BRASSOLOGIE | HERETICS UNDER THE MOON

Out of love for the music of these two musical eminences of the “chanson”, De Centrale unites a multicoloured group of fine artists for a musical homage to  Wannes Van de Velde (1937-2008) and Georges Brassens (1921-1981).
Dree Peremans introduces and steps in halfway as well. In 2016 his book “Wannes. Hier is hem terug” appeared with the publishing company EPO. An absolute Wannes connoisseur, who also has something to say on that other cross-patch, Georges Brassens.

KOEN DE CAUTER QUARTET

For Koen De Cauter  and his sons, Georges Brassens  belongs in the world of those other great masters like Django Reinhardt, Bach en Louis Armstrong. Together with Django Reinhardt he is just about the most important influence for the family De Cauter. Koen De Cauter already released 4 albums with interpretations of this great French chansonnier, from which one can clearly see that Koen has a more than special bond with Brassens. There are few who can measure up with Brassens and still remain themselves like Koen does. The choice of the songs is therefore not of his most famous hits, but a personal selection of songs he likes both lyrically as musically.
Rhythm guitarist Waso, contrabassist Dajo en clarinetist/guitarist Myrddin grew up with music. These three born musicians after 25 years of (often shared) stage experience stand firmly in their musical shoes. They played too and with many artists- both live and on recordings- to mention life and to the depths of their music – whether it is jazz, flamenco, chanson or something else.
Present multi-instrumentalist Koen De Cauter in short is not that obvious: 40 years on stage, many recordings, founded the Waso Quartet in ’75, which caused a revival of the Hot Club music,projects and recordings concerning Guido Gezelle, Brassens, Sydney Bechet, de Manouches, Wannes Van de Velde, New-Orleans Jazz, Musette, Hungarian gypsymuziek, South-American music… and of course Georges Brassens.

Koen De Cauter: vocals & guitar | Waso De Cauter: guitaar | Dajo De Cauter: contra bass | Myrddin De Cauter: clarinet
 

JAN DE SMET, HANS MORTELMANS, KOEN DE CAUTER & FRIENDS OF WANNES

After he brought the music of the American folk legends “Woody Guthrie” en “Pete Seeger” to the Flemish stages, musical centipede Jan De Smet  now revives the songs of that other legend “Wannes Van de Velde” . The Antwerp folksinger might have changed the temporary for the eternal in 2008; his music has not been forgotten.
“Wannes Van de Velde cannot be compared to many people in Flanders, because he also had a very engaged pen”. Says Jan De Smet. “He was kind of the voice of a generation that through means of chansons and songs , denounced many abuses in very strong words, but on the other hand could write down very poetic musings about life itself.”
Wannes-lover and fan of the very first hour Jan De Smet gathered 7 kindred musical spirits- amongst who no one less then Hans Mortelmans and Koen De Cauter along with different musicians from the accompanying band of Wannes Van de Velde himself- for a touching musical ode to the Antwerp folk singer under the suiting title “Wannes Van de Velde leeft!”
It is the recapture of a concert they already played two years ago at “Boterhammen in het Park”, “de Gentse Feesten” and the “folk festival van Dranouter” and a few months ago with overwhelming success on the ManiFiesta Festival in Bredene.

Jan De Smet: accordion & vocals | Hans Mortelmans: guitar & vocals | Koen De Cauter: soprano sax & vocals | Bernard Van Lent: accordion & vocals | Walter Poppeliers: bas & vocals | Kevin Van Staeyen: violin & vocals | Marc Hauman: vocals | Anne Heynen: violin