From North to South filmfestfever is running through our tiny country. ArtistCongratz is covering both by attending several screenings of films that will project in cinemas accross Europe this fall.
Last month we had the chance to preview āNi vue ni Connueā at Cinema Palace in Brussels as an appetizer for this years edition of FIFF (Festival International du Film Francophone De Namur).
This film presents a paradox in plain sight. Starring one of Franceās most timeless as iconic actresses Isabelle Huppert, who ends up playingā¦an extra in films, desperately seeking her breakthrough role.
In trying to do so she manages to befriend staractress Sandrine Kiberlain, who plays herself. This genius combination works like a charm. Questions asked ? How far are women willing to go to support each other ? whatās not to enjoy ? But most of all: it all comes down to this: feeling as well as ceasing the right moment to shine along.
FIFF Press conference in Cinema Palace
Filmfest Ghent launches tonight
Seats still mostly empty for now but thatās about to change quickly as Filmfest Ghent opens tonightCoward, the new āLucas Dhontā opens this yearās edition of Filmfest Ghent šļø
As Close, Oscarnominated gem in 2023 by this young director from Ghent, Coward IS Belgiumās next opportunity to win an Academy Award. Hello L.A., this is Ghent callingā¦
Yet again Lucas Dhondts cinematography and storytelling are striking. Scene after scene, the feel is upclose and personal. Coward contains all the elements of an exceptional artwork. Historic yet timeless, brutal yet compassionate. Queer as fierce, vulnerable but brave. Truthful and dreamy. Something hidden in bright light. Especially Cameralight. Congratz, artists.
Just one week ago we were strolling through the wondrous world of childrenās books from every continent š š
Doing so on Italian soil always makes it all the more pleasantšš¤ā¤ļø
ArtistCongratz to Lauren (on the left in this pic). She is a young promising illustrating talent from Belgium with several published books displayed in Bologna š§šŖš
Like Lauren, 32,652 professionals visited this 63rd edition, showing a slight decline compared to 2025, partly attributable to the complex international context and transportation difficulties.
Lauren, on the left, having a most fun encounter with Mieke Evenepoel & Eva MariĆ«n at Belgian Publishing House Clavisā booth Illustrators meeting in the heart of the fair ! From left to right: Eleonora, Lauren and Rita
The fair, inaugurated on April 13, also your editorās birthday ;), took place at BolognaFiere alongside BolognaBookPlus (BBPlus) ā in collaboration with the Italian Publishers Association ā and Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids (BLTF/Kids), with Norway as Guest of Honour Country.
There were 1,540 exhibitors in Bologna, coming from over 90 countries and regions worldwide. New entries included Barbados, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Nepal, Rwanda, Senegal, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Zambia.
Over four days, Bologna once again became the global capital of childrenās publishing, the most important stage for rights and copyright exchange in the kids and young adult sector, and a promoter of content spanning the entire book supply chain and beyond, increasingly establishing itself as a cross-media hub: from scouting new talent to discovering new voices in emerging publishing markets, from gaming to audiovisual, comics and art.
š„ šļø
The Comics Corner, the area dedicated to comics, which each year attracts increasing participation from publishers ā both specialized and not ā from around the world, grew by 60% compared to 2025.
The BolognaBookPlus area expanded, with a +15% increase in exhibitor presence compared to the 2025 edition. Two new features enriched the BBPlus offer: the Designer Studio and the Writers Lab, spaces dedicated respectively to illustrators and writers for childrenās and general publishing.
Additionally, for the first time, within the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids, a space dedicated to the toy sector was introduced, developed also thanks to a strategic partnership with Play, another BolognaFiere event dedicated to board games.
Among the key themes of this edition: research intofables and fairy tales, in collaboration with UN Publications, the special category of the 2026 BolognaRagazzi Awards.
Winner š„spotted, the gold medal of the iJungle Illustration Awards goes to āMori & Goriā by Maryam Mahmoudi Moghadam from Iran š®š·
Collaboration with the UN also expanded to UN Women, focusing on gender representation in childrenās and young adult books, promoting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, of which BCBF has become a strong global advocate.
There was significant attention to sharing best practices worldwide for supporting reading among children and young people, as well as reflection on the role of European and international policies, with an international conference organized by BCBF and AIE in collaboration with the French Syndicat National de l’Ćdition (SNE), the Federation of European Publishers (FEP), the International Publishers Association (IPA), and International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY).
Alongside this, there was a focus on new reading habits that are redefining young peopleās relationship with reading, including illustrated books.
This particular illustration is the work of Lauren Pletinckx, attending the fair for the second time along with ArtistCongratz, firsttimer in 2025.Booklove is big in Bologna, also present in the citycenter.
The success of this yearās edition confirms the importance of the work carried out by the Bologna Childrenās Book Fair through activities ā including tours and initiatives ā that go beyond the Bologna event and continue throughout the year, also thanks to the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and Italian Trade Agency (ICE).
This 2026 edition of the Bologna Childrenās Book Fair, closed up together with BolognaBookPlus and the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids.
Our sincerest Congratz to the organizing parties and all inspiring artists at the fair, nice meeting so many of you, from across the globe and our own tiny country Belgium š«¶ Tiny but full of promising talent āļø
Sarah Sader is a bookpublisher from Libanonšš±š§ We met at the PublisHer Lounge, a unique platform that supports women in publishing globally. Pleased to meet you Sarah !Such an honour to have a chat with Mrs. Ana Maria Cabanellas from Argentinaš¦š· She became the first female president of the International Publishers Association and received a Lifetime Achievement award. Congratz š šA very fun encounter with illustrators from down underš¦šŗš¦šØ. Nice meeting you Adam Wallace, Ben Sanders and mates likeā¦ āBanksyāš¤
The next edition of the Bologna Childrenās Book Fair ā with BolognaBookPlus and the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids ā will take place at BolognaFiere from April 5 to 8, 2027, with Poland as Guest of Honour Country.
From Belgium, with booklove, publisher: De Eenhoorn š¦, also hosting a busy network event at this cozy wine bar in the heart of Bolognaās city center, organized by Elly Simoens, here in the picture with Lauren.Thank you for the invite š & nice meeting yāall fine bookpeople ! šøšŖš³š±š§šŖ Cheers to books & inspiration š¦š·š·Fyi: your editors instagramname contains her starsign at the end: tania_gh_ram (Aries in Dutch) ššš²š¾ššŗšøš¬š§ Harper Collins, along with Random House, remains one of the by authors most coveted publishing houses worldwide
Remember the last time the Music Industry awarded its top of Belgian pop in our capital? Litterallyā¦
Most of all how flabbergasted we all remain by Oscar and the Wolfās stunning performance on top of Belgiumās pride and Joy. Hard to top a textbook-entrance like that.
Glad to be back near our national monument to congratulate the creators of last yearās equally shining music highlights in person @ ING arena
As now unmasked singer/winner and extremely funny comedian Jade Mintjens reveals one of the many awards for her colleague Pommelien Thys, nowadays called Pommequeen, hEr Mia-collection reaches astronomous proportions. Rapper Zwangere Guy finally sees years of hard work rewarded šChampagnetables, waiting for their guests to arriveSwift feedback from Best Dance Winner and world dj Charlotte De Witte after receiving her long overdue Mia: Ā« Finallyā¦ Ā» she thanks her audience by treating them with live sets in the city center of her hometown Ghent š. Congratz Charlotte, your call we print: Ā«Protect the clubsĀ»
At ESNS, often a true indicator for talent on the verge of breakthrough, ArtistCongratz had a chat with Sylvie Kreusch last year.
And at this yearās 40th edition, just a few weeks ago, we already could feel the potential of Kaat Van Stralen. Confirmed last Wednesday by the Music Industry.
And the award for Best Alternative went toā¦Kaat Van Stralen. They embody punk and circumstance with empowering lyrics. The crowd (as well as the nominees) went ballistic to their signature song Ā«Stop met wenenĀ» (Stop crying)
What an acceptance speechš¤ Kaat herself made her fellow bandmembers shine and urges all of us to speak up and most of all to do something, facing these challenging times.Sylvie Kreusch, herself again also nominated for best Alternative, accepted an award for her colleague Nina Kortekaas (Best musician) and sang alongside Lifetime Achievement awarded Axelle RedWhat a career ! Congratz Axelle Red with Your Lifetime Achievement award. In your music we trustā¦This song could not be more relevant today š„Ā« Parce que cāest toi Ā», was performed live by Axelle & fellow vocal artist Mentissa, another evergreen to stand the test of (challenging) time.Best band Bazart presenting live their brandnew rhythmic sing-along-in-the-making: Ā«Begin opnieuwĀ» meaning: Start over, a message that clearly speaks to a broad audience š„šµMia, upclose, not personal ;)ššµ(Artist)Congratz from the carpet š„³ āļø Next year, same time, same place ?
No better way to start our year, heading north for the picturesque town of Groningen. To witness first hand how music keeps moving Europe, every way possible.
Especially festive this 40th edition of ESNS offered another new generation of young talent stages all over the city to share their newborn repertoire. With music professionals from across and even beyond Europe. Break through(s) across the continent coming š
As we blog about it, it turns out Camille makes a particularly strong debut in the ESNS-chart, entering at number 11 with this very single, a moving mixture of compelling storytelling and distinctive sound.
Her strong momentum is to be continued on stages across the continent, starting by La Ville des LumiĆØres on April 28th, where she wil play at La Maroquinerie.
In Springtime: Paris awaits š«Ticketsale on going ā¤µļø
Care for more impressions of this yearās special anniversary edition ? Enjoy the ESNS vibe in our photo gallery šø
Lia Kali, singer songwriter from Barcelona šŖšø, gave a live performance at the Stadsschouwburg after winning both the Public Choice and the Grand Jury Award.Lia is known for her genre-blending musical style that combines soul, reggae, jazz, R&B, and Latin pop.These MME-awardwinning singer songwriting sisters are called Sarah Julia, an exceptional band, made inā¦The Netherlands š³š±, homecountry which they also represented in the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2013On behalf of Carpetman, a heartwarming thank you adressed to Europe for supporting country Ukraine šŗš¦ Projecting trips down memory lane on landmarks in the city center It gave extra shine to this jubilee edition: the list of world famous artists who started their career @ ESNS is quite impressiveš§šŖš
āļøLetās highlight our (y)early Octoberās cinemahigh ! ArtistCongratz strolling through Filmfest Ghent. In this yearās opener; the unique fragile yet strong story about Julian, Director Cato Kusters tells a true story about a love between two women in the most moving way. No wonder Julian will also premiere this November 7th, powered by FFO, Filmfest by the Sea.
āļøHow about Lāinteret dāAdam? Whatās in the best interest of a small child, accompanied by a young mother, close to dispair. A driven nurse, followed non stop by the camera throughout the entire movie, is determined to find that out. This mustsee can be seen in Belgian cinemas as we blog about it.
And what about a remarkable view on how mother Theresa became MOTHER Theresaā¦
An endeavour to discover, but most of all a story about human doubt, portrayed by a director filming like a painter on a canvas, finding just the right balance between (audio)visual art and storytelling.
ArtistCongratz witnessed a talkie at Filmfest Ghent with director Teona Strugar Mitevska and Belgian actress in a supporting role Marijke Pinoy, shining alongside Noomi Rapace.
Belgian actress Marijke Pinoy (left) & director Teona Strugar Mitevska being interviewed by Anke Brouwers, journalist and lecturer at Kask Ghent
I gladly share some quotes and impressions of the talkie regarding MOTHER that stuck with ArtistCongratz ā¤ļø
āAllow yourself to go into unknown watersā
āEmbodying a character to the best of oneās abilityā
āFeel the human doubt in this movieā
āDeciding to act with or without helpā
āAct while doubtingā
Mother Teresaās idea š” women for women
A movie about power, containing details only a woman director can bring, like the confirmation of a myth that sistersā cycles are n sync š
Building bridges between different worlds has been Daniel Verstappenās mindset for quite a while. Always aware of new sources of inspiration crossing his path, The pianist and composer clearly has found a new one in the Ā«silhouettesĀ» of designer Katerin Theys.
At his latest Castle concert at Alden Biesen Belgium last Sunday (September 7th) he improvised live š¹to pay tribute to her creationsš„»š
The designer, based in Belgium as well as Hong Kong, and the maestroās first collaboration goes back to earlier this year when Daniel was touring through Japan and South Korea, while wearing her designs on stage.
Also starring last Sunday at Alden Biesen š°: the amazing soprano Janine Kitzen and the one and only Marina Barskaya and her inseperable fiddle š»š¼.
Congratulations are in order once again!
We gladly share some more images of ArtistCongratz proudly presenting all this extraordinary talentā¦
All on stage (including your presenter;)) wore Katerinās silhouettes, as the designer herself likes to call them. (See pics below)
Last month ArtistCongratz managed to witness and interview a particular actress and singer with more experiences than most of us combined. Not only has she been around for more than ten decades, sheās doing it while sharing her talent and stories with us on stage to this day, celebrating a century full of life.
At 101, Alice Toen still has the twinkle of a youngster in her eyes. Like a living story book seasoned with poetry and songs she matches extremely well with young(er) musicians in a unique formula of spoken word meets nostalgia through intimate vocals and strings. Her mantra ? Keep on creating, love your time on stage and healthy food.
Enjoy a visual glimpse of her performance at the opening night of this years TAZ-edition at Kursaal Ostend ā¤µļø
Some time ago I blogged about a particular singer-songwriter-by the-seaš. One who manages to āmarryā his ānative languageā to the ones of the audience heās playing for. On his new (fifth) album, he even presents a song exactly about that. However, this native language heās singing and writing in, sounds so appealing it might as well beā¦(y)ours and by all means all ācitizens of the worldā
ArtistCongratz also likes to refer to it as the juiciest form of āWestern Flemishā š¤ totally in line with the undeniable wit ofā¦ Augustijn Vermandere, fellow citizen of the world š š¶, paying tribute to the universal power of music, which we all can use even more in present times š
En/Of was presented in his hometown Ostend at cityās concerthall De Grote Post. The title of the album means a lot more than its literal translation: And/Or. How about āFor Sure, we want this universal tribute to music coming through our earplugs & headphones all over the planetš§ !ā
See, listen and discover for yourselves how Augustijn manages to captivate his audience, becoming more and more smitten with his catchy lyrics, tunes andā¦very own language š¶ā¤µļø
En/of, translation: and/or is the Fifth album for Augustijn. He can sing in whatever language and still sound extremely universal; as Ā«Western FlemishĀ» by the North Sea should be of course ššæ
33318 trade visitors in just four days, taking part in over 500 events.
Curated by BCBF and its 1,577 exhibitors from approximately 95 countries.
Covered by journalists from over 40 countries. ArtistCongratz š§šŖbeing one, took part for the first time. While blogging; accompanying, spotting and matching fine young talented illustrators and authors on their journey towards discoveryš”āļø
šš¼ļøš§šŖšøš¦ the only way, look š š Belgium meets Saudi Arabia at Bolognaās Childrenās Bookfair 2025
So far some impressions, facts and figures of the 62nd Bologna Fiere in a nutshell.
Care for more sneak peeks of our own journey as Bologna Fair Firsttimers?
Keep up the viewing ā¤µļø
Nice meeting Hooria from Germany/Iran (on the left in the picture). She is studying educational science, working on a dentist project to be illustrated for kids AND parents. This was at the PublisHer Booth network event on Wednesday, while sheās watching drawings from Lauren, a young emerging Belgian illustrator whoās latest publication āNachtraafmeisjeā (author Gitta Van Lommel) was highlighted at the Fiere by Belgian Publisher Clavis ā¤µļøFind out more about Laurenās impressive work as an illustrator ā”ļøhttps://www.laurenpletinckx.comLauren Pletinckx, Belgian illustrator of āNachtraafmeisjeā written by Belgian author Gitta Van Lommel, published by ClavisHarper Collins, one of the biggest international bookpublishers world wide, of course also present in Bologna
Presenting this yearās Guest of Honour Country: Estonia šŖšŖNice booktalks in English & āun poco Italianoā over Dolce š§ & Espresso āļø at PublisHer Booth on Wednesday morning šHow about a story totally written in a fictitious language ?Belgian and internationally renowned author Wally De Doncker taking a look at Laurenās portfolio š¼ļøšļøThank you for recognizing and encouraging young illustrating talent !
āBuilding new professional relationshipsā
ArtistCongratz is definitely on the same networking page as Antonio Bruzzone, General Director of BolognaFiere, who looks back on this 62nd extraordinary edition as a fair that continues to grow in participation and quality.
The success of the exhibitor numbers from all over the world is the result of the scouting work that the fair carries out, a constant and global commitment: being present worldwide, all year round, is essential to understand the trends of markets, including emerging ones, and to build new relationships.
Antonio Bruzzone General Director of BolognaFiere
Antonio Bruzzone: We are also honoured to continue our collaboration with the United Nations, a prestigious partner with whom we share a commitment to sustainability, both in editorial content and in industrial processes, a theme that is increasingly crucial for the future of publishing and beyond.
Among new participating countries this year Albania, Azerbaijan, Ecuador, Georgia, Guatemala, Iceland, Madagascar, Malta, North Macedonia, Peru, Sri Lanka (Thailand) and Saudi Arabia, where ArtistCongratz received a warm welcome šø while promoting the work of Belgian emerging illustrator Lauren Pletinckx The fair confirms itself as the most important global stage for the exchange of rights and copyrights in the children’s and young adult sector, promoting content that develops throughout the entire book chain and beyond ā¤µļø
From scouting new talents to seeking new voices in emerging publishing markets. Additionally, among the main novelties of this edition was the new Games Business Centre ā in collaboration with Frankfurter Buchmesse and created with Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids ā which joined the second edition of the TV/Film Rights Centre, completing Bologna’s book-to-screen offering: a success with over 600 meetings held between publishers and professionals from the gaming and audiovisual industries.
The theme of sustainability was at the heart of the debate, through renewed collaboration with the United Nations and a focus this year also on the sustainability of publishing industry processes, in a meeting curated together with BBPlus, the space dedicated to general publishing that completes the fair’s editorial offering.
BolognaBookPlus 2025 was sold out with a waiting list for the first time. Rights were traded among the 56 participating countries. With an AI Summit run with Shimmr, an Audio Forum and a multitude of seminars featuring industry leading.
Along with the Fiere more than 100 underground events were organised by exhibitors at the exhibition centre and around the city. Four days of the event during which Bologna becomes the global capital of childrenās publishing every year. But the fair is also international in terms of digital presence and media coverage, with over 2 million pageviews from more than 180 countries.
The 63rd edition of Bologna Childrenās Book Fair, along with BolognaBookPlus and Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids, is expected to take place at BolognaFiere from April 13 to 16, 2026, with Norway as the Guest of Honour Country.
BolognaFiere 2025 (31.03-03.04) is organized by BolognaBookPlus (BBPlus) – in collaboration with the Italian Publishers Association and Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids (BLTF/Kids).Our Aftermovie entitled: āRockinā it at BCBF š®š¹ā šŗšļø
Did you know that World Piano Day is held on the 88th day of the year because most pianoās have 88 keys? Who else than a pianist would know and want to share this scintillating fact?
The one playing a keyrole in this story we have been following for quite a few years.
Wonderyears that is. As in plural. As Daniel Verstappen continues to grow as an artist every season of every year. No wonder Vivaldi inspires him so much ;)āļøāļø
His golden formula: connecting and reconnecting with cultures and like minded artists through his piano play. The instrument being his absolute Soulmate š¹ and inspiration, also has become a signature song š¶. Extra to be celebrated on March 30.
In 2024 his worldtour took Daniel to iconic playgrounds like Sydney Opera House and Carnegie Hall New York.
Just a few weeks ago he dazzled part of India along with the Belgian-Indian soprano Turiya Haudenhuyse.
Scroll to see which Belgian Royal was in admiration of these two talented artists who happened to be former co students at the music academy.
We could and would not deprive you from sharing our latest live encounter with these mesmerizing artists. Enjoy last Sunday at Castle Alden Biezen, not far from Danielās hometown, as if you had frontrow seats š
Impressions of an impressive improvisation š¶š¹
Daniel also likes to encourage young pianotalent and introduces them at his concertsā¤µļøthis particular young maestro is only 15 years old (!)
Meet the maestro, the soprano, the piano prince and the fiddle fairy š¹š¤š§ š»Daniel Introducing Juul Smekens, winner of the latest piano talent hunt https://www.turiyahaudenhuyse.com
In June the Bridges Between Cultures-story is to be continued in the far eastā¦as Daniel is headed forā¦Japan. And last but not least he is working on a brandnew album. Looking forward š but first another royal flashbackā¤µļø
š
This highlight in Mumbai just a few weeks ago in the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium is also one for the books.
Thank you for treating the audience every single night to your dazzling twists and turns on the shipās Broadway theater stage. Not to mention your stunts at last Thursdayās White Goodbye-Party of course š¤ š
One of the last but certainly not the least showcases we witnessed at ESNS back in January was the gig of twins JĆrĆ & Ondrej from Czech Republic šØšæ aka BratrĆ. An impressive immersive experience awaited.
See for yourselvesā¦unfortunately this blog is not (yet) fourdimensional, otherwise we would treat you as well to the mint flavours šµand the appetizers š„ in the second and the third below ā¤µļø
No Belgian Music Week without Flanders Music Industry Awards š§šŖ
I assure you, ArtistCongratz does not have one of these š® to predict awardwinnersā¦š¤šAlthough our āhunchesā rarely turn out to be deceiving;). Just two weeks ago we managed to have three time winner Sylvie Kreusch in front of our mic at ESNS Groningen. She confided in ArtistCongratz that her spending hours at her grannyās addic amidst tons of books might have something to do with the birth of her album Comic Trip š¦øš»āāļøš¶
Sylvie Kreusch sure knows how to pass a ācontestā with flying colours š§šŖ she is on the verge of her international tour across Europe. Check tourdates: https://www.sylviekreusch.com/tour pics by Jokke (VRT)
K Choaw wham bamš„, Cheers šøand Congratz što leading ladies Sylvie Kreusch, Pommelien Thys & Eefje De Visser.
Despite the title āIk wil dat je liegtā/ āNeed you to lieā turns out to be such a thruthful song to so many š¶ Maksim also beautifully performed the song live in Dutch and English at tv awardsshow De Kastaars with singer Barbara DexAnd the equally enchanting Berre who wins best Album happens to live in our neighborhood. Make sure to check our previous ESNS post for upclose and personal live footage š¶
Letās move on to the somewhat little less gentlemen Average Rob among others. They manage to create a new Belgian Anthem I will not deprive you fromā¤µļø
Our newest Belgian Anthemš¶šš by these two āplayful scoundrelsā, infamous YouTubers Omdat Het Kan & Average Rob, performed live at the Awards & preferably to be consumed with Belgian fries, yes they are Belgian, š§šŖ the fries šš„šš„āļø
Absolute GOAT of the MIAs (Music Industry Awards) remains Stromae with a stunning number of 20 but QueenPommelien and her 12 statues now share the runner up position with international Belgian artists AngĆØle and Milow. Congratz šøš¼š
ArtistCongratz š
Interviewing Stromae @ The Miaās in 2011 š¶
This MIA-edition, Pommelien, who is immensely popular with the youngest youngsters, cashed in 4 of her 7 nominations. She wins in the audience categories ‘Dutch-song’, ‘Pop’ and ‘Solo artist’. With ‘Het beste moet nog komen (The Best is Yet to Come) she also has the ‘Hit of the year 2024’ up for grabs. During the MIAs 2022 she won 3 awards and last year 5. Including this year’s 4, she has collected a total of 12 MIAs. Impressive to say the least.
And how about the well deserved reward of A Live Experience with Capital L from Brutus, extra Congratz & All Round Applause to Stefanie, Peter & Stijn please ššøš„š¶ AC had the opportunity to interview the band in Bruges back in 2023ā¤µļø
And now the moment weāve all been waiting forā¦ Happy Belgian Music Week š¶š§šŖļæ¼!
Marta DaāRo & audience in full stage trance
In our previous post we gave you a sneak peek of what drives sixtime Awardnominee Sylvie Kreusch but at the same time we witnessed more young music talent from Belgium live at ESNS ā¤µļø
ArtistCongratz is delighted to share live ESNS-showcase footage with you from
Marta Daāro, Berre and Coltā¬ļøš¶
Marta Daāro immediately sets the tone at the start of her showcase The energy and charisma of Colt as a unique duo is undeniableColt view by Boomerang ššFor Berre, It all started by sharing his songs on TikTok, until his talent got noticed by major recordcompany Universal š
It was great to see hope and perseverance translated into music by so many talented youngsters from all over Europe at this yearās EuroSonicNoorderslag in Groningenš³š± š¼šŖšŗ
Stay posted for āTwins Peakingā from Czech Republic šØšæ in the Netherlands at Het Paleis Groningen. Artists & twinbrothers Jiri and Ondrej were interviewed by ArtistCongratz once before. It became a joyful reunion beyond their immersive experience frontstage filling a typical BrĆ”trĆās dancefloor. Mint flavor fumes on top of the beats included.
But first things first letās have a closer look on some Belgians B(l)ooming at ESNS š§šŖšµ
With Belgian music week š§šŖš¶just around the corner it was a pleasure to witness the latest generation of our music scene live, first hand. Featuring among others (we will surely see in the future): the energetic duo Colt, the enchanting Berre, the captivating Marta Daāro and of course a vision in blue and multiple Belgian Music Industry Awardnominee Sylvie Kreusch ā¤µļø š¤
Sylvie Kreusch, an Audio-vision in blue š¶ at Oosterpoort Groningen on Thursdaynight January 15-16th
Her hopeful high notes and lyrics are often inspired by her own experiences, she told ArtistCongratz.
And about a decade after performing here with her first band Soldiers Heart she nailed it again with a stunning solo performance at Oosterpoort Groningen and an extra showcase at the iconic recordstore PlatoSonic.
Sylvie Kreusch: Hard to believe that I first played @ ESNS about ten years ago, Time flies!
AC: Your newest album takes us on a Comic Trip š„, literally. This being reminiscent to the world of comic heroes, were you inspired by themš¦øš»āāļø?
Sylvie Kreusch: Actually not really no. My music is mostly inspired by my own life. Kind of š But during my childhood I spent a lot of time in my grandmotherās addic, where she happened to have a lot of comics šstored. I spent a lot of hours reading there, with my head in the clouds, literally.
Along those clouds šSylvie takes you anywhere ā¦on a Comic Trip like this one: once upon a time in her very own wild wild westš„
Another song of Sylvie is becoming an anthem beyond borders. Performing it live at ESNS while connecting with the audience in her own unique way proved once again that āWalk, walkā already is an evergreen.
AC: āWalk walkā seems to have a healing effect on a lot of peopleā¦
It is a hopeful song. And kind of therapeutic isnāt it ? I guess all of us can relate to those moments when we are razed to the ground. And then we build ourselves back š
Sylvie Kreusch š āWalk, baby, walkš¶ā
What better venue to treat the audience to an extra private showcase than this iconic recordstore called PlatoSonic in Groningen š¤š
Comic Trip (down memorylane š½ also available on vinyl)
Breaking News from ESNS š° āArtistCongratzā to the winners and nominees of the 2025 edition of the Music Moves Europe Awards !š Glenn Micallef – EU Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport handed the MME Public Choice Award 2025 to Judeline from SpainšŖšøš¶ and stated: āMusic breaks barriers and brings people together. It composes the soundtrack of our lives, I am so proud to witness such a variety of sheer talent, bringing the promise of a bright future for the European music scene.ā Judeline also won an MME Award 2025 together with Kingfishr from Ireland, Naomi Sharon from Netherlands, Night Tapes from Estonia and Uche Yara from Austria.
The prestigious MME Grand Jury Award (the red one ā¤ļø) was presented to YamĆŖ from France.Member of the Grand Jury Jess Iszatt from BBC handing over this coveted award to Yame š«š·Host Shay Kreuger (r) interviewing Uche Yara from Austria š¦š¹
āEmpowerment through vulnerabilityā it was a well received quote and message from Groningen š³š±across Europe šŖšŗ to the world š, emphasized by this yearās vivid, smooth and colorful presenter Shay Kreuger at the Music Moves Europe Awards ceremony during ESNS.
A powerful message to a changing world. One to spread, cherish, create and live by š¼ļø , beyond the annual epicenter of the European Live music industry.
What better way than to disclose this call of faith through š music ?
By encouraging emerging talent from all over Europe, granting them well deserved awards and 40 minute gigs to show their creations to bookers across Europe. This week was showtime at EuroSonicNoorderslag in Groningen.
Yours truly at the entrance of Groningenās citytheatre, traditional venue of the MME Awards š āLet music move Europe and all of us forward š¶ ā
The MME Awards 2025 welcomed a renewed independent jury, including; Jess Iszatt (BBC Introducing), Filip KoÅ”Å„Ć”lek (Festival Colours of Ostrava), Kenza Naaimi – El Fezzazi (FIP), Annika Walsh (Spotify). In addition, each year the MME Public Choice Award winner of the previous year joins the jury. This year this seat is taken by Zaho de Sagazan from France.
STAY TUNED for more ESNS highlights, next Artists to Congratz in line are the amazing twinband BratrĆ from Czech Republic šØšæ & of course the ones in my Belgium Booms-specialš§šŖ. Coming š
Except for the exquisite World soundtracks of course. This yearās Filmfest Ghent hit another home run in many ways.
Welcoming international talent in, whilst showing all kinds of audiences what we have to offer when it comes to absolute must sees in cinemaās worldwide. From Julie Keeps Quiet, Small Things Like These to Milano or The Weeping Walk.
Or BXL, winning the audience award in Ghent; wearing the signature consonants of our capital with pride. Also on our go see list: LāAmour Ouf, Les Femmes Au Balcon, A Beautiful Imperfection, Ana + Yek etc.
Lots of new work to explore, both by viewers and dedicated filmmakers developing their way in cinema.
Congratz are in order ā¤µļøā¤µļøā¤µļøā¤µļø
š¬što a true pride and joy š§šŖin international filmindustry: Tim Mielants for making Small Things Like These, based upon the historic fiction novel by Claire Keegan. Lifting the taboo of distressing conditions in the infamous āMagdalene Laundriesā
Oscar winner Cillian Murphy plays Bill Furlong, a coal merchant in 1985 in New Ross, Ireland. When he was born, his mother was an unmarried teenager, ostracised by her family but permitted to continue working respectably as a maid by her kind-hearted employer. Now a financially independent adult, Bill prepares for the approaching Christmas with his wife and five daughters.
While delivering coal to the local convent, he begins to suspect that their supposed training school for girls is, in fact a cruel āMagdalene Laundryāā¦
š¬š to Dimitri Verhulst, iconic author of many classic novelsšfor bringing his skills and talent to the big screen for the very first time. The seventh artform clearly suits him too. Resulting in The Weeping Walk (Waarom Wettelen), a quest followingā¦a funeral through Flanders mysterious waysā¦
Fragment āThe Weeping Walkā (c) Toon Aerts
š¬š to Leonardo Van Dijl, directing āJulie keeps quietā, in the running for the longlist of Oscar contenders. One of those stories that needed to be ātold while remaining untoldā. A talented female tennis player chooses to remain silent while coping with abusive behaviour of a former trainer. Her environment being ok with the silence granting her time to healā¦š¾š
š¬š to Christina Vandekerckhove, director of documentaries capturing human nature often in underprivileged environments. Stories from generations of unfortunate families she encountered while making āRabotā partly inspired Christina for her first fiction film āMilanoā.
Fragment āMilanoā by Christina Vandekerckhove (c) LumiĆØre
The first Belgian film featuring a deaf actor captures the struggles of a young deaf boy called Milano (named after his fathers favourite soccerteam AC Milanā½ļø), who is curious to find out more about his biological mother who abandoned him as a baby. His whereabouts are reluctantly witnessed by his also struggling but none the less protective and loving father (Matteo Simoni).
ArtistCongratz had an interesting talk with Christina about the making of Milano at Filmfest Ghent right before presenting the film in Rome š®š¹
AC: Milano contains a lot of close up shotsā¦
Christina: Yes, I wanted this very different approach in filming. While the camera often remains static in Rabot, in here I wanted the camera amidst all action. A bit more rough and gritty as well.
Through Milano I want to show the immense powerlessness people can face in sometimes extreme situations. Not being able to communicate or express emotions like guilt and simply not being able to say sorryā¦ But also the unwavering loyalty this child has towards both parentsā¦
Christina Vandekerckhove
The director alongside her debuting starring actor Basil Wheatley at the premiĆØre of the film last week at Filmfest Ghent. Christina: When Basil came in at the castings, I instantly knew that he was my Milano. I wanted a very different approach in filming. While the camera often remains static in Rabot, for Milano I wanted the camera amidst all action. A bit more rough and gritty as well.Thank you Christina for the inspiring talk about Milano, (our entire interview is available on podcast (Dutch)) https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bernard-bosch1/episodes/Tania-en-Christina-Vandekerckhove-e2pnbcf
Now and then ArtistCongratz likes a colorful refreshing trip down memory lane. Preferably on crossroads where different music generations inspire each other.
This actual refresh of an extra colorful iconic Antwerp based band from the seventies embodies such a vibe like no other could.
As yours truly their driving force today, Bjƶrn Eriksson jr., also happened to be a toddler in the seventies. Back then, his father Karl Eriksson, the original guitar player, pulled his strings alongside Gowie Meeusen, Ben Bervoets, Bo Spaenc and Gene Bervoets. Their In your face punk would turn out to be legendary.
Discover stories featuring two generations of Plastik Bags, chatting with both Gene and Bjƶrn.
Gene: Bjƶrn did all the remastering. Itās his project now actuallyā¦but I can only guess what he experienced as a toddler listening to us (laughs).
Bjƶrn: Although I have a great beard myself now, (Gene laughs) My father looks younger than I do. (Laughs)
āTeaming up with some Plastik Bagsā
Bjƶrn: I can still remember seeing some concerts as a small child. The original bandmembers definitely had some fascination for plastic bags. They used to dress up in them, thatās all I can remember. I think there was this roadie, a good friend, who came up with the idea to hang a couple of šÆ plastic bags on the ceiling during the concerts.
Gene: We all wore them at the time.
AC: Youād have to have model like features to show them offā¦
Gene: Not all of us do I guess (laughs)
AC: Ageless music and charisma could also do the trick š Do all ages come to the concerts nowadays ?
Bjƶrn: We did a release concert of the new album in Antwerp. For a lot of old fans of course but also very young people really seem to like it.
Gene: There is some kind of punk revival going on at the momentā¦it appeals to young people because there is a lot of energy in it. When I listen to the radio, I hear a lot of ālow profile musicā, while punk is really āin your faceā.
I think that youngsters are surprised that older people also used to think that people in their fifties or sixties were practically not able to walk anymore š
Thatās actually the spirit of the Plastic Bags pioneers: Weāre still in our twenties š
At the start of what we hopefully will refer to as the long hot festivalsummer of 2024, ArtistCongratz would like to zoom in on a colourful artist named Joran Kunde.
Born and raised in Ghent, with roots in Kameroun, this rapper, producer and multi instrument player combines hip hop elements with contemporary jazz, funk and afro-beatsš¶.
With a debut called āDandelionā, we are almost immediately triggered to find out more about the story behind an extraordinary album, named after what we all tend to refer to asā¦weeds.
Kunde: Dandelion.š¼ The little fluffy flower you can blow the seeds from, felt like a metaphor to me. Throughout the years I thought about it visually several times.
I remember being very fond of these flowers when I was little. I loved to blow on them, to see them āfloatā. But I also remember a woman telling me: āDonāt blow on those, they spread weeds.ā They turned out to be unwanted flowers. At least for most people. I didnāt see them that way.
āIn between Belgium and Kamerounā
Kunde: Growing up in Belgium while having roots somewhere else had its challenges, like anywhere else.You have to kind of adapt to some kinds of climate to flourish.
So I began to see the dandelion as this metaphor. Feeling like a little seed, blown through the winds of time, looking for a place to sprout, grow and flourish. At the same time being labeled āan unwanted flowerā.
Joran Kunde
The trigger for the album actually came from going back to Kameroun where part of my roots are. Far far away, like seeds of Dandelion, flown with the wind.
I donāt think people should be bound to geography, migration is a natural process. In my core as a human being I believe that all humans on this planet originally come from Africa somehow. Dandelion is a way to reflect all thisā¦
Kunde about his concert in Ancienne Belgique on March 27th: Surreal and fantasticā¦itās crazy to perform at such an iconic location and opening for icons like Amadou & Maryam. This was the second time we played in AB. Six months prior we did one show in AB-club. Being able to play for the first time in the main hall for more than 1500 people felt awesome.About his collaboration with singer songwriter Helena Casella:
AC witnessed her live at TAZ 2023. Kunde: I played the day before herā¦
AC: sorry we missed thatā¦are you working together regularly?
Kunde: I am actually working on a second album. Iām still figuring out how the music will work but I already have one song with her. Fun fact: we recorded it the same date we recorded
āYou should knowā on which Helena features. After a session of three hours, we felt the inspiration and made something from scratch. We both felt that this was not a one time thingā¦
Never before the controverse was so omnipresent at the worlds most legendary music festival. The ESC of Malmƶ is one for the historybooks. How symbolical this Switzerland win. Although neutrality no longer seems of this world when innocent children are paying the price.
But it should be about the music. United by Music is not a hollow sentence. Itās a way of life. For artists and audiences worldwide šFrom Europe to Australia š¶šŖšŗš¦šŗ
ArtistCongratz
A great song with a message should always win. š„ Congratz on a flawless, ground-, border-, award-šand code breaking performance finding a š Ā«NemoĀ»š¤šš¤
Special Congratz to my contemporaries Malin Ć kerman & Petra Medešøš¼šøš»šøšŖ, ultimate professionals, presenting and hosting this 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in difficult circumstances ššļøš§š»š¶Dear Malin, Petra, On a slightly smaller scale;) but nonetheless extremely fun- weāre definitely colleagues;), (picture taken yesterday in the studio of our local radiostation šļøwhilst me (also in white;)) presenting and co-hosting a Eurovision parade throughout history š¶ Which felt amazing, so I can only imagine what it must feel like to actually host the Eurovision Song Contest šš„°šAlso Special Congratz to this years runner up Croatiašš·and No 3 La Douce France š«š·, our personal favouritesĀ« Finding Nemo next level Ā»
Inside a Directorās mind ā”ļøTom Van Avermaetā¤µļøš¬
What if a living statue falls for a real one? Sounds like an instant recipe for a universal fairytale doesnāt it? A unique lovestory pairing new to ancient times. A fine filmmaker makes it come true on the big screen in āHearts of Stoneā.
Scene š¬ from āHearts of Stoneā, shot in this beautiful park in metropolis Antwerp
Step into the mind of director Tom Van Avermaet. Inventive, extremely creative and perfectionist upon till The End-credits of his brainchildrenš.
And yes most certainly his name should ring more than one bell. A previous short film of his, called āDeath of A Shadowā, featuring another Belgian pride- and joy in cinema; Matthias Schoenaerts, was nominated for an Oscar in 2013.
What better way to find out more about the making of his newest production than to ask the director himselfā¦
Tom: Iāve always been fascinated by living statues. I knew they were out there. Acting and pretending to be statues. It made me think about what their world would or could be like. Turned out their community was slightly different from what I imagined.
AC: Howās that?
Tom: I always wanted to do something with living statues in film. But not quite sure yet about the kind of story I should tell about them. I guess I had more of a naĆÆve kind of view on their world to begin with.
Maybe I saw them less as professionals and more like this kind of imaginary community.
In my world living statues would be people that long for a time that isnāt there anymore or maybe never was. Some sort of imagined pastā¦and going back to this imaginary past that maybe never existed.ā So I decided to use that by tellingā¦a love story. Baseline: āLiving statue falls in love with a real statue.ā Which kind of made sense to me instantly.
This particular scene was also shot in Antwerp (Handelsbeurs)
AC: So Hearts of Stone turns out to be a modern fairytale š½ā¦
Tom: Thatās kind of how the story came to beā¦but I also wanted to talk about modern loneliness. A lot in the movie is also about cell phones and social media. How do we communicate with each other.
The more (digital) opportunities we have to communicate with each other the less weāre able to communicate with each other in real life.
Tom Van Avermaet
AC: You want to hold a mirror to society ?
Tom: That might be too big of a word. SomehowI wanted to explore that particular feeling/issue through this story. More about why it seems easier or more difficult to be able to talk to someone.
Itās like the character says in the film. āIs it easier to talk to someone on the other side of the world than to talk to someone whoās next to you?ā
Thatās quite of an interesting, modern kind of dynamic, which weāre still trying to explore with social media. The impact it has on our lives and how we live through our devices in a way.
And taking that or pushing it to the extreme.
When the statue comes to life in the movie, the viewer gets an idea of whatās it like to be a statue and how they might feel in general.
In one particular scene, when the real statue (Jessica Barden) actually comes to life, she starts looking for her friend (played by Noomi Rapace) almost immediately. The light and the aura around the statue character are striking.
āDirecting like a visual artist š¼ļøā
AC: You manage to create this kind of rarely seen universe. We are curious about your journey in cinematography.Without breaking the spell, could you tell us how you create these striking visual effects ?
Tom: As you know film is always a collaborative art so we try to work with good people. I was lucky to do that with all my films. With talented cinematographers who were able to understand the kind of idea or vision I wanted to come to life. From āvisual visionā to post production.
You shoot the image in a certain style. We chose to shoot with anamorphic lenses. Lotās of films are shot on spherical lenses. Anamorphic is more a wide angle format. Itās the first time I did that.
I love to have a wide angle in all my films. Sort of like a painting styleā¦š¼ļø I always feel that an image can convey a lot of emotions.
Tom Van Avermaet
Tom: Iāve always been drawn to cinematography which has a very painterly style. Iāll aways try to frame the shot (emoji painting) that way as wellā¦ kind of an artistic point of view on the image. I always feel that an image can convey a lot of emotions.
Tom: In all my films so far, Iāve worked with a different cinematographer. This time I worked with DOP Hans Bruch jr. Hearts Of Stone is our first collab.
Which is not like a deliberate choice but the people I work with are usually in high demand soā¦You have to pick when the actors are available, not when the cinematographers are. Unfortunatelyā¦š
But I was lucky to find a new collaborator on this. And still be able to create the same kind of feel I like to give through my other filmsš„šļø.
UPDATE July 30ās Breaking news, 12 years after ‘Death of a shadow’ won it’s oscar qualifier at L.A. Shorts International Film Festival, Toms new film ‘Hearts of Stone’ wins best international short and now will be qualified to enter the longlist of the academy awards once again! This calls for extra special Congratz !!!! š šš
But Daniel Verstappen is actually living International PIANO YEARS. Composing, playing and mesmerizing audiences all over the globe, his music reaches further by every concert of his Reconnection-worldtour.šµš¶
Paying tribute to his beloved instrument, called Ā«Soulmateš¹Ā», Daniel keeps pushing boundaries. Partners-in-rhyme š¶like fiddlefairies š»Marina Barskaya & Beth Giorgiou accompany him near some of the worldās most famous landmarks.
From Harpa Reykyavik last fall and the fairytale-like Rudolfinum in Prague just last March, Daniel is now headed to Sydney Opera House this early spring.
While beautiful but fragile scenery often plays a major part in music and videoās by Daniel and his team, the audience is always in for an amazing journey š¶.
ArtistCongratz
Picture by Lauren Pletinckx
Many highlights in his career these past few years call for even more spectacular celebrations šstage and šline.
Stunning audio & video performances keep rhyming spectacular scenery with powerful pianoplay.
At a press conference earlier this year at Havenhuis Antwerp, Daniel presented a view behind the scenes & making of his latest video Ice on Fire, a co-production with Marina Barskaya and Amine Dukali (picture by Lauren Pletinckx)
Daniels host for the PRESS conference: Belgian singer and presenter Amaryllis Temmerman
Whether his notes š¶shine underneath Swedish northern lights or above seismic activity in Iceland, Daniel always manages to share his soft spot for the environment through pianomusic. Watch Danielās latest video and track Ice on Fire šYouTubeā¤µļø
āļøš„
Happy to host Daniels Documentary āBridge between Culturesā in 2023, ArtistCongratz got a major scoop about some highlights already in the making back then.
šļø
Relive some magic moments with ArtistCongratz interviewing a composer and pianist breaking through on stages worldwide today šš¼
And now an ultimate moment -one of many still to come but unique none the less- has almost arrived! This Sunday April 7th a childhoodwish will come true for Danielā¦playing far far away from his home country š§šŖš¦šŗ, inside the iconic Sydney Operahouse, building new bridges down under š
More major stops lay ahead after Australia and New Zealandā¦Ghent Handelsbeurs as a home run on May 26th and then off to Kennedy Center Washington andā¦š„š¹Carnegie Hall New York š½š¹ in June.
Ready for my favourite prime time of the year? And hopefully yours as wellš
Yayš Itāsā¦OSCARTIMEš¬š¦š„šļø
Unfortunately no fellow Belgians nominated at this 96th edition of the Academy Awards. No worries ArtistCongratz has some foreign favourites to share with you. Amidst the Barbenheimer frenzy there is one particular underdog or outsider weād like to cheer for. The nomination of āPast Livesā by Celine Song is so well deserved.
The catchy last name of the director couldnāt be more appropriate. She truly made a movie like a love song. šµ
This is an absolute must see till The very End. The baseline of this gem? āInYunā, which means providence or fate in Korean.
Reality and imagination rule side by side in this heartbreaking, semi-autobiographical universal lovestory about what could have been for two childhood sweethearts. So many of these charactersā words and lines remain left unspoken in a way rarely seen before.
Fandangoās Oscarpredictions in CBSnews do not mention āPast Livesā, but ArtistCongratz does š
While Magrittes masterpiece ālāAmi Intimeā is being auctioned at Christies London for over 39 million Euroās, awards in Frenchspeaking Belgian cinema bearing the iconic artists name are about to be distributed.
Augure, Balojiās masterpiece on which we shed our bloggers light at Filmfest Ghent some posts ago is nominated several times in different categories.
But competition remains though. From āDalvaā for instance, this Cannes and FFO selected film by Emmanuelle Nicot about a twelve year old girl and her particular story ā¤µļø
Dalva is 12 years old but dresses, puts on makeup and lives like a woman. One evening, she is suddenly removed from her father's home. At first revolted and completely incomprehensible, she will meet Jayden, an educator, and Samia, a teenager with a strong character. A new life then seems to be offered to Dalva, that of a young girl of her age.
Letās shed some light on the latest project of a remarkable Swiss composer-storyteller based in Brussels. To ArtistCongratz he comes across far from scaryā¦ nevertheless the music we are talking about is called āUnheimlichā (scary in German but meaning much more) The third album written by Camille-Alban Sprengās ODIL is the first one ft. Nina Kortekaas.
Triggered to know the story behind it, we had an inspiring chat with Camille šļø
Camille Alban Spreng: Unheimlich is a funny word actually. It doesnāt have any real translation, in English nor French. The basic idea of the album is trying to translate this word into music. It describes a feeling you might know and yet sometimes you might not be able to grasp it. Very strange.
AC: How do you start to translate something like this into music?
Camille: Fascinated by the work of the great American poet Allen Ginsberg from the 50ās, 60ās and 70ās, I wanted to bring a kind of hommage to his writing.āļø His work also has this kind of strangeness, weirdness to it. And at the same time itās deeply rooted into our daily life.
As I was writing š¼, thesetwo ideas were living at the same time. There are actually a lot of links between the poetry of Ginsberg and this captivating word I wanted to translate into music. Our mission with Nina is to make all this more accessible through the songs.šµ
ArtistCongratz š selection surely includes āDaily Wonderā
Camille: Thatās a funny one. Itās a ballad and a long mellow song. The only one on the album. The first idea of this song was to adapt a Ginsberg-poem but in the end I chose another direction and wrote the lyrics myself. The idea behind the song ? What if we could see everything in the world and witness the daily life of whom everā¦or looking at the daily life of an animal or a plant for instance.š±
AC: A mysterious animal actually features on the cover of your albumā¦
Camille: Thatās exactly what I wantedā¦ somewhat unheimlichā¦š¾ ā¦just so you know, itās actually a dalmation;)
Want to witness some Ā«š¶UnheimlichšµĀ» manoeuvres first hand? ODIL is playing live this Friday February 23 @Rataplan – Borgerhout/Antwerp https://www.rataplanvzw.be/e/odil
Halfway through Belgian music week ArtistCongratz would like to shed some more spotlight šour national music scene. Once more lots of international potential is detectedš¶š
After ESNS, the annual awardceremony in the Dutchspeaking part of Belgium is on our schedule. They are called The MIAās, short for Music Industry Awards. This year they were held in Antwerp. Organized by vi.be (supporting our Belgian music scenešŖš¼) and national channel VRT.
Join us for some captivating images of absolute highlightsā¤µļø during the show:
Kate Ryan, iconic artist who also defended our colours at Eurovision back in 2006 š§šŖ remember her famous knee move while bringing her now-evergreen āJe tāadoreāšµā„ļø https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3JHnre0q3ow
Meet Lenny number two :), also a very gifted musician
And this must be the most famous soundmanš¤in Flanders. In the picture a lot but always his likable self. Whom everybody knows simply by his first name: Pascal.
And last but not least a selfie š¤³ with these multitalented ladies, pianist/designer Tylaine (in the middle) and singer Zohraš¶š¤How about a red wall instead of the regular carpetā¦ Donāt you just love this quote from Ā«The VoiceĀ»? An absolute work of art adorning this wall of the locker room @ music lab Trix Antwerp Thank you VRT, TRIX, Sportpalace & VI.Be for including ArtistCongratz š¶
A whole š generation of artists keeps moving Europe to even newer levels. Witness their beauty first hand with us at the headquarters of emerging music talents, performing @ ESNS from all over the continent. On Thursday, Stadsschouwburg Groningen hosted the 20th edition of the Music Moves Europe Awards.
Blown away by this 2ļøā£0ļøā£th Anniversary-yearās winner, our pics and reels will tell you more than a thousand words. Donāt take ours for itā¦ See for yourselves š¶ļø
A Star is Born, Zaho de Zagazan Moves. In more ways than oneā¦ Quirky Zaho offers her audience a live and kicking therapy-on-and-off-stage. Want to quit smoking in a way you never attempted before? Or chase away sadness with captivating ballads, pumping beats and groovy lyrics? š¤
En franƧais sāil vous plait š«š·š¶ (picture by yours truly)From Groovy to Dreamyā¦š ArtistCongratz meets Song Lines Magazine & Euronews šNice to meet you Emma & Jonathan!Zaho receiving her grand jury award byā¦š„š„š„ā¦Mister Jools Holland, presented by musician Giulia Grispino (Sans Soucis)Zaho (full name: Zaho-Agathe Le MoniĆØs de Sagazan), on stage she gives it her all and moreā¦find out frontrow/first hand how her debut album Ā« La Symphonie des Ćclairs Ā» saw the light of day. Inspired by her own sensitivity she manages to translate struggles into healing. Song by song, like one called Ā« Tristesse Ā»A Ā« (non) smoking tribute Ā»Zaho about a major discovery in lifeš¹Zahoās thank you note to her partners in rhyme š¶ š„š¹
Many MME-awarded artists have preceded her into stardomā¦ Cheers to her, Dua Lipa, Stromae, Meduza and many more. And by all means also to their iconic master of ceremony Jools Hollandš»
Flash-back štwo decades of Music Moves Europe Awards which actually started as the Europe Border Breaking Awards in 2004. Happy Anniversary! Congratz!Congratz to all the nominees, blog you later šš¶āļø discover all šhttps://mmeawards.eu/en/
ESNS stories to be continuedā¦Coming šnext: Waterbabyšøš¾šøšŖ, Ralphie Chooš¶šŖšø, Arny Margret š®šøā¦and of course more Booming artists from my native country š§šŖš celebrating Belgian Music week!
Did she just stagedive right behind me? š„š„³ Go go go, Zaho!š±š»āāļø
This January we report from š north at ESNS, in a snowy Groningen way high in the Netherlands šŖšŗš³š±Flakes of new sounds are coming (y)our way.
What better way to get you acquainted with š artists crossing our paths in 2024 than by images and sounds in all the right venues. From scintillating churches to trendy discotheques and theatres throughout a captivating city of music lovers. šļøš¶
Who needs Google Mapsšŗļø when you run into the kindest personal native streetguides. Thank you Myrthe & Bert! š§¤š
Ā« Where do we begin? Ā» A track signed Michael Karkousse also known from the dance formation Goose, lead us towards to our second venue. But before Simplon we made a stop @ Lutherchurch to witness some female empowerment by strings and vocals called Bluai from Belgium ā¤µļø
Bluai in concert @ Lutherse kerk šJanuary 17th
Simply Simplon š¶, up- and downstairs š¤š„Michael Karkousse playing @ Simplon Main – January 17thPull some strings & Pump those beats
Caught š in the moment š
Make sure to check our Stories šsocials for even more footage (tania_gh_ram) & ArtistCongratz šTikTok š¶
Quittersday today? Not where the Artists in our spotlight are concerned!
But first things first. ArtistCongratz wishes all of you fine readers a Happy healthy Creative 2024 with lots of fascinating and inspiring blogposts regarding talented people in different artforms.
Before we are headed North to spot & congratulate rising talent šµat ESNS in the Netherlands next week, what better place to kick off our year/Belgian presidency than in the very heart of Europe.
Did you know that the European Parliament regularly organises art-exhibitions in their office buildings?
Last Tuesday we rediscovered artworks of a unique artist we interviewed before in 2022. (Picture by Dorothy Declerck)
Place to be? The Spinelli building in Brussels, where MEP Beatrice Covassi hosted this remarkable exhibition with the characteristic narrative paintings of Antoine Waterkeynā¤µļø inspired by āantiheroesā throughout history.
Biblical inspiration with Samson Et DalilaA talk with MEP Beatrice Covassi & the artist Napoleon revisited by Antoine WaterkeynSpecial thanks to interior designer Dorothy for the spot špicture(s)
Last Thursday we went anything but WRONG. Yet this is the title of a worldly Belgian popsong, now eternalized in the same Hall of Fame, we also blogged about last year, traditionally hosted by the seaboard ššµ@Kursaal Ostend.
The concept: one of our popular radiostations unites young and established talent in a dazzling music celebration š
Picture by Jook
Scroll to discover our amazing photo gallery of Belgian music legendsš¤like this incredible productive composer and talented producer Steve Willaertš¹ā¤µļøš
CongratZ are also in order for Novastar aka Joost Zweegersš¶, singer songwriter of āWrongā among other evergreens, maybe yet to come in this very Hall of Fameāļø
Itās D-Day for Baloji and his first feature film Augure. In cinemaās across Belgium this November 15th.
Just last month, Augure was presented at Filmfest Ghent in the official selection, following Cannes in Spring.
Augure, being the French word for omen, tells the story of exactly that.
A small omen to the members of The Academy perhaps ? A good one.
Our filmmakers wonāt budge. Once more presenting a fine opportunity to āOscarizeā a filmgem by a multitalented Belgian artist.
Omen To Be Continued
ArtistCongratz
Director Baloji and his main cast at the Belgian premiere of Augure/Omen at this years 50th edition of Filmfest Ghent
Four characters, considered witches or wizards by their families and communities, see their paths cross in a magical-realist Congo. Only through mutual aid and reconciliation can they escape the curse that rests on them. Cast: Lucie Debay, Marc Zinga, Eliane Umuhire
Our ultimate ambassador š§šŖof music in film š recently added another personal highlight to his hometown festival. On Saturday October 21st, the conductor of the World Soundtrack Awards was awarded himself for his filmscore of the acclaimed documentary āOur Natureā. šµ
The award āBest original score for a Belgian productionā was won by Dirk just one day after this interview.š
And the award went toā¦š¼ (foto Filmfest Ghent – (c) Jeroen Willems)
AC: Congratz on the nomination! You represent one of the creative minds with lots of history at Filmfest Ghent. Can you recall your first encounter with the festival ?
I said to him: Why donāt you ask a young composer to write one ? Good idea, he replied, inquiring ā Do you know someone? (smiles)ā
To make a long story short, we recorded the ouverture, I already had written:). And it became the official tune of the festival for many years. Since the beginning of the World Soundtrack Awards, we have a new tune, written by Elmer Bernstein, who gave it as a present to the festival.
Thanks to the focus on filmmusic, our theme became the impact of music on film.
Since that particular day, Filmfest Ghent evolved to one of the most important filmfestivals in the world.
This talk between creators in music (Female singer-songwriter and musician Eiko Ishibashi) and film (screenwriter and director Ryusuke Hamaguchi) took place at Kinepolis Ghent last October 20th. Hamaguchi received the Joseph Plateau Honorary award afterwards
Rewriting the rules of cinema šµš
AC: This year, the impact of music in film goes crescendo, celebrating half a century of Filmfest Ghent with the project 25 x 2, where filmdirectors are inspired by composers.
The shortfilms, or should we say scores, can be viewed and listened to on line. They will also be projected in SMAK (Citymuseum of Actual Art in Ghent)
More iconic moments š«¶
AC: So here we are, 5ļøā£0ļøā£ years of awesome cinema @ Filmfest Ghent. Could you share your absolute highlights from past decades?
There are so many magnificent moments to cherish. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to work alongside great artists, early on.
Those very first years, I remember conducting part of a concert, with icons like Elmer Bernstein and Georges Delerue. Later also with Angelo Badalamenti, a charming man and a great composer. We all know him because of Twin Peaks, but he wrote so much more beautiful filmmusic. (Blue Velvet, Mulholland Driveā¦)
Another iconic moment was when we started the WSA in October 2000. Particularly the opening concert with the Brussels Philharmonic šµand the music by Hans Zimmer. The lifetime achievement had been given to him by Morgan Freeman. For Hans Zimmer it was the very first concert, conducting his own score, so you can imagin how memorabel this really wasā¦We invited him back several times over the years. He is also a very gifted producer.
This was the starting point of the World Soundtrack Academy as well as The Awards. In those days we could not have imagined that 25 years later it would become a world wide organization with hundreds of members worldwide š
Like the legendary Ryuichi Sakamoto, (The last Emperor, Little Buddha, The Revenantā¦) who was here just a few years ago. Unfortunately he passed away.
I also very much enjoyed having the Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi at the WSA. Working with amazing Chinese and Japanese directors, he wrote the music for 2046and House of flying daggers (2004). I consider his guest appearance as a personal highlight. He brought a complete new sound to the festival. The sound of Asia joined European, British and American films.
AC: Cinema with Asian influences keeps on booming. ArtistCongratz had the opportunity to discover Oscar contender āPast Livesā by the South Korean-Canadian director Celine Song. Does a busy conductor like you get the opportunity to see gems like these at the festival?
They encouraged us to do a game music concert.Which isnāt obvious. This is a whole new world for us. Videogames hold a completely different genre, with different music, different composers.While film music has to take into account the story and the dialogues among other things, games seem to leave more freedom to the composer. As far as I experienced, I feel like there is more flow.
āA.I. Is In The Houseā
AC: A hot topic concerning us all we would like to know your opinion about is how the rise of artificial intelligence will relate to our (creative) worldin the future. Should we fear or endear A.I. ?
I really believe that in the long run, maybe hundreds of years from now, man will have to leave the planet. Flash forward to the implosion of Earth: of course it wonāt happen overnight but remember the dinosaurs also disappeared over a period of timeā¦
Now we still are human beings and we act and think like human beings. But A.I. is not just around the corner anymore. Itās in the house.
AC: But since āA.I.ā is āinspiredā by whatās manmade, how to safeguard creatorās rights beyond our lifetime?
But A.I. is part of the evolution of mankind. Of course I canāt say that Iām thrilled by the idea that tomorrow a director will ask his computer to write a score instead of a composer. That would make me unhappy but at the same time a lot of things have disappeared over the course of our history. Some of us are already bionic. Wanting to evolve is part of our natureā¦
AC: Which brings us right back where we want to be: your winning score š«¶š³ššš¼
The sound of Our Nature
AC: Letās hope music and our cultural legacy will remainš¤
Actually I started composing around some keyboards š¹, like procreation, the beauty of nature. But also the dangerā¦the survival of the fittest; animals literally having to kill in order to surviveā¦
The great advantage of this collaboration was that once the music was recorded they cut the picture to the music.
At some point I had to develop a language, which I did. But due to different directors who came and went in the process, guidelines kept changingā¦ eventually leading us to this first more abstract approach.
AC: That must have been quite stressful, but with great results.
As curator of the starting point of the Belgian European presidency in 2024, Dirk is preparing this major music event which also will be broadcasted on January 6th. Looking forward to all this major international homegrown talent shining on stage in the heart of Europe. Mechelen-Malines (Belgium) for the occasion. š«¶šŖšŗ
Half a century of iconic festivalmoments in international cinema on Belgian soil. This calls for a special celebration. ArtistCongratzā cue to make Filmfest Ghentās image- and soundwizards shine even more this yearāØ
2023 will enter history as the 50th edition opened by Holly, selected in Venice just last September, and the fifth feature film, directed by Fien Troch.
Once again this Belgian talent makes us watch more closely into the sometimes harsh world youngsters have to deal with.
From 22 November Holly will play in cinemas in Belgium
Be sure not to miss our next post, zooming in on the creative process of Fien and her crew/cast as well as the amazing course of the film so far.
But first weād like to focus on two other impressive productions.
One is likely to become Oscarnominated in 2024, called āPast Livesā, by Celine Song. This story about childhood sweethearts frozen in time will touch many (broken) hearts.
The other is the first VR experience at Filmfest Ghent. āFloating with spiritsā will submerge you into a universe in and out of this world. Created by the Colombian-Belgian director Juanita Onzaga, featuringā¦her audience.
By placing the viewer in the middle of her film, he becomes part of it.
While she whispers the story as if she doesnāt want to bother the spirits, she makes them dance around, one with nature.
āFloating with Spiritsā is an absolute must-experience
Augustijn Vermandere. His name sounds like a clock in Flanders.
With his father being one of our most treasured troubadours, Willems youngest son is making his own way quite successfully as a musician and singersongwriter.
ArtistCongratz is keen to find out more about his latest album Vier, which is West Flemish dialect for āFireā as well as Dutch for āCelebrateā and āFourā.
So Vier is like Celebrating Four times with Fire!
Augustijn presenting his latest album live at De Grote Post in Ostend
AC: Congratz on your new album Augustijn! Nice opportunity to compare West Flemish and English with you, being a native singer songwriter.
Augustijn: Thanks! Actually I think there are similarities between the two. Being close to England might have something to do with it. Probably also our history of always tending to adapt ourselves. Belgians in general, West Flemings even more.
So it seems rather logic that foreign words pop up in our dialects. Mostly in spoken language.
I actually read that the whole coastal area of Europe has more English sounding words in their vocabulary than the inland area does. So I guess we must be connected somehow.
How do you come across this āphenomenonā while writing lyrics ?
On my new album, thereās this song called Bucketlist. An English word but often used here as well. Searching for a West Flemish ātranslationā, there seemed to be no good alternative.
I realised that ābucket listā actually sounds really Flemish. So I used it.
AC: How about Bulldozer š¶
Augustijn: (laughs) indeed, another English word incorporated in Belgium. And Vierā¦
Nice talk in Augustijnās hometown Ostend
AC: Any plans to cross our borders?
Augustijn: Itās not really my ambition but you never knowā¦ Icelanders also have a very strange sounding language practically no one else understands. But no one seems to mind that in the rest of Europe. People like it eventhough no one understands. Why should West Flemish be any different (laughs).
Augustijn rocks šøš„
AC: The song Steenkerke on Vier bathes in pure nostalgiaā¦
Augustijn: A little village, thereās nothing there but still itās my whole world. At least it used to be as a kid. This is a nostalgic song sung by my five year old self about the place I grew up in. Near historic monuments that go back to World War I. Like a military cemetery, where both English en Belgian soldiers are buried. This was one of our favourite places where we used to play a lot. Thereās this beautiful lawn. Always very quietā¦
AC: You also sing about catching sticklebacks in the canal with a āseuleā. And in your albumās artwork we can actually see pictures of you as a toddler. Were you already into music back then?
Augustijn: They bought me a violin when I was four years old but I donāt recall playing it (laughs). But music was always present in the house in many forms with instruments all around. I started by some piano and guitarā¦
By the way a āseuleā is actually a bucket where we would collect the fish in.
AC: Great, one more West-Flemish word learnt, to check off on ourā¦ bucket-list.
šµš¶š„4ļøā£š„³ open call; find out which song refers to epic lyrics written by Augustijnās father Willem š£
During but also in between interviews ArtistCongratz likes to share star quality in all forms, shapes and sizes. From stages with views to stadiums to queue.
Letās focus on who your editor saw shining these past few weeks: From gloring young new talent to poetic mega-stars in mediastorms.
Theater Aan Zee is like a cross road where shores, music & theatre meet through all kinds of art. How about this universal tale that tells the moving story ofā¦ human sheep in between worlds.ā¤µļø
The Sheep Song, a mustsee cross over play produced by Toneelhuis & FC-Bergman, a Belgian company which received a Silver Lion at Venice Biennale just last June https://www.toneelhuis.be/en/ā¤µļøOr this production 4.48 by The Roovers outside at sunset
3āAin! Ų¹ŁŁWhere west joins east in sea(s) of stories. Narrated by a jazztrio on point.
(Re)discover our interviewee Piet Maris (accordion), founder of Jaune Toujours and 3āAin, surrounded by his fellow-bandmembers Otto Kint (double bass) and Yamen Martini (trumpet) -picture by Diana Takcsova-
āReversed threeā
AC: Very important first question! Inspired by the eighteenth letter of the arabic alphabet, how do you pronounce the name of your newest band ? Ų¹ŁŁ Because reportedly for western people it seems almost impossible to pronounceā¦
Piet: (laughs) Actually thatās what Wikipedia says, itās more of a story than a reality. I played in a trio before with a Syrian cello player. Really eager to do something similar, I wanted to continue in a trio formula.Searching for a name, I really wanted it to refer to us as a trio and to our cultural bagage. Including our middle eastern influences through Yamen.
So I came up with this character as a reversed three, which is actually some sort of sign: Ų¹ŁŁ
In Arabic chat and sms conversation , the AIN is often represented by a 3, sometimes explicitly mentioned as 3ain. So here comes in this 3 AIN.
Piet Maris
That was a good starting point for me. You should pronounce it a bit in the back of the throat.Ch ain, Three like in English, ein like in German if you wantā¦:)
AC: Makes you wonder how does that go when announced on stage?
Piet: They always ask the question, how do we pronounce it? Actually itās not so hard but it creates a story indeed. Although I wasnāt aware of that in the very beginning.
āInstant clickā
AC: You met Yamen while making music for a play?
Piet: We actually met amidst the asylum crisis of 2016. Yamen had arrived in Belgium earlier but at some sort of manifestation, making a solidarity demo for refugees, we were kind of put together as musicians. āYou will blend wellā they said. Luckily we actually did;).
We instantly clicked. From that moment on, I started to involve him in my on going projects. Like this very special one in Mortsel. Initiated by Caroline Rottier. Sheās a theatre maker, known for her inclusive work. In which she also involves people with disabilities. She asked me to do the music for this piece called āMoveā. About people on the move. A very nice play and open project, offering a lot of artistic freedom.
We rehearsed with the actors. At first just me as a musician, to get the inspiration. At a certain point I pulled in Yamen, and the other cello-player to collaborate. This was our first creation together.
āScrambled Ensorā
AC: Sounds really cool indeed. But so does your working space where 3āAin gets inspired by all kinds of boats passing byā¦ š„š¢ā“š³
Piet: We have this huge privilege to be able to rehearse in the port of Ostend, in the quarters of a social artistic work place called O666, at the site of Fort Napoleon. (Picture by Diana Takacsova)
Being one of the very few places over there with a very ancient character to it, quite the contrast with all those posh new built projects in the neighbourhood.
It has a recording studio, which we use as a rehearsing room. It happens to have a big window with a magnificent view to the boats passing by.
Like the BZ189š¶š„, spotted while looking outside pretty randomly: which-boat-is-here? Songs, titles and tracks are born here. This is where our first EP was made. Clearly š
Piet: Sea of Stories, our recent album, still contains references to the sea but less literally. For instance, there is a song called: Scrambled Ensor.
AC: Great title.
Piet: Actually we didnāt invent it ourselves. During a livestream in confinement, playing some sort of premiĆØre of the song, we asked our virtual audience to come up with a title.
Everyone had a strong souvenir of the period you werenāt allowed to go the seaside etc. Possibly they were inspired by former works of us. Explaining why the Ostend-reference is still there.
Piet Maris
āExchange between culturesā
AC: 3āAin tends to reach a large audience ?
Piet: I also find it very charming to see a punkrock band in concert. They tend to reach a more specific audience. But a lot of music is broading up these days. I like to keep the music accessible in all my projects. Always seeking common ground. For 3āAin, in different fields of western music, going in dialogue with middle eastern traditions.
Nor me, nor the bass player Otto, are very familiar with all those traditions. In that way Yamen is facilitating our exchange between cultures.
Our song āMeeting Issuesā represents his feeling of being āwiredā, how hard it is missing his family all over the worldā¦
ArtistCongratz’ cue to make yāall experience this narrative sound of 3āAin in even more intriguing titles like Tango Soleil du Nordš¶ Listen below š¤³š
Want to experience Sea of Stories by 3āAin live? Go see this trio in concert coming š all over Belgiumā¬ļø
Have a field day at ArtistCongratz ! Inside a legendary studio.
Did you know that one of our most sollicited Belgian record studioās is owned and directed by Patrick Hamilton in the lovely town of Bruges? Join us following heartbeats of music industry, blogging and vlogging on holy production-ground.
Patrick in his studio (picture by Jan Dharthet)
Over the years (nineties and nillies), Patricks studio became the center of attention for a lot of national artists. That is still very much the case to this day.
But the bigger picture lay ahead. Patricks ability and talent to also lift up music talent worldwide did not go unnoticed.
His international career as a producer took off about a decade ago.
Patrick: I had a manager in Nashville. It kind of bothered him that I was never available because of numerous national projects. But once I came across some major international A & R-folks on a yacht in the south of France, I quickly left my Flemish way of thinking. The time had come to leave my comfort zone.
The first international artist I came across was Mark Masri. When he was nominated the Juno Award for Best album in Canada, Universal England seemed interested. I thought they were signing the artist I produced, but actually it was me who ended up working with one of the biggest names in the UK.
Considered an almost unreachable star, Katherine Jenkins would become one of the first to perform the new anthem āGod save the Kingā. So you can imagine I was honoured to be able to work with her.
Working with Katherine
I studied classical music at the conservatory in Ghent, so technically I was able to do arrangements for big orchestra. Although I had never done it before, I felt I could do it.
Honoured as āOfficer of the British Empireā Katherine Jenkins is a neo classic cross-over singer, whoās style can be compared to Andrea Bocelliās. She has her own television program on BBC, called āSongs of Praiseā.
In December Patrick was invited to perform with her, his quatre mains-compagnon Nel Swerts & Sir Cliff Richard in the Royal Albert Hall in London.
With his Ā« 4-mains-companion Ā» Nel Swerts š¹š¹
AC: How often are you in your studio? Patrick: During COVID, I was here all the time. Just a few days before the lockdown, I had finished an album with Katherine. I needed a vacation because of the hard work but it turned out to be a holiday of two years. Literally locked into my studio, I could have layed down and got depressed. But thatās not really my nature. So I took it as an opportunity.
There was nothing else to do. I started with some solo piano music.
AC: Some extra time as a gift for your inspiration and development as a songwriter?
Patrick: I think it was a twist of fate. Into a new world. Suddenly I found myself to be an artist you can find on Spotify. Before I was a producer. You could find a lot of my music but not my name. That has changed during Corona.
AC: Should a producer not be considered as an artist as well?Patrick: Combining producing and songwriting opens the door to all kinds of connections.
But you are right, the producer is definitely part of the artistic process of an artist. How the songs are born, how youāre colouring them as a producer, is like picturing a painting.
You have all the ingredients but then you have to combine them in all the right ways. There are so many different ones to approach a production. You might want it to sound big, like music played in a hall. Or very intimate in a small room. Both require very different approaches.
Overall mine is to follow your guts. Trying to make the best production possible. Thatās how I say see it.
AC: Pushing all the right buttons you showed us on the tour trough your studio. (Soon to be published on our TikTok-account)
Patrick is quite happy working in the shades. Iworked with so many famous people that canāt walk on the streets. Recognition has two meanings. You can get bothered that people recognise your face. Them being aware of your work is so much more important.
But once connected with music-executives like Martin Dodd and Ricardo Fernandez, working with Britney Spears and The Back Street Boys among others, Patricks career as a songwriter and producer took an international turn. Holding over 27 million streams (on Spotify only) of his songs combined, this goes way beyond his expectations. Patrick: I was hoping to get one million streams one day (laughs).
Do you feel you have developed your own trade mart as a producer?
Patrick: I hope so, as I mentioned: You canāt put me in one basket. Hopping from genre to genre. But some people recognise kind of a trade mart in my productions. Thatās a huge compliment.
Patrick celebrated his 60th birthday with a special concert in Bruges.
And a stunning biography (In Dutch), full of tales like these.
Belgiumās lucky number 7ās now have three countries to pick from for their next vacation(s). Or go conquer stages of the nations who granted us 12 points.
Doing a marvellous job on the iconic one in Liverpool. Sacred ground for ever found. Congratz Gustaph & Cie, you did great! The song Because of You will go full circle.
Seems we are headed to even holier Eurovision ground next year.
Thanks to Loreen and her lyrical Tattoo šµ. Leaving Finland runner up. Cha cha cha cha cha chaā¦šµcatchy though KƤƤrija!š«š®
The lady with the toughest nails and shortest ariaās manages to break through ceilings allright. The āstagedā and a glass one, being the first woman to win the Eurovision Song Contest twice. In 2012, she felt Ā« Euphoria Ā» for the first time in Baku, Azerbedjan.
2024 celebrates the 50th anniversary of ABBAās winning āWaterlooā, which is inā¦Belgium š§šŖ
Letās try again and go full circle. Maybe with āa mighty masked singerāšøš¼who won ESC for us 37 years ago. Since her 1986-triumph, an adorable teenager with a pink bow and a life-loving Eurosong has transformed into a Ā« Queen Ā»
How about it Sandra, dear? Loreen, Johnny andā¦you ?š
ArtistCongratZ
Throwback to 1986š¤Sandra Kim in the Norwegian Town of Bergen.
Tonight around midnight lies the moment of truth. Will our Gustaph conquer that so wanted Eurovision Trophy?
37 years after Sandra Kim and her Ā« Jāaime La Vie Ā», a EURO-Song equally vibrant deserves to win.
ArtistCongratz could name numerous reasons why your 12 points should go to Belgium but the most important ones are the message of this ultimate Eurovision song šµ and the amazing track record of the performing songwriter and producer Stef Caers aka Gustaph. Hardly eleven years old he had already written 30 songs.
In 2000, I got the chance to interview this multi talent for the very first time for Sabam-magazine. And already there seemed to be something about him that āoracledā us to this day. 23 years later he just might help Belgium to that second victory in Eurovision history.
Throwback Gustaph aka Stef, to 2000, pic by M. Drofmans, still looking as awesome
But first things first, since we are not allowed to vote for our own country hereās ArtistCongratz yearly attempt to predictš® which country takes that beautiful crystal trophy home.
Hereās ACās top 5ļøā£
1. Belgium š§šŖ (sorry, not sorry;)
2. France š«š·
3. Austria š¦š¹
4. Sweden šøšŖ
5. Poland šµš±
OR š
1) Belgium š§šŖ
2) Finland š«š® & Australia š¦šŗ in ex aequo
3) Sweden šøšŖ & Israel š®š± ex aequo
4) Poland šµš±
5) France š«š·
But World, by all means do save all your 12 points for number 1ļøā£6ļøā£š§šŖ!!!
Yep, itās that time of the year again. Love it or leave it but by all means live it if you like !
Europe, Australia, even parts of Asia and the Middle East manage to unite in music every year around mid May. 2023 has all eyes and ears šLiverpool ā¶ļøšµ
So go for it contestants šµ
BUTā¦ ArtistCongratz has one special requestā¤µļø
EUROPE, do save tonightās votes for a very special candidate š§šŖ.
Here are 7 undeniable reasons why you should vote Belgium into the finals TONIGHTā¬ļøā¬ļøā¬ļøā¬ļøā¬ļø
1. BECAUSE OF the irresistible, inspirational, beyond professional ARTIST Gustaph aka Stef Caers, who worked his way from back to front slowly but surely, so well deserved š¤š¼šŖāļø
2. BECAUSE OF Gustaphs undeniable taste in fashionšŗš. #waltervanbeirendonck
3. BECAUSE OF the spot-on-lyrics of the sing-a-long to become evergreen, written by Gustaph himself and multi-talented artist Jaouad Alloul
4. BECAUSE OF the undeniable starquality of ECSās most quirky āback-to-front-vocalsā Monique Harcum, Chantal Kashala, Sandrine Van Handenhoven and Gustaph of course
5. BECAUSE Belgium deserves MORE Eurosong kings and queens along Sandra Kim, who won 37(!) years ago
6. BECAUSE of the great story behind the scenes, telling all of us that itās never too late for break through!
7. BECAUSE OF (all of) YOU!!!
From ArtistCongratz to Gustaph & his entire dreamteam: go go go and get qualified for this Saturdayās finals ! Your blog host, Gustaph style xxx
In January, Congratz were in order for a female winner of a prestigious Belgian Award for best musician.
Attend a Brutus-concert and youāll instantly experience why this honour fell to their drummer and vocalist Stefanie Mannaerts. Equally well deserved by Peter Mulders and Stijn Van Hoegaerden, whoās roaring bass & guitars complete the magical Brutus-sound. Post hardcore at its finest.
ArtistCongratz had a chat with all three band-members. Just returned from France, they landed back home on March 25th, in the colourful town of Bruges. Where Cactus Club would become another highlight of their latest tour through Europe.
Enjoy a close up of a close band and their new album, called āUnison Lifeā, which was presented in Ancienne Belgique late last year.
Brutus, Picture by Eva Vlonk
AC: I interviewed you guys once before, the early Brutus-years, way back in 2014. Would or could you have imagined then that Brutus would be playing sold out concerts worldwide?
Stefanie: You dream about it when youāre sixteen. And you hope thatās what youāre going to do. But you never think it will actually happen.
AC: Did you notice some kind of turning point along the way?
Stefanie: I realized something when we did a European tour when the venues went from twentyfive people to sometimes seven-hundred. But we didnāt wake up one day, feeling bigger than yesterday.
Tourmanagement takes you to all the right spotsā¦
Stefanie: The booker we work with, has been around since 2016. We really work well together. I think he understands who we are and we understand his vision.
Left to right: Stijn, Stefanie & Peter, pic by Eva Vlonk
AC: Do you feel you have been able to maintain enough artistic freedom?
Stefanie: With everyone we work, to be honest. I think if somebody would come and say, āyou can never do this againā, we would reply: āOK, but you wonāt ever do THIS again.ā (laughs)
Itās ok, I get that sometimes itās about strategy, but WE are all about the music. If someone would try to talk us into another course we would have question marks.
AC: Tell us about Unison Life, how it came to life, creating in confinement.
Peter: The previous album (Burst– 2018) was written during touring. But due to Covid, we had much more time for this one. We had no idea when the album would come out or when we would be touring againā¦
Stijn: That definitely had an impact on how the songs were written. We had the time, so we also took it as an opportunity to go more in depth, from song to song. If we finished a track, we came to a certain point where we asked ourselves: āIs there anything else we can do ? Can we try different stuff? So we took it a lot further and went deeper for each and every song.
AC: Playing such a new song for the first time, must feel amazingā¦
Stijn: When a song comes to life, thatās one of the most beautiful things in the world indeed. Especially if you can do this with two people that you love and trust, and like to play music with. For me thatās likeā¦ every time we write songs. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnāt but when it works it feels amazing.
AC: Do you have some kind of indicator which songs will be spot on?
Stijn: Maybe not to the outside world, but for us yes. There have been a couple of songs, written in the past, where we instantly felt the right kind of energy in the room.
AC: ArtistCongratz has a soft spot for Sugar Dragon.
Stefanie: Sugar Dragon came to life when we were on tour a lot. I had some troubles with my boyfriend but he was not the problem. So itās a bit of a tribute to him. But Peter and Stijn could also relate to the song. Because we all went through the same thing. They didnāt have troubles with their girlfriends but the missing part, being away and longing for somebody makes it a direct ode to a loved one. So thatās what Sugar Dragon is all about. Plus itās literally the translation of a nickname that my boyfriend has in Dutch. (ed. note Stephanies boyfriend is Stake-drummer Joris Casier, his band will be playing live in Cactus Bruges on April 15th)
(Suikerdraak? šSugardragon comes from your previous album but we also want to know what triggered the new one.
Stefanie: Referring to your previous question, how to feel you wrote something special. We felt it with āWhat have we done?ā Itās not that itās better than other songs. Itās just all about the right time, the right notes, the right words. It came to life unforced. Itās the same as why some days are more special than others in life. You donāt know, maybe itās because you met somebody or the sun was shiningā¦It came from some genuine placeā¦How itās like to be in a band.
āWarā, another Brutus-Song was used in Tom Clancyās Rainbow Six Siege video game:
Peter: The producer of the game happened to be a fan. So we made it happen.
AC: Last Summer Brutus was invited as support act for none other thanā¦the Foo Fighters, but unfortunately their drummer Taylor Hawkins passed away, so it was cancelled. But it probably wonāt be long before you will get another invitation of that kind?
Stefanie: We will be waiting by the phone (laughs)
On top of Brutusā wishlist:
āDefinitely make some more records as a bandā
āTo do a tour with a cool band or a recording session or an EP with someone completely differentā
“Other stuff would be nice but we will always prioritise recordsā
“Making more songs, better songs, songs that touch people, songs that people can relate toā
āWrite music, play a lot, as much as possibleā
AC: There arenāt many female singing drummers. The only ones we could come up with were Karen Carpenter and Sheila E.
Stephanie: There are The Corrs as well, but you will find a lot of drumming backing vocals.
The only reason Iām singing now is because Stijn bought me a microphone. (laughs)
AC: If you hadnāt done that, we would have missed this magical Brutus-combination.
Stijn: I would have found another way to make Stefanie singā¦Somebody asked me lately after the show: Why didnāt YOU start singing? Then we would not be having this conversation. (laughs)
Every song we make, always involves the three of us.
Stefanie Mannaerts
It always contains something of each and everyone of us. Those different kinds of influences make it fun. We try to put a lot of things into one song.
Want to catch Brutus live? In May they will also be touring in the U.S.
Picture Eva Vlonk
Closer to home, they can also be found in the line ups of legendary festivals as Pinkpop in The Netherlands. This Sunday they will be playing at Paaspop at Schijndel, also in The Netherlands.
Want to catch them in their homecountry Belgium, before they are headed to the US? They play at Durbuy Rock Festival on May the 13th.
AC: We came across another friendly band in the past, Slow Crush is also very successfulinternationallyā¦
Stijn: Oh yes we know them very well actuallyā¦ we follow each other.
AC: They are also famous for inventing their very own unique fuzz-pedal called Glow-Fuzz.
Peter: Yes indeed, itās very cool. We want to do that too šµ
Stijn: Actually I expect Jelle (Slow Crush guitar player) to send us oneā¦ (laughs)
Ed. Note: Fuzz pedals are a popular type of guitar effects pedal that use transistor technology to produce a distorted, fuzzy sound.) Read more about it in our previous blogpost ā¤µļø,
Slow Crush will also be playing in Bruges Cactus club on July 7th.
Spring has arrived ! ArtistCongratzā cue to treat you to some early summer vibes with a Latin-Belgian twist šŖšøš§šŖ
This band juggles its way to the hearts of people AND their dancing shoes. šŗ
To captivate a crowd is right up the alley of five stagelovers, who call themselves āRumbaristasā. Their brandnew album, just a few weeks old, is called āMalabaresā, which is Spanish for jugglers.
ArtistCongratz had an inspiring chat with bandmembers Willy Fuego and Roel Poriau at AB-club, right after Rumbaristas swept the audience of their feet in a swirling showcase š¶šŗš„š¤
AC: Congratz on the new album! How does it feel to finally share your songs with the world?
Roel: It feels great. The last three years, we put a lot of work and effort in it. During the Covid era, we have been working a long time on all the new songs.
AC: Was it like a benefit of confinement, having more freedom and time to write?
Roel: In a way yes but because we really are a live band, we also missed playing in front of a live audience. Being able to do that now, along with all the good vibes and people dancing to the songs is really a nice reward for all the work on Malabares.
Back then, we had some 20 to 30 tracks ready to record but when we sat together with our producer, some of the tracks turned out to be too dark. Covered in Covid darkness, letās say.We really want to keep a balance between happy and slightly darker songs. Tonight was all about party though. People dancing on our music is the greatest reward.
RUMBARISTAS š¶š¼
AC: Playing the songs for the very first time, must be special indeed
Roel: There were a few concerts before this one. Two weeks ago we played in Granada and soon we will also be playing again in Belgium, Serbia and Bulgaria. Probably Holland tooā¦
AC: Maybe some colourful festivals as well, like TAZ or Dranouterā¦
AC: Back to Malabares, which means jugglingā¦With words? Music, genres, each other? (Laughs) Where did the idea come from?
Willy: In Spain the people use the word juggle when they struggle to keep on going. When they cope, the people do āmalabaresā.
Roel: We also shot an extraordinary video, made by Willy and Joan Garriga. Made in Barcelona, itās about a mother who also has to juggle to make ends meet. Sheās struggling to make a living, for her son too.
AC: Any favouritetracks on the album? Or does that feel like choosing between your babies?
Willy: All the songs capture one particular moment of feelings. Happiness, nostalgiaā¦
āBut we do have a special bond with one song in particular, actually. Itās called āLa Vida es BellaāIn a way, this song has it all.
Willy Fuego
Roel: This was a collaboration with Amparo SĆ”nchez also known as Amparanoia.(ed.note: Amparanoia is the stage name of Spanish singer/guitarist Amparo SĆ”nchez who combines her first name with the word āparanoia’. Willy also played in her band for a long time.
A lot of different things come together in that record. Itās danceable, it has a latin vibe, nice rhythm, trumpetsā¦And it contains the melancholy that Willy often has in his songs.
AC: How did you all meet?
Roel: I met Thomas, the trumpet-player, first. I was working with him, for ālāorchestre International du VetexāWilly was playing with Amparo Sanchez while in Belgium. We did a kind of jam together in Tournai, where her manager lives. The three of us started to play. Which felt really great. Of course we needed a bass player. I invited Thomas, with whom I played in Think Of One before.
About Rumabaristas creative process:
Roel: For this album, we really worked more collectively, but most of the time, Willy will start a song. Sometimes with a rhythm track I already created. Or on his own. Then we start working with that. Looking for the right groove, Tomasino will write the melodies while we come up with lyrics in different languages. Willy has also found a way to leave a lot of things open, so we can fill it in.
Want to catch this band live?
In May Rumbaristas starts touring again.
Rumbaristas, not your typical Belgian band, besides welcomed on stages abroad, they are also breaking through our national language borders. They can be found both on stages in the northern as well as the southern part of Belgium. Gigs in Tournai, Namur (in a monastery) are coming up.
The band succeeds to mesmerize young to older audiences, in different places. Including the iconic AB-club, one of the best venues for sound.
The band also presented their first album here.
Roel: Itās very difficult to find a venue that has all the qualities of AB. Every musician and/or band knows this, good technicians, great acoustics.
Other music temples On Rumbaristasā wishlist are: Paradiso and Apolo club Barcelona. Spread the word ! And the music of course.
Pictures by Anthony Henry
Backstage at š Ancienne Belgique, with bandmembers Roel, Willy and their producer (picture by Griet De Blende)
We had high hopes but once again Oscar wonāt land on Belgian soil this year. Film history is written though. Lukas Dhont and his cast and crew have definitely left their mark on Hollywood. Close might not have won the little statue but all the more hearts in cinemas worldwide šŗš
Dear Lukas, Michiel, Angelo, Eden, Gustav & Cie, Belgium could not be more proud of your outstanding ambassadorship through this film. A cinematographic gem to cherish and already a classic.š
ArtistCongratz just for that! And a symbolic āscreensilver oscarā to go with it. As a token from all viewers, touched by Remi and Leoās story around the globe. Your very own magnificent once-upon-a-time-in-Hollywood to remember. As in āEverything Everywhere All at Onceā ššŗ
Ok maybe not all at once š but you will be back š for more. To be continued.
Which brings us to the ultimate highlight of Oscarnight. This film seems to have it all. Starting by the title. As inspiring as Close, poems might emerge. ArtistCongratz canāt wait to see leading ladies Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis acting their way to Oscar and parallel universes in āEverything, Everywhere, All at Onceā
Ke Huy Quan, best actor in a supporting role, gave the most moving speech of the evening honoring his 84 year old mom back home. His story reads like a fairytale. Almost four decades after his role as Short Round along Harrison Ford and Kate Capshaw (Mrs. Steven Spielberg) in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the former child actor wins an Oscar for his role as Waymond in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Congratz !
Which Oscarmovies besides Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, you consider absolute mustsees? Feel free to let us know, we will add them to this list.
These should be on š , according to ArtistCongratz ā¤µļø
š¬ Top Gun: Maverick, for obvious reasons, inspiring this years Oscarhost Jimmy Kimmel for a sky high entry šŖ Lady Gaga performed her latest signature song live at the Dolby theatre
š¬ All Quiet on The Western Front, winning epic war saga, unfortunately all too topical still today
š¬ Women Talking, a revealing story about abused women in an isolated colony, written and directed by Sarah Polley, starring Frances McDormand and Claire Foy, aka the young Queen Elisabeth in The Crown š
š¬ The Whale, starring an amazingly transformed Brendan Fraser, best actor in a leading role.
š¬ The Fabelmans, a coming of age drama film by Steven Spielberg, starring Michelle Williams. And the also nominated Judd Hirsch at a dazzling age of 88š
š¬Triangle of Sadness: which won the Palme dāor in Cannes
š¬ And Close of course, a moving story about a close friendship between two young boys. From the same director as Girl, Lukas Dhont. His flower run scene will stay with you.šŗ
Close, directed by Lukas Dhont, screenplay by Lukas Dhont and Angelo Tijssens. Cast: Eden Dambrinne, Gustav De Waele, Emelie Dequenne, Kevin Janssensā¦
But from all āwomen talkingā at this years Oscars, the one and only best Actress šøš» in a leading role wins again with this quote ā¤ļøā¤µļø
āAnd, Ladies, Donāt let anybody tell you youāre ever passed your primeā
Michelle Yeoh
Prime Rhyme we might add. You might wanna read some poetry in motion, written by yours truly as a tribute to these 95th Oscars.
Say what? Amen to that, & ArtistCongratz Michelle Yeoh!
Starting by Lady Gaga and her most intimate performance, a breath of fresh air at the Oscars. Far from glam, but all the more captivating.š¶
Rihanna was one of the other popicons performing live on Sunday. Lenny Kravitz paid tribute to the legends we lost, after John Travoltaās moving introduction. His way to honour his legendary co-stars Kirstie Alley and Olivia Newton John. Remaining Ā« hopelessly devoted, always Ā»
Composer Volker Bertelmann won the Academy award for best original score in All Quiet On the Western Front. The German Netflix-remake of the original movie (1930) based on the 1929 novel by Erich Maria Remarque is probably the one movie keeping Belgiumās Close from winning the Oscar in the category best foreign film.
And then there was this moment when Hollywood turned into Bollywood š®š³
Prepare for an even greater music hype following this years best Oscarsong. You wonāt sit still to Naatu Naatu, itās too catchy. An instant TikTok-revelation, even before the nomination. The song is from the blockbuster RRR, an entirely fictitious story about two Indian revolutionaries, dancing their way through three hours of spectacle. To be added to our previous wishlist š¬
Warning for people with social-media-sensitive-epilepsy: This music-act is not TikTok-proof
What better way to launch our Belgian music week than with a sparkling shower of awards. Including dazzling music performances, Ā« Made in Belgium Ā»
You know what they say, tiny country, hugeā¦talent š
Miaās, short for Music Industry Awards, are our very own Belgian Grammyās šæ, set up by our national tv-channel VRT and vi.be, Flanders guiding professional platform promoting rising artists. Place to be: Palace 12, just around the corner of our national pride The Atomium.
Artist Max Colombie aka Oscar and the Wolf gave a stunning performance on āš of our national prideāāto kick off the Awardsceremony
On šOscar and the Wolf
Letās have a closer look at those winners present, on the rise and confirming internationally. Kicking off by a rising star worldwide. On our watch as well as none other then Dave Grohls. Meet Stefanie Mannaerts ā¬ļøš„
Stefanie just won her first MIA (musician) yesterday. Next Friday her band Brutus will play in a sold out legendary Brussels music temple Ancienne Belgique. Paris, Pink Pop, Pukkelpop and Daytona festival are just a few other roaring venues welcoming Stefanie and her band Brutus next. With drums and vocals sounding like a match made in shoegaze-heaven, ArtistCongratz canāt wait to discover āThe Brutus Live Experience.ā Nice to know: music runs in Stefanies family, her father Walter being a well known composer and her grandfather Leo is the writer of an anthem calledā¦E Viva EspaƱa.
Fancy blue suit by the way Stefanie, by all means reveal us your stylist;)
Meet the one and only Real Regi, who wins the Mia for ābest Danceā, the muse, on the left;) is vocalist Pauline Slangen, discovered in Regiās own talent hunt āRegi Academy Ā»
Regiās music touch has been around for decades now and still continues to influence generations šµNow this is an icon you all must know. Leading Lady of Vaya Con Dios, recall Just a Friend of Mine, Heading For a Fall, Puerto Rico, and so many more hits worldwide. Dani Klein was handed a well deserved Lifetime Achievement Award. In her Thank you speech she did not forget her two legendary founding co members Dirk Schoufs and Willy WillyšøAnd then thereās this adorable border breaking artist of course. All maestroās, please make way for Stromae! He now holds the record with 20(!) Miaās Twenty Miaās and countingā¦āArtistCongratz to all winners, nominees and performers šā pics Een, by Jokko
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We might be a tiny country but our filmmakers sure know how to touch audiences worldwide. Letās seal our busy blogyear in absolute beauty with a directorstalk and a unique cinema-experience.
Christmasmonth also means releasemonth for āLe Otto Montagneā all over Europe, including Belgium, homecountry to the couple who brings the Italian bestseller novel to the big screen in a very poetic way.
Enjoy an exclusive chat about a making of like no other, with both Felix Van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch.
AC: Eventhough neither of you spoke Italian before this production, you never got lost in translating the book by Paolo Cognetti to the silver screen. ArtistCongratz just for that! And for the Juryprize in Cannes by the way š
Charlotte: Thank you, yes, that was quite the challenge. While we were writing the script we realised; ok, in ten months we start shooting; we really need to start learning this language (laughs). And so we went for it. The first big challenge were the castings in Rome. We speeded up the process with grammar books and on line courses. The necessity was high as we started to work on our script in Italian.
Felix: Practical exercise always works.
Charlotte: And before you know it, you start trying to say things. With Luca Marinelli & Alessandro Borghi we could talk in English, but that was not the case with everyone in the cast. At first it was a bit embarrassing but we learned very quickly.
AC: Belgian cinema is booming. Amazing productions share the international limelight, do you see this as an advantage?
Charlotte: Well, our film is a bit different because itās an Italian, Belgian and French co-production. We see it as an Italian Belgian marriage in the best way. Itās a beautiful collaboration. There is room for every project.Everything which is good will find an audience.
AC: This was your first directing experience as a couple, is this the first of many experiences behind the camera?
Felix: We already worked together in different art forms. As director and actress of course but also as writers. We even made a song togetheršµ
AC: and you have a production company together named after your son Rufusā¦
Charlotte: He came first (laughs)
Felix: Charlotte has always been there on the sidelines, watching versions, cuts of movies, she was always there. This has been an extremely intense collaboration but we donāt know yet what will follow next. We surely wonāt make the next one together but Charlotte is shooting some things and she wants to write some music. And I want to start actingā¦
AC: Now thereās an interesting challenge ā¦
Charlotte: Indeed
Felix: No Iām joking
Charlotte: Watch out what youāre saying! (Laughter)
AC: Do you see yourself directing solo in the future?
Charlotte: Why not. I think I could try that out. I would just have to find that story I really believe in. This experience taught me so much. But itās a whole different thing to do it by yourself. Thereās a lot of learning still to do. I know I have some qualities and some things that I should develop more. Because Itās a big job to be a director. But no one ās perfect at every aspect of it. There are so many to this job.
AC: What do you feel you have to develop for instance?
Charlotte: The oversight of what youāre shooting when youāre shooting it. Priorities, keeping track of time. A practical way of thinking (doing what you have to within a certain timerange, within the budget.)
This is not what I needed to develop so much for this movie because Felix was really on top of all that. But it scared me sometimes, thinking I could never do this but maybe I could after allā¦
Felix: Of course you can.
Charlotte: Itās something that needs to develop, with a clear mind and some good old common sense. Thinking in a clear way what youāre doing and how much time you have to do it.
AC: Tell us about your first acquaintance with āLe Otto Montagneāš
Felix: The story crossed my path several times actually. Some people had tipped me, āmaybe this is something for youā¦ā I got a call from the production company in Italy. They pitched me this project. I get quite a lot of similar calls and itās not the way I usually work but there was something about the way this was coming to me. I knew I had to check it out. So I started to read andā¦ completely fell in love.
Maybe it started a bit slowly but halfway through I was already very moved and I realized why people had talked to me about it. Yet for reasons they couldnāt have known. By the end of the book, I was just completely devastated.
From the beginning Paolo Cognetti was part of the creative process of our project
Felix Van Groeningen
AC: Did it help that this was not your first adaptation like The Broken Circle Breakdown or De Helaasheid der Dingen?
Felix: I guess it did. But every project is different. We felt from the beginning that this was going to work for bothCharlotte and me.
Some books take more time to crack. Before you jump into it, you need some figuring outā¦
Felix Van Groeningen
AC What stands out is the unbreakable bond between two friends in this coming of age story. They even build a mountainhouse togetherā¦is this what struck you most?
Felix: Itās everything, it ās the father-son story, itās the mountains, definitely the friendship, the very pure essence of it all. Their characters are absolutely very pure and simple and non cynical and that is really important for me.
AC: A wonderful story indeed. You must have heard that a lot in Cannesā¦
Felix: The most beautiful feedback comes from people who are very open having been through something that touched them very deeply.
AC: Le Otto Montagne allows the viewer to read between the linesā¦
Charlotte: Sometimes the main characters loose track of each other for years and what happens in between, we discover along the way.
āAn organic processā
Felix: Ruben (Impens, cinematographer ed. note) and I, we have been working together for over twenty years. Weāre not the biggest talkers. Sometimes itās weird to be with usā¦for the third person (laughs) being Charlotte in this case. We work together in a very organic way.
AC: You finish each otherās sentences?
Charlotte laughs and adds āthey donāt use sentencesā¦ā
Felix: No apparently some people think we talk in the same manner. Sometimes we donāt talk a lot and just spend time together and show each other things to try out.
Charlotte: Itās a strange process if you donāt really know it. But now I can look back and see how they work. Itās a pretty organic process. They understand each other in some way. Theyād be just silent for an hour and a half, looking on the internet for an image they want for a film.
I ask myself, would it be the same for me with someone else? Or different? Iām curious to discover that. Who is my D.O.P. (director of photography ed;) who understands me without speaking?
Felix: As for Ruben and I, ideas become clear as weāre workingā¦weāre not the loudest shouters. But we are constantly diving in, discovering, being open to the othersā¦being open to chanceā¦
Charlotte: Ideas are very sensitive in the beginning. They can easily be overthrown. So when you launch an idea and make a list with basic ones, someone might put something in there that you already think ānahā¦ aināt gonna workā but you just give it a chance.š”
Thatās the creative process. Itās really nice to honour every idea, as a possibility. Organically.
Charlotte Vandermeersch
AC. We obviously will also read the novel one day š but are there any major differences between the book and the film?
Charlotte: Major, no, because we really stuck to the story. Where the book is in the mind of Pietro, heās the eye letās sayā¦in the film you jump from past to present.
To challenge and surprise the viewer you donāt serve it all on a silver platter.
Charlotte Vandermeersch
You really demand something and suggest passing in time and things that might have happened in between.Bits of life, and times shoots forward. Never go back, thatās a choice in editing.
In other movies Felix has jumped a lot back and forth in time in a very intuitive way, like the broken circlebut for this film, there was a very clear choice not to do that. But rather to just go on. And thereās no breaking of that ruleā¦because life is like that. Or rather our experience of life is like that. We donāt know if life on earth is like that actually. Itās a philosophical question.
But you do things consequently. So the viewer really starts feeling there is no going back. Besides the voice over filling in some thoughts. But thatās the only libertywe took in the film.
The symbolic of the eight mountains is something Pietro picks up in the east somewhere but actually the author made it up. But it must be based on some Tibetan symbols. You know these kinds of circles like a pie, cut in pieces with a center? All of these symbols you have in Nepal. And the writer really loves to go there.
The metaphor works really well because it actually makes sense, this idea of the eight mountains and the center.
Charlotte Vandermeersch
In between directors š¬
In January Felix and Charlottes awardwinning picture will be presented at the iconic Sundancefestival for independent movies in Parkcity Utah.
š¬
This interview took place on the same day the Filminstitute shares the magnificent news that the best film of all times is a Belgian cult classic from the seventies. Great to see that so many years later Belgian cinema is playing such an important role on a global scale.
Like Lukas Dhont and Angelo Tijssens (Close), Robin Pront (Zillion), Charlotte and Felix definitely have left their mark on 2022 š š
Back in May, velvet carpets of the iconic Cannes filmfestival almost turned black and yellow besides red. Next in line? Oscartime!
But first treat yourself and your significant others to a special Christmas present and be moved by āle Otto Montagneā in theatres all over the country. Make sure to bring your kleenex. You will need it š„ŗš
Congratz by the way to the late Chantal Ackerman, director of āJeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce 1080 Bruxellesā, which will also be shown in cinemas again after being awarded best film of all times.
Who doesnāt like it cosy when winter approaches. And some storytelling through jazzy vibes from a brand-new Belgian album to go with it. Thank you Don Marsh to treat us to your debut called Marshland!š¼
Congratz first of all! Must be exciting to release your firstborn in front of a live audience šBy now there have been quite a few occasions to play. Tell us how that went.
Yes very excited indeed! We played some small try-out concerts before, but itās the first time for me leading the band for a bigger audience.
We played a few outdoor festivals & some clubs, which made me realize again how different the music comes across in those settings. Because of the broad stylistic palette there is not one ideal concert experience, but I look forward to playing in medium-size halls with some more natural reverberation which will be great for the chamber-likemusic we play.
Anyway, itās a real blessing to play my own music with these great musicians. Itās something that I have been looking forward to for a long time.
Weāre also curious what the rhythm section has to say. How are they involved in the creation process for instance?
Our bass player Janos Bruneel has written some compositions for the group, so thatās an obvious contribution. On rehearsals he often pinpoints weak spots in my compositions and he helps to think about arrangements. His clear lines bring a direction to the music that is really helpful for keeping the whole thing together. This direction is important as the music often shifts between composition and improvisation, and it can be hard to keep track of the bigger structure that I want to convey.
Picture by Jonas Commere
Our drummer Matthias is more pragmatic. He will try to understand what I want the music to say and make his contributions along the way. Matthias has a very broad taste and thatās something you can hear in his playing. He can be a supportive player, adding colors, but there are enough moments where he takes the front stage as an improviser too.
Can you tell us about the first bricks of this record? Which track came first and triggered all the others?
Not all compositions are linked to each other. Some pieces were written years ago (Very Late & ILVM I-II), when we first started playing with the band as a quartet. Somewhat later – when I was very much into the music of Mingus- I wrote some swinging pieces (Rhytmicus & Bermuda). This was when I really heard an extra horn in my head, so I got the idea to add at trumpet to the group, which offered more arranging possibilities. The idea for the sonata came later. I already wrote the track āDawn” without having the intention of making it part of a multi-movement work. It was clearly a different side of my musical identity, one that I wanted to explore more.
The mentioning of the name Beethoven in the bio kind of stayed with usā¦What exactly inspires you within this classic grandmaster?
During the covid- lockdown, I got a little bit discouraged playing jazz and improvising. For me, the most important aspect of this music is the rhythmic interaction with other musicians, and with that absent I just wanted to play aesthetically pleasing music. I was drawn to classical repertoire and especially the Beethoven sonataās.
What I like about this music so much is the intricate architecture and the storytelling on a bigger scale, which is rarely present in jazz. It made me wonder if I could combine this kind of narrative with my own musical language.
Wouter Van den Broeck, pianist/composer and founder of the acoustic quintet Don Marsh V
Don Marsh V in complete line up
There were a lot of challenges, for example as how to find spots for improvisation and spontaneity, but in the end Iām quite happy with the result. Itās still a work in progress however. My understanding of Beethovenās music and the sonata form is still basic and I will probably never perform any of the sonataās for an audience. But thatās part of the fun for me, having this new world to discover.
Other music heroes who made you grow as artists?
Most of my influences are Black American artists. My first hero was Ray Charles. Oscar Peterson was a big reference for swing feel and a meticulous execution. Bud Powell was the blueprint for my bebop language, I like his ‘in the momentā- playing and raw energy. I love Mingus for his use of form and the historical awareness in his music.There are countless others of course..
What can we expect from don Marsh V in the months ahead? And 2023?
We are finishing the first part of our tour in October. In November me & my wife are expecting our first child, so I didnāt plan any concerts then. We start playing again in February 2023. We hope to play some summer festivals and I would like to start writing a second album, probably expanding on the idea of this ājazz sonataā. Maybe I would like to add other musicians, but we have to see if itās doable.
What would you say to convince new (international) potential listeners and audiences To come and check you out live?
In What kind of ways you are able to promote a debut album? Do you feel you get enough support from organisations?
I contacted label manager Joshua Dellaert from Solidude records for the release of the album. He helped to get me some financial support from Sabam for Culture (Belgian supportsystem for creators ed. note), which gave me the opportunity to work with promotor Bram Moony (Vermeersch). Heās doing a fine job bringing the music to a broader audience, but of course itās not an easy task these days. Budgets are tighter than ever, concert spots are scarce and there is a growing pool of excellent musicians who are eager to bring their project to the limelight. Iām aware that my music is not the next āhip thingā and that itās not for a niche audience, but I just want to make music that makes me feel good. Honesty to oneself is the most important thing in the long run I think.
Marshland is released by Solidude Records.
Discover Don Marsh V live in Belgium on these datesā¬ļø
Where a disco-king once met a pornguru, way back in 199-something, emerged a place-to-be, rarely seen before. To have actually witnessed this, for working purposes we might add, ArtistCongratz could hardly wait to discover the film that tells the story behind the ālateā but not less mythical, Antwerp based dance-dome, named Zillion.
Director Robin Pront š§šŖ seems pleased about one thing when itās our turn to fire away questions about the making of.
āFinally someone who actually went to the real place. (laughs)ā
AC: āŗļø Backstage, during artist-interviews, I particularly remember the python. Seeing it in the movie brought back memories. I recall touching it, while wrapped around a dancer I was talking to. It felt pretty cold. I presume itās not the original one, starring in the movie;-)?
Robin: No itās not actually, if Iām not mistaking they had to put down the original snake. Or it went to the zoo.
Without revealing too much, you did come up with a great idea for a cameo that also features the snakeā¦
Robin: That was fun indeed!
AC: But first things first. Congratz! This could be a blockbuster in the making. Zillion tells a story, known beyond our borders. Any plans to distribute abroad?
Robin: Iāve just finished the movie (Robins third ed.d) this week. But I showed it to my agent in the US and they seem really happy with it, so I think thatās all starting right now.
AC: Exciting. To be continued. āZillionā is filmed very close to the characters, you want to make this your trademark as a filmmaker?
Robin: Not particularly.But I really wanted to make this a film for a broad audience.
The kind my friends from back home would want to go see with their girlfriend. That dictated the style, I wanted it to be like this big roller coaster ride. Fasten your seatbelts. My first film āThe Ardennesā was a little more clinical. This feels warmer. I tried to bring the energy of the nightlife to the big screen.
AC: Outsiders might wonder whatās true and whatās fiction? You want to maintain the mystery?
Robin: Iām sure a fantastic Netflix-documentary about Zillion can be made in the future. But that was not my goal. I tried to tell the story of its founder Frank Verstraeten. What defines him as a person and as a character. Of course I touched some subjects that really happened. But I felt it would be kind of boring for me just to tell what actually happened.
AC: This film makes painfully clear how work, friendship, love and betrayal can be connected.
Robin: Yes but mostly the āfakeā of it all. I feel like these people were kind of āputā together. In a different world this smalltown computernerd would never even meet the most beautiful girl in Belgium. But because of who he is, he makes it happen. Later on, it becomes clear that theyāre not meant to be.
AC: Although early on in the film it seems like they are, even if it were just for a brief moment. As in a timecapsule. Robin: I understand what youāre saying and thatās what I also try to capture and picture. But I feel like these are such unusual circumstances. If this guy had never been to a night-club, he would never even have met her. Overall, the story is about a very unlikely set of characters joining each other. And yes, although opposites attract, they are more alike, which also shows in the film.
AC: Those scenes of Frank in the watertank, so eccentric but mesmerising. Scubadivers do come up with the wildest ideas š
Robin:Thatās a true story. What you see is real, he actually had such a tank in his appartment. Thatās where he came up with most of his ideas. Thatās just who Frank Verstraeten is, very unpredictable. He doesnāt think like you and me. You never know what heāll do next.
Intrigued? Go see Zillion š¬. The notorious night-club and its founder Frank Verstraeten are known to have caused a lot of controverse. But they also conquered the nightlife way beyond the Antwerp of the roaring nineties. Then and there, ānothing seemed impossibleā. A baseline you will remember, after seeing a story that seems out-of-this-world, now masterfully filmed. Prepare for a frenzy roller coaster with more surprises that āll make you wonder if they are fict. or fact. āI did my researchā Robin delicately adds but for now weāll keep up the suspenseā¦
From A to Z, you might want to see this film a zillion times. This is the merit of Robin, his co-screenwriter Kevin Meul as well as their outstanding crew and cast.
Jonas Vermeulen, also a gifted writer and actor on stage, incarnates Zillion-boss Frank Verstraeten. Charlotte Timmers plays his love interest. Matteo Simoni will glue you to the screen as Franks fratello/frenemy Dennis Black Magic. He transforms into the spitting image of the real DBM.
āOns moeke (mummy ed.d)ā, as Jonas āaliasā Frank refers to his mother, turns out to be a very inspirational character. A stunning performance by Barbara Sarafian. Weāll grant you one quote from her character that sticks.
āIf you donāt want people to look down on you, make sure they look up to youā.
And this is just the first of a zillion spot-on one linersāš
Our personal favourite:
āIf you want to catch an asshole, you have to become oneā š
Fasten your seatbeltsš¢
Without Corona, Zillion would have come out two years ago. However, a day before shooting, lockdown came. That must have been pretty frustrating for everyone involved in the project.
But a director like Robin, ironically also shooting his series āLockdownā while in lockdown, keeps his cool at all times.
āWhat are you gonna do about it. When I was a kid, I was very negative, but I managed to turn that around.ā
Robin Pront
āA blank pageā
Why Robin casted Jonas to play Frank Verstraeten:
Three reasons. For starters, I really wanted āa blank pageā, someone the general audience didnāt really know. Plus I needed someone with a specific posture.
But the most important one: I needed a great actor. Jonas combining all of the above, made him the obvious choice for the part.
Robin Pront
This might be his breakthrough on the silver screen indeed.š¤ā
Like Robin we were also blown away by Jonasā acting- and writer-skills in Belgian theatres throughout the country. One piece we particularly remember from a few years back is called āThe Only Way Is Upā š
This title could turn out to be prophetic. Stay tuned for another exclusive AC-rediscovers-Zillion-chat. With Jonas, about his leading role in the movie that might bring broad audiences back to cinemas, and more.
Zillion, in Belgian cinemas on October 2ļøā£6ļøā£, eyes AND ears are in for a treat, the amazing soundtrack was written by Goose-drummer Bert Libeert š
Actors in the picture
Robin about Matteo Simoni as Dennis Black Magicā¤µļø
āIn real life Dennis Black Magic seems a figure ākind of out of this worldā. But you still have to make him human. And thatās what Matteo did so well.ā
Robin Pront
Heās funny, charming, but also a little bit dangerous. I couldnāt be happier with the way he played the part.
āThe female power in Zillionā
AC: Another interesting character is Franks mother. A courageous lady, a driving force and inspiring performance by Barbara Sarafian.
Robin: Thank you, Zillion being almost a macho story, full of testosteron, I feel like the female part is equally if not more important.
āI really want to do them justice. When people say they like the female part, that really makes me proud.ā
Robin about his leading āZillionšladiesā
The scene that stayed with us, when Barbaraās character is (mis)taken for the cleaning lady was one of the first scenes writtenā¦ Jonas and Barbara earlier worked together for the In Flanders Fields television series. Glad that she’s my filmmother now yes, dixit her newfound son-on-screenā¤µļø.
šøš»
From scubadivinglessons to breathtaking scenesā
AC: Congratz on your performance Jonas! Breathtaking at times. A roller coaster indeed, did you have to dig deep for this role? Jonas: Thank you, yes, the preparation required a few things. But I was very lucky that āmy characterā was willing to cooperate. After sharing stories and anekdotes for the script, I got involved after the first version was written.We went to dinner a few times and I was able to ask him my own questions.Seeing him talk to people and how he behaved, the way he talked and moved helped me prepare for the role. Discovering what kind of person he is; not a typical guy, he has his own kind of logic rules and values.I understand people get easily fascinated by him. What was really helpful, was the amount of actual Zillion-footage. The building being no longer there indeed adds up to the myth.
AC: This might be your breakthrough on the big screen. Are you prepared? Jonas: (Laughs) not really, I just try to have as much fun as possible. Telling the story and playing the character was really fun. It was a pleasure to work closely with both Matteo and Charlotte because we all know each other pretty well. I really felt surrounded by friends. This is an ambitious project, with a big set. Especially for a Belgian film. Feeling youāre realising it with close friends is encouraging. A real journey, a trip for us to makeā¦
AC:That journey also included āscuba diving lessonsā as the real Frank often, dove in his watertank to come up with crazy ideasā¦ Jonas: Yes, I went to a pool (a little deeper then required for the scenes and took some lessons)ā¦ I had to figure out the breathing through the octopus. And the clearing of the ears and stuff.
AC:Do you think you might take it one step further? Jonas: The scuba diving? Yes, I think so . I love it, yeah. I didnāt get to go scuba dive somewhere else after the shoot but I really loved it so who knowsā¦
š¤æš¤æ
You can also see Jonas live on stage. He’s actually playing āThe Sheep Song” of FC Bergman.
Usually this blog takes on a different kind of artists but nowadays I find myself under the soccer spell;-) What a better way to start a newfound summer with the grass that binds Europe.šŖšŗš§šŖ
I came to this conclusion in five acts. At the risk of sounding lyrical: especially since my country has a very good chance of winning this European championshipš§šŖš¤š¤š
1. Soccer is Film š„
2. Soccer is Drama š
3. Soccer is Music š¶
4. Soccer is Fashionš
5. Soccer is Art š¼
1.Mind those reruns in slo moā¦Corners, angles, bird perspectiveā¦#blockbuster
4. Pink & Turcqoise are the new black! The field has become a true runway! The latest trend? Pastel fluo shoes seem to be the new must haves for every playerš¦ #newprojectrunway
5. When that body language hits the big green, players unfold their ultimate movements, in result of years of practice and talent coaching. #artistcongratz
Soccer is all that! Never offside where this insider is concernedšKeep scoring those goals ā½ļø #reddevils
Off to the Finnish! š Fingers crossed for tonight in beautiful Saint Petersburg, one of the most artful cities ever:
