Wouter Hamel

Wouter Hamel is a Dutch jazz-pop singer who made his album debut in 2007. Born on May 19, 1977, in The Hague, Netherlands, he is backed by a big band that includes Kofi Anonymous (guitar), Sven Happel (bass), Jasper van Hulten (drums), Pieter de Graaf (piano), Gijs Anders van Stralen (percussion), Vincent Houdijk (xylophone), Benjamin Herman (saxophone, flute), Kobi Arditi (trombone), and Salle de Jonge (drums). Hamel plays guitar in addition to singing, and writes many of his own songs. He made his debut in 2007 with the eponymous album Hamel on Dox Records; it was a Top 20 hit on the Dutch albums chart, remained on the charts for over a year, and spawned the minor hit “As Long as We’re in Love,” featuring Giovanca. Surpassing the popularity of its predecessor, the follow-up album Nobody's Tune (2009) broke into the Top Five upon its release. “In Between” was released as the lead single. ~ Jason Birchmeier