Born: September 15, 1966 Primary Instrument: Bass
Mick Paauwe was born in The Hague, Holland but spent her youth in in Curaçao and Brazil where she naturally was confronted with a lot of Latin music and started playing guitar there, at the age of twelve. After moving back to Holland she switched to electric bass, playing in rock bands. But her passion for Salsa was unstoppable and after seeing Oscar de Leon on television singing and playing the baby-bass she decided to take up the double bass and form a Salsa band. Inspired by the godfather of Latin bass, Israel 'Cachao' Lopez, she started to organize 'descargas' (latin jams) in jazz clubs. In 1993 Mick began studying at the Latin department of the Rotterdam's conservatory, where she graduated in 1999. At the conservatory she studied electric bass and double bass but specialized herself on the 'baby-bass', an electric upright bass which became famous among salsa bass players in the 70's. During her study she traveled to Cuba to take lessons at the Conservatorio Esteban Salas, Santiago de Cuba. Mick is momentarily one of the most asked-for Latin bass players in Holland, where she is active in the salsa- and the Latin jazz- scene. She also played in several theater tours, and has performed in most of the big theaters in Holland. Apart from Latin music she is also active in Pop-, Jazz- and Rockbands and in theater productions. Mick has worked and works with: Bongomatik, Cubop City Big Band, La Banda Iré, CRAM, Nueva Manteca, Jacob TV, Orkater, Craig Handy, Brian Lynch, Gerardo Rosales and many others. She has played in clubs and on festivals in France, Germany, Finland, Cape Verde, Oman, Belgium, Italy, England, Marocco, Brazil, Colombia, Surinam etc.
