Raised in a musical family, daughter of the Dutch Bulgarian pop singer Bojoura and drummer Hans Cleuver (founder of Drumschool Cleuver and drummer of the progressive rock band Focus a.o.), Emilie learned drumming at her parents’ knees. It was at her fathers’ school where she was taught drumming by different teachers, including her own father. Growing up with a Drumschool next to the family’s home inspired her to become a drummer.
Apart from being a drummer, Emilie has also developed as a percussion player. She studied different percussion instruments (such as congas, bongos, timbales, cajón and daf) and took lessons from several top percussionists e.g. Adel Gonzalez and Roicel Riveròn. She has grown very fond of Cuban music.
Emilie has performed in different projects & productions in the Netherlands, such as Cirque Stiletto with leading lady Ellen ten Damme, percussion group Slagerij van Kampen, and all female latin band Zule Max, touring the country and several other countries in Europe. She is experienced at playing both drums and percussion in (electronic) pop & dance, funk, soul, fusion, hiphop, world, swing, Cuban and West-African music.
In 2018 her dream came true: she got the opportunity to play the drums in Cirque du Soleil’s big top show Amaluna, touring in North-America & Canada from 2019-2020. In 2021 she played the drums in Cirque du Soleil’s special event Fieri in Malta.
Next to performing, Emilie loves to teach as well: she teaches at Drumschool Cleuver and also gives percussion and music workshops at schools & companies.
Emilie plays Zildjian cymbals, Remo drumheads and TAMA drums.