Boostband

A multitude of stories, languages and rhythms in one band, the multi-voiced sound of Amsterdam East

What happens when people from all corners of the world come together to make music in an Amsterdam neighborhood? The Boostband shows what that sounds like. In a rehearsal space in Amsterdam East, a band of more than twenty musicians quickly came together, bringing a wide range of backgrounds, languages, and musical traditions. What connects them is a shared desire to play, to exchange, and to be heard.
During rehearsals, languages and styles flow seamlessly into one another – from Dutch to Arabic, from Kurdish to Farsi. Well-known songs take on new forms, translated and reinterpreted, while personal compositions and musical traditions from each performer’s background also find their place. The result is a vibrant, evolving repertoire in which different worlds come together and begin to listen to one another.
The Boostband was formed within the project Leven in je Buurt! by PRA Muziektheater, Dynamo, and BOOST, a meeting space for newcomers and local residents in Amsterdam East. Here, music becomes more than an artistic outcome—it becomes a tool for connection, exchange, and building confidence.
At Amsterdam Roots Festival, the Boostband brings this energy to the stage: an open, layered, and multi-voiced performance in which the sound of the city truly comes alive.