Frequently asked questions about live percussion and djembe

You always get a personal proposal, because the price depends on the package, the length, the date and the distance. A Friday in November is planned differently from a Saturday in July. Fill in the form with your date and venue and you will receive a proposal within 24 hours with the packages that suit your event.

Again, you get a tailored proposal. You only pay for the percussion: the package (Solo, Duo Percussion, Triple Beats or Full Set), any extension and the distance. Mention your DJ's name in the enquiry and I will include the coordination straight away.

All instruments, stands, in-ear monitoring, wireless microphones, receivers and cables are included, as are coordination with the DJ and venue and the technical rider. I travel from Kortrijk and the first 100 km are included. You only provide power and a safe spot to play.

Fill in the form on the contact page with your date, venue, type of event and start time. Add your DJ and the expected number of guests if you know them. You will receive a personal proposal online within 24 hours. You can also email bookings@sam-anderson.be.

Everything happens online. After your enquiry you get a proposal within 24 hours. You choose a package, fill in your details and sign digitally. Depending on the proposal, you pay a deposit via Mollie. The date is then confirmed and I coordinate with your DJ and the venue.

As early as possible, especially for a Saturday between May and September. Weddings are often booked a year or more ahead. For a corporate event or birthday, short notice is sometimes still possible. Just check your date to see if it is free.

The first 100 km from Kortrijk are included. Beyond that a mileage fee applies, shown clearly in your proposal. For events abroad we agree travel and any accommodation separately.

Sam Anderson lives in the Kortrijk area in West Flanders, Belgium. From there I play all over Belgium: from the coast to Antwerp, Brussels and Wallonia. Lille is half an hour away. Enquiries for the Netherlands, France and destination weddings further afield are welcome too.

I play throughout Belgium, including Wallonia and Brussels, and I am available in the Netherlands and France. For events further away, such as a destination wedding, I look at each request individually: availability, travel and any practical requirements. More on international bookings.

For bookings abroad I put together a tailored proposal. Tell me the country, venue, date, type of event and preferred package. Travel and any accommodation are included in the proposal, so everything is clear up front.

Travel and accommodation are part of the proposal and agreed before you sign. We decide who arranges what: whether you book the hotel or I do, and how I travel with the gear. No surprises afterwards.

Yes, most bookings are one-offs. There is no need to be a regular partner or commit to a number of events. For agencies and venues, a first booking is also a good way to get to know each other.

Yes, that is actually the most requested option. My live percussion sits on top of your DJ's set. Give me the DJ's name in your enquiry and I will get in touch beforehand to agree music, timing and tech. More on percussionist for your DJ.

Yes. I often play with regular DJs from my network, the Friends of Sam. Let me know you are looking for a DJ and live percussion together, and what music you like. Based on your date and style, I will suggest a DJ who fits.

As soon as the booking is confirmed, I contact your DJ. We agree on style, tempo, peak moments and the mixer connection. The DJ also receives my rider. On the night I follow the DJ and pick the moments where percussion makes the biggest impact.

Yes. For events abroad I am just as happy to play with the DJ you book locally. Share their details and the musical direction, and we will agree the setup and connections together.

Very little. The DJ provides a free channel on the mixer for my digital percussion. I amplify the djembe myself, wirelessly. We also agree when I come in and how loud the DJ plays, especially if there is a sound limiter.

The djembe works best with afro house, latin house and retro house. My digital instruments, the Roland HandSonic and SPD-SX Pro, suit any style: party anthems, deep house, Ibiza classics or pop. The percussion keeps working even when the DJ switches genre.

I play in short sets, matched to the DJ and the flow of the evening. An hour of non-stop djembe is too much for player and crowd. Between sets I can switch to digital percussion or leave the floor to the DJ.

That depends on the package: Solo is 60 minutes on site, Duo Percussion 90 minutes, Triple Beats and the Full Set 120 minutes. Within that time I play in sets. Hourly extensions are possible. Send me your schedule and I will suggest how to split it.

A live percussionist turns a DJ set into a show. Guests see someone playing, the energy rises with every drop, and the LED djembe makes for great photos and videos. See also live act or DJ only.

A saxophonist plays melody, a percussionist plays rhythm. Sax shines in lounge sets and singalong classics; percussion drives the dance floor with house, afro house and party anthems. A full comparison is on sax or percussion.

Requests and playlists go to the DJ, who chooses the music. I play along with whatever the DJ plays. If there are tracks where you really want percussion, such as an afro house classic or your first dance, let me know and we will plan a set around that moment.

Just power and a safe spot next to the DJ. I bring everything else. With every confirmed booking you automatically receive the technical rider, which I also go through with the DJ, venue or production company. All details are on the technical rider page.

Yes. I bring the djembe, digital instruments, stands, in-ears, wireless microphones, receivers and cables. The Full Set adds real congas, bongos and an extra PA, set up by a technician. For events far abroad we decide together what travels and what is provided locally.

Percussion peaks can trigger a tightly set limiter and cut the music for a moment. In Flemish venues the usual limit is 85 dB(A) averaged over 60 minutes, or up to 95 or 100 dB(A) with logging. My digital percussion runs through the DJ mixer and stays within the same budget. Ask the venue which limit applies.

The djembe is an acoustic hand drum with a warm sound and LED lighting. The digital instruments (Roland HandSonic and SPD-SX Pro) play congas, bongos, timbales and drums through the mixer. The djembe looks best; digital suits any genre and gives more volume control. See djembe or digital percussion.

Yes, on a terrace, in a garden or on the beach. The instruments and electronics must stay dry, so for outdoor events I ask for a marquee or canopy and power nearby. Beach bars such as Salito Beach and Ostend Beach are familiar ground for me.

Very little. A spot next to the DJ is enough for the djembe or a digital instrument, and with a harness I also play roaming among the guests. The Full Set with congas and bongos needs more room; the rider has the details.

Yes. When the mood is right, I hand the djembe to a guest or the couple. Those are often the best photos and videos of the night. Anyone who would rather dance does not have to, of course.

You get a personal proposal based on your wedding date, venue, package and whether you already have a DJ. The price depends on package, length, date and distance, which is why I do not list fixed amounts. The proposal arrives within 24 hours. More on weddings.

During the party, together with the DJ. That is where the energy is and where the LED djembe has the most impact. Many couples have me start at the first dance or just after, to fill the floor straight away. We plan the timing around your day.

Yes. During the drinks I play more gently, among the guests. At the party the tempo goes up with the DJ. With Duo Percussion or Triple Beats you can spread the sets across both moments. See reception and party.

Yes. A djembe roll for your entrance or a live build-up into the first dance creates a moment everyone films. We choose the music and timing with the DJ. More on entrance and first dance.

Destination wedding enquiries are welcome, including France and the Netherlands. Send me the country, venue and date. I check availability and send a proposal including travel and technical arrangements. If you work with a wedding planner, I coordinate with them as well.

I arrive in good time to set up and test quietly, without disturbing your guests. The exact time is agreed with you, the DJ and the venue. For the Full Set, a technician sets up in advance.

Weddings, corporate events, staff parties, New Year receptions, birthdays, private parties, Ibiza and afro house nights, clubs, beach bars and festivals. Weddings and corporate events are my main focus. See corporate events and parties.

Yes. At a staff party, gala or kick-off, live percussion breaks the ice after the speeches and pulls people onto the dance floor. I have played the Vlerick Awards at Skyhall Brussels Airport and a corporate event at Casino Knokke, among others. See gala, launch and kick-off.

Yes. The DJ tailors the music to the crowd and my percussion follows. With the digital instruments I play as easily over chart hits as over house. Younger colleagues dance, others come to watch and sometimes have a go on the djembe themselves.

Yes, that is the music where the djembe shines most. Together with a DJ from my network I bring Ibiza vibes, afro house and latin house, on a terrace, in a garden or indoors. More on Ibiza and afro house night.

Yes. I have played Ostend Beach, Kamping Kitsch, Lokerse Feesten, Legacy Festival, Festiloco and Land Of Love, among others, and have been a regular at Salito Beach in Blankenberge for years. See clubs, beach bars and festivals.

Yes, also for a birthday or garden party with fewer guests. With the Solo package I play for 60 minutes, roaming among the guests. Tell me the venue, guest numbers and available space. See birthday and private party.

Yes. Wedding planners, event agencies, venues and festival organisers are welcome to contact me directly on behalf of their client. I then coordinate with you as the point of contact. More on for DJs and agencies.

Yes. Get in touch and we will agree how you present the act and how we handle enquiries, availability and proposals. You will receive images and a short description for your own quotes.

I discuss commercial arrangements personally with each partner. They depend on the type of collaboration and the number of events, and are always agreed in advance.

Yes, new proposals are welcome. Include your website, portfolio or social media and tell me briefly which clients and events you work for.

Your company name, website, the kind of clients you work with and your idea. Already have a specific event? Add the date, venue and preferred package.

Please get in touch first. We will agree which images you can use, for what purpose, and how to credit the photographer or videographer. That keeps things fair for everyone in the picture.