Heleen's first album Heard in the Scene (2002) mainly consisted of jazz & soul repertoire. For her second album and theatre tour with the same band, under the title Rush in the Woods! (2004) , Heleen's long-standing passion for tropical forests inspired the lyrics and compositions, all originals. With a new team, consisting of Jeroen Vierdag (bass), Erik Rutjes (guitar), Karel Boehlee (piano) and Bart Fermie (percussion) she recorded Way Back Home (2011) a musical tribute to life, despite all loss and longing.
Her fourth solo album Blue Lifeblood (2018) is dedicated to the water world. Reunited with Bert van den Brink, this time with bass player Theo de Jong and percussionist Shahin During, she stepped up to another level of vocal performance. In the same year she recorded an album with jazz standards with Steffen t Hart on piano, Songs for a Rainy Day (2018).
?Sapiens Unlimited (2024) is her new album made up of 100 % Heleen's originals inspired by humanity itself and how ancient features still run around in our blood today. With Erik Rutjes (guitar and co-production), Jeroen Vierdag (bass), Arthur Lijten (drums, percussion) and Marcus Olgers (keys & sounds).
All mentioned albums can be ordered as CDs or listened to on Spotify and others socials.
All along, Heleen has been active as a researcher and advisor in nature conservation worldwide. Her decennia-long intertwined passion led to Green Beat Performers, her initiative to promote nature-inspired music and musicians and their cooperation with social change makers. With IUCN NL and partners, she has developed nature inspired music projects in Indonesia, Brazil/Paraguay and Ghana. Heleen is open to new collaborations with nature inspired songwriting and the concept of Sapiens Unlimited in the years to come.
