Biography

Benjamin Macke was born in 1983 in Hazebrouck, in the North of France. His family members are musicians in a wind band and he was playing classical percussions for twelve years. When Benjamin was 15, he started to have more interest for drums and jazz music, different forms: quartet, big band, New-Orleans… At that time he also discovered traditional music through local musicians from the group Smitlap. He then also started to play for the folk bals for the first time. Only when he was 18 he started to play melodeon. He learned to play it as an autodidact and during meetings with other musicians..

So, he was heard in l’Union Musicale d’Hazebrouck (1990 to 2002), l’Orchestre des Jeunes de la Fédération Nord-Pas-de-Calais (1997 à 2001), l’Estaminet Jazz Band (1997 à 2002), le Quartet au Carré (1999 à 2001), le Big Band de Saint-Sylvestre Cappel (1999 à 2001), la Bande à Michao (1997 à 2002), Accords Déhanchés (2002-2003) and Souffle Court (2001-2005). He has also teached melodeon in Cric-Crac Compagnie school from 2002 to 2008.

Since 2004 Benjamin Macke is a professional musician who is involved with many different groups and projects:

Shillelagh (since 2002) is a band who plays for dancing, «music from Flanders and elsewhere» with Gabriel Lenoir (fiddle), Aurélien Tanghe (guitar) and with Estelle Bacquaert (dancing). Up till now they have made three cd's: Musique à danser (2004), Danses sur l’eau (2006) et Germaine (2009).
www.shillelagh.fr

Duo Bastringue (since 2005) the unexpected encounter of folk dances and musette, with Philippe Destanque (electric guitar and vocals). Their cd Bruit qui danse came out in 2007. In 2009 Rachel Bazoge joined the group (singing). Trio released a cd l’Arbre à danses, in 2010.
www.duo-bastringue.fr

Muzikaciné (since 2010), around music for silent film. There are here several projects as the "ciné-concert" Les Trois Lumières with Aurélien Tanghe (sound), "Ciné-concert de Poche", "Muzikaciné à l'Ecole" with Birgit Bornauw (bagpipe, violin...), music workshop with silent films, soundtrack for movies...
www.muzikacine.fr

La Compagnie Marchands de Sornettes (since 2002) is a group which joines music and story telling with each other. In the group Benjamin plays with Gabriel Lenoir (violin) and the stories are told by Pascal Duclermortier. They have made three shows together; the last one, Contes à 1000 gueules, was created in 2007.
www.marchands-de-sornettes.com

Duo Birgit Bornauw & Benjamin Macke (since 2009), with Birgit Bornauw (bagpipe). That duo has till now explored music for dancing and mainly traditional music.