Konkie Halmeyer started his career when he was 12 years old at the West End theatre in Curaçao. Very soon his great talent for music was noticed and he was invited to travel to Trinidad, the cradle of the steel drum. There he found out that he wanted to become a musician and play the steel drums for the rest of his life.



Konkie Halmeyer combines Caribbean rhythms with Soul and Blues and has become a very popular soloist in the jazz world. Together with his band “Riba Tera” (Down to Earth) he performs at concerts in theatres, congresses, festivals and others. In addition to this, he also gives workshops.



Konkie started his career at the age of 12 in Curaçao in the West End theatre with the Little Moonlighters band lead by Robert Lake.



His talent impressed and two years later he got a ticket to Trinidad, the cradle of the steel drum. There he discovered: “This is it, for the rest of my life!” In 1972 he was part of the Scorpio Steel Combo composing and arranging for them.



Some years later he created his own trio called Splash Pan together with his friend and bassist Sherman van Heydoorn.



They played in hotels and other events in Curaçao, performed in Venezuela, Santo Domingo, and the other ABC islands and on cruise trips on the Caribbean Sea. He also went on tour with his trio in Sint Maarten and the Caribbean Islands Barbados, Mont Serat, Les saints and Guadeloupe.



Konkie took lessons in the music academy in composing and arranging and started writing his own compositions searching for his own sound and colour. He combined Caribbean rhythms with Soul and Blues and became more and more involved in the jazz world. In 1988 he shone with his steel drums in the First Jazz Festival of Curaçao.



After that he performed with great names of the jazz world like Paquito d’Rivera and Monty Alexander. Together with Monty Alexander he went on tour in Jamaica and got to know many different European countries. In 1993 he won the KLM JAZZ AWARD. It was now time to leave the islands and start a career in Europe.



Konkie plays the “queen” 3-1. This instrument was made in Dortmund, Germany by Eckhart Schulz. This unique chromatic drum consists of two parts and has 42 notes. It is a 3 in 1 instrument with a pitch from c# to f#3!!! It measures 2X67 cm.



1988: First Curaçao Jazz Festival with John Willekers “Jazz Expression”

1989: With Paquito d’ Riveira, at Curaçao Jazz Fastival

1989: Barbados Jazz Festival

1989: “La Habitacion”, Sint Maarten,

1990: Invited by Monty Alexander at Curaçao Jazz Festival

1990: Tour with Monty Alexander till 1994 in the Caribbean and Europe

1993: Konkie has won the KLM JAZZ AWARD

1993: North Sea Jazz Festival; invited by Hans Dulfer

1994: Performances in the Netherlands with Fra Fra Big Band

1995: Performance in Paris at the Unesco Congres with percussionist Nippi Noya

1996: Performances with Eric Calmes and his band Zamanakitoki,

1997: Touring on a cruise in the Caribbean seas

1998: Dick de Graaf featured Konkie Halmeyer in his septet

1998: Presentation of his first CD "Rap on Steel" at Curaçao, Bonaire, St Maarten, Trinidad

1998: Release of the video clip, "Rap on Steel", TV Curaçao en Bonaire

1998: Representing Holland and Antilles at the United Nations Congres, New York

1998: North Sea Jazz festival with Eric Calmes, Zamanakitoki

1998: Curaçao Jazz Festival

1998: Touring on the vessel Premier Cruises, SS Rembrandt

1999: North Sea Jazz Festival with Dick de Graaf septet

1999: Tour Holland and Germany with septet Dick de Graaf

1999: Konkie Halmeyer septet at Dias Latinos Amersfoort

1999: Radio and TV performances

2000: Formation Riba Tera (Down to Earth band) by Konkie Halmeyer

2000: Tour with Trio Riba Tera, The Netherlands

2000: Riba Tera performs at VPRO television

2000: Riba Tera plays on the North Sea Jazz Festival

2000: Riba Tera at the Dunya festival, Rotterdam

2001: Riba Tera tours in Holland and Germany

2001: Invited by percussionist Eddy Veldman at the North Sea

2001: Riba Tera, concerts and workshops at “Pan Kultur”, Dortmund Germany

2001: Performing with Dick de Graaf “Four Winds”

2002: Performances at Abidjan, (Ivory Coast)

2002: European Pan Festival France

2003: Riba Tera on tour in The Netherlands, Germany and the Caribbean

2004: Writing my book III fuente

2004: Cd presententation on Curaçao ''Bari di klabu''

2004: Workshop and t.v. interview on Curaçao

2004: Trinidad to show my new method for Steelpan at Pantrinbago

2004: Havana jazz with Down to earth

2005: International Pan week in Germany (Dortmund)

2005: Curaçao Jazz festival with trio Down to Earth

2005: Opening week of Culture Curacao

2005: Culture Price Cola Dubrot Curacao

2005: Duo Down to Earth at Bonaire



Recordings

1992: Isla - the Venezuelan group Gurufio

1993: Acoustic Band - Ronald Snijders

1994: Beyond Words and Dreams - Bart Fermie

1996: Rhythmical Nature - Cedric Dandaré

1998: Kaya Grandi - Eric Calmes Zamanakitoki

1998: Rap on Steel Konkie Halmeyer

1999: Burning of the midnight Lamp – Dick de Graaf

2000: One Woman’s Dream – Izaline Calister

2001: Bijlmer Jazz – Ronald Snijders

2001: Four Winds – Dick de Graaf

2002: Curandero - Ty Burhoe

2003: Latest album of saxophonist Harry Verbeeke

2004: Bari di Klabu - Konkie Halmeyer

2004: A dream came true with support of Kas di kultura '' Bari di klabu'' C.D.

2005: Performing solo III Fuente and trio Down to earth