Toasaves, a new ensemble with a fascination for old traditional Flemish songs, is set to release its first album in November 2022. Toasaves is inspired by the rich folkloric repertoire of the influential Flemish singer-songwriter, guitarist, poet and puppeteer Wannes Van de Velde (1937– 2008), who managed to give the oldest ballads of the city of Antwerp a second life.
The name of the band Toasaves is written phonetically and means “home ports” in the Antwerp dialect, the city where Wannes grew up and came in contact with different cultures that left a mark on his musical path.
The group brings together artists with different backgrounds, including Early Music (trecento, Flemish polyphony, Sephardic music) and music from Greece, Turkey, and Afghanistan.
The lineup includes Tristan Driessens on lute, concept, arrangements, artistic direction; Raphaël De Cock on vocals, bagpipes, jaw harp; Harald Bauweraerts on hurdy-gurdy; Miriam Encinas Laffitte on hurdy-gurdy, dilruba, Medieval flutes, frame drums; Michalis Kouloumis on violin; Eugénie De Mey on vocals; Michaël Grébil Liberg on cister, Corsican cister, Medieval flute, viol, Afghan rabab, vocals; and Pierre Hamon on Medieval flute, tambourine, bansuri.
In anticipation of the new album, the ensemble has released the single ‘t Zoud een meiske.
Author: World Music Central News Room
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