During spring 2022, Nicolas made two album recordings with Erem and Belle//Maris.

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New work by the band Suura will be recorded in november 2022 and released in 2023.

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