And now the moment weโve all been waiting forโฆ Happy Belgian Music Week ๐ถ๐ง๐ช๏ฟผ!
Marta DaโRo & 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 โคต๏ธ
ArtistCongratz is delighted to share live ESNS-showcase footage with you from
Marta Daโro, Berre and Coltโฌ๏ธ๐ถ
Marta Daโro 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 ๐๐For Berre, It all started by sharing his songs on TikTok, until his talent got noticed by major recordcompany Universal ๐
It was great to see hope and perseverance translated into music by so many talented youngsters from all over Europe at this yearโs EuroSonicNoorderslag in Groningen๐ณ๐ฑ ๐ผ๐ช๐บ
Stay posted for โTwins Peakingโ from Czech Republic ๐จ๐ฟ 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 Brรกtrรญโs dancefloor. Mint flavor fumes on top of the beats included.
But first things first letโs have a closer look on some Belgians B(l)ooming at ESNS ๐ง๐ช๐ต
With Belgian music week ๐ง๐ช๐ถjust 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 Daโro and of course a vision in blue and multiple Belgian Music Industry Awardnominee Sylvie Kreusch โคต๏ธ ๐ค
Sylvie Kreusch, an Audio-vision in blue ๐ถ 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 ๐ฅ, literally. This being reminiscent to the world of comic heroes, were you inspired by them๐ฆธ๐ปโโ๏ธ?
Sylvie Kreusch: Actually not really no. My music is mostly inspired by my own life. Kind of ๐ But during my childhood I spent a lot of time in my grandmotherโs addic, where she happened to have a lot of comics ๐stored. I spent a lot of hours reading there, with my head in the clouds, literally.
Along those clouds ๐ญSylvie takes you anywhere โฆon a Comic Trip like this one: once upon a time in her very own wild wild west๐ฅ
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 โWalk, walkโ already is an evergreen.
AC: โWalk walkโ seems to have a healing effect on a lot of peopleโฆ
It is a hopeful song. And kind of therapeutic isnโt it ? I guess all of us can relate to those moments when we are razed to the ground. And then we build ourselves back ๐
Sylvie Kreusch ๐ โWalk, baby, walk๐ถโ
What better venue to treat the audience to an extra private showcase than this iconic recordstore called PlatoSonic in Groningen ๐ค๐
Comic Trip (down memorylane ๐ฝ also available on vinyl)
Breaking News from ESNS ๐ฐ โArtistCongratzโ to the winners and nominees of the 2025 edition of the Music Moves Europe Awards !๐ Glenn Micallef – EU Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport handed the MME Public Choice Award 2025 to Judeline from Spain๐ช๐ธ๐ถ and stated: โMusic 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.โ 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 โค๏ธ) was presented to Yamรช from France.Member of the Grand Jury Jess Iszatt from BBC handing over this coveted award to Yame ๐ซ๐ทHost Shay Kreuger (r) interviewing Uche Yara from Austria ๐ฆ๐น
โEmpowerment through vulnerabilityโ it was a well received quote and message from Groningen ๐ณ๐ฑacross Europe ๐ช๐บ to the world ๐, emphasized by this yearโs 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 ๐ผ๏ธ , beyond the annual epicenter of the European Live music industry.
What better way than to disclose this call of faith through ๐ 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 Groningenโs citytheatre, traditional venue of the MME Awards ๐ โLet music move Europe and all of us forward ๐ถ โ
The MME Awards 2025 welcomed a renewed independent jury, including; Jess Iszatt (BBC Introducing), Filip Koลกลฅรกlek (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 Bratrรญ from Czech Republic ๐จ๐ฟ & of course the ones in my Belgium Booms-special๐ง๐ช. Coming ๐
Except for the exquisite World soundtracks of course. This yearโs 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 cinemaโs 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: LโAmour 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 โคต๏ธโคต๏ธโคต๏ธโคต๏ธ
๐ฌ๐to a true pride and joy ๐ง๐ชin 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 โMagdalene Laundriesโ
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 โMagdalene Laundryโโฆ
๐ฌ๐ to Dimitri Verhulst, iconic author of many classic novels๐for 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 followingโฆa funeral through Flanders mysterious waysโฆ
Fragment โThe Weeping Walkโ (c) Toon Aerts
๐ฌ๐ to Leonardo Van Dijl, directing โJulie keeps quietโ, in the running for the longlist of Oscar contenders. One of those stories that needed to be โtold while remaining untoldโ. 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 healโฆ๐พ๐
๐ฌ๐ to Christina Vandekerckhove, director of documentaries capturing human nature often in underprivileged environments. Stories from generations of unfortunate families she encountered while making โRabotโ partly inspired Christina for her first fiction film โMilanoโ.
Fragment โMilanoโ by Christina Vandekerckhove (c) Lumiรจre
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 Milanโฝ๏ธ), 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 ๐ฎ๐น
AC: Milano contains a lot of close up shotsโฆ
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 sorryโฆ But also the unwavering loyalty this child has towards both parentsโฆ
Christina Vandekerckhove
The director alongside her debuting starring actor Basil Wheatley at the premiรจre 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, Bjรถrn 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 Bjรถrn.
Gene: Bjรถrn did all the remastering. Itโs his project now actuallyโฆbut I can only guess what he experienced as a toddler listening to us (laughs).
Bjรถrn: Although I have a great beard myself now, (Gene laughs) My father looks younger than I do. (Laughs)
โTeaming up with some Plastik Bagsโ
Bjรถrn: 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, thatโs all I can remember. I think there was this roadie, a good friend, who came up with the idea to hang a couple of ๐ฏ plastic bags on the ceiling during the concerts.
Gene: We all wore them at the time.
AC: Youโd have to have model like features to show them offโฆ
Gene: Not all of us do I guess (laughs)
AC: Ageless music and charisma could also do the trick ๐ Do all ages come to the concerts nowadays ?
Bjรถrn: 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 momentโฆit appeals to young people because there is a lot of energy in it. When I listen to the radio, I hear a lot of โlow profile musicโ, while punk is really โin your faceโ.
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 ๐
Thatโs actually the spirit of the Plastic Bags pioneers: Weโre still in our twenties ๐
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-beats๐ถ.
With a debut called โDandelionโ, 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 asโฆweeds.
Kunde: Dandelion.๐ผ 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 โfloatโ. But I also remember a woman telling me: โDonโt blow on those, they spread weeds.โ They turned out to be unwanted flowers. At least for most people. I didnโt see them that way.
โIn between Belgium and Kamerounโ
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 โan unwanted flowerโ.
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 donโt 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 thisโฆ
Kunde about his concert in Ancienne Belgique on March 27th: Surreal and fantasticโฆitโs 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 herโฆ
AC: sorry we missed thatโฆare you working together regularly?
Kunde: I am actually working on a second album. Iโm 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
โYou should knowโ 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 thingโฆ
Never before the controverse was so omnipresent at the worlds most legendary music festival. The ESC of Malmรถ 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. Itโs a way of life. For artists and audiences worldwide ๐From Europe to Australia ๐ถ๐ช๐บ๐ฆ๐บ
ArtistCongratz
A great song with a message should always win. ๐ฅ Congratz on a flawless, ground-, border-, award-๐and code breaking performance finding a ๐ ยซNemoยป๐ค๐๐ค
Special Congratz to my contemporaries Malin ร kerman & Petra Mede๐ธ๐ผ๐ธ๐ป๐ธ๐ช, ultimate professionals, presenting and hosting this 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest in difficult circumstances ๐๐๏ธ๐ง๐ป๐ถDear Malin, Petra, On a slightly smaller scale;) but nonetheless extremely fun- weโre definitely colleagues;), (picture taken yesterday in the studio of our local radiostation ๐๏ธwhilst me (also in white;)) presenting and co-hosting a Eurovision parade throughout history ๐ถ Which felt amazing, so I can only imagine what it must feel like to actually host the Eurovision Song Contest ๐ญ๐ฅฐ๐Also Special Congratz to this years runner up Croatia๐ญ๐ทand No 3 La Douce France ๐ซ๐ท, our personal favouritesยซ Finding Nemo next level ยป
Inside a Directorโs mind โก๏ธTom Van Avermaetโคต๏ธ๐ฌ
What if a living statue falls for a real one? Sounds like an instant recipe for a universal fairytale doesnโt it? A unique lovestory pairing new to ancient times. A fine filmmaker makes it come true on the big screen in โHearts of Stoneโ.
Scene ๐ฌ from โHearts of Stoneโ, 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 brainchildren๐.
And yes most certainly his name should ring more than one bell. A previous short film of his, called โDeath of A Shadowโ, 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 himselfโฆ
Tom: Iโve 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: Howโs 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 naรฏve 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 isnโt there anymore or maybe never was. Some sort of imagined pastโฆand going back to this imaginary past that maybe never existed.โ So I decided to use that by tellingโฆa love story. Baseline: โLiving statue falls in love with a real statue.โ 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 ๐ฝโฆ
Tom: Thatโs kind of how the story came to beโฆbut 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 weโre 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.
Itโs like the character says in the film. โIs it easier to talk to someone on the other side of the world than to talk to someone whoโs next to you?โ
Thatโs quite of an interesting, modern kind of dynamic, which weโre 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 whatโs 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.
โDirecting like a visual artist ๐ผ๏ธโ
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 โvisual visionโ to post production.
You shoot the image in a certain style. We chose to shoot with anamorphic lenses. Lotโs of films are shot on spherical lenses. Anamorphic is more a wide angle format. Itโs the first time I did that.
I love to have a wide angle in all my films. Sort of like a painting styleโฆ๐ผ๏ธ I always feel that an image can convey a lot of emotions.
Tom Van Avermaet
Tom: Iโve always been drawn to cinematography which has a very painterly style. Iโll aways try to frame the shot (emoji painting) that way as wellโฆ 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, Iโve 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 soโฆYou have to pick when the actors are available, not when the cinematographers are. Unfortunatelyโฆ๐
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 films๐ฅ๐๏ธ.
Talking to Director Tom at Victor Cafรฉ near Bozar Brussels, (wide-angle-shot :))
And cut ๐๏ธ๐ฌ
UPDATE July 30โs 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 !!!! ๐ ๐๐
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.๐ต๐ถ
Paying tribute to his beloved instrument, called ยซSoulmate๐นยป, Daniel keeps pushing boundaries. Partners-in-rhyme ๐ถlike fiddlefairies ๐ปMarina Barskaya & Beth Giorgiou accompany him near some of the worldโs 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 videoโs by Daniel and his team, the audience is always in for an amazing journey ๐ถ.
ArtistCongratz
Picture by Lauren Pletinckx
Many highlights in his career these past few years call for even more spectacular celebrations ๐stage and ๐line.
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 ๐ถshine underneath Swedish northern lights or above seismic activity in Iceland, Daniel always manages to share his soft spot for the environment through pianomusic. Watch Danielโs latest video and track Ice on Fire ๐YouTubeโคต๏ธ
โ๏ธ๐ฅ
Happy to host Daniels Documentary โBridge between Culturesโ in 2023, ArtistCongratz got a major scoop about some highlights already in the making back then.
๐๏ธ
Relive some magic moments with ArtistCongratz interviewing a composer and pianist breaking through on stages worldwide today ๐๐ผ
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 Danielโฆplaying far far away from his home country ๐ง๐ช๐ฆ๐บ, inside the iconic Sydney Operahouse, building new bridges down under ๐
More major stops lay ahead after Australia and New ZealandโฆGhent Handelsbeurs as a home run on May 26th and then off to Kennedy Center Washington andโฆ๐ฅ๐นCarnegie Hall New York ๐ฝ๐น in June.
Ready for my favourite prime time of the year? And hopefully yours as well๐
Yay๐ ItโsโฆOSCARTIME๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐๏ธ
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 weโd like to cheer for. The nomination of โPast Livesโ by Celine Song is so well deserved.
The catchy last name of the director couldnโt be more appropriate. She truly made a movie like a love song. ๐ต
This is an absolute must see till The very End. The baseline of this gem? โInYunโ, 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 charactersโ words and lines remain left unspoken in a way rarely seen before.
Fandangoโs Oscarpredictions in CBSnews do not mention โPast Livesโ, but ArtistCongratz does ๐
ArtistCongratz 