Belcirque – La Grande Fête (ARC Music, 2021/07/23)
Genre-defying Belgian band Belcirque is back with its unconventional mix of jazz swing, folk and nostalgic barbershop-style vocals combined with African-inspired rhythms and American folk pop. Belcirque’s new album is La Grande Fête. On this occasion, the band’s musical travels takes it to the Americas, incorporating calypso, cumbia and rumba. The songs are performed in French, Spanish and English.
Seraina, Ondine, Julia, Sien and Astrid met in high school and started as a female quintet in 2007. Their shared love for music and travel led them to form Belcirque, a street performance ensemble with live music, colorful costumes and humorous twists. They started traveling, busking throughout Europe in their old Ford Transit van. The artists drove around, listening to music, performing their songs and meeting new people. As a result, they released an EP titled A Tribute to F. Transit (2010), a dedication to their first red van that broke down along the border between Portugal and Spain.
Belcirque eventually started to play inside theaters and bars. The album Boîte de Carton was released in 2014. Throughout the years, the band added new members and musical influences. Their second album, The Tallest Man (2018), was a songbook of stories told in English and French.
Band Members on La Grande Fête include Astrid Creve on lead vocals; Julia Emmery on vocals, trombone; Kris Auman on double bass, electric bass; Marijke Hellemans on electric guitar, ukulele; Ondine Cantineau on vocals, acoustic guitar, banjo; Seraina De Block on vocals, trumpet; and Yves Peeters on percussion.
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Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.