L'orchestre International du Vetex
Tournai, Walloon Region, Belgium
Music
Press
Wer „Fanfare“ hört, denkt heutzutage gewöhnlich auch gleich „Ciocarlia“. Dabei haben auch unsere Nachbarn, die Franzosen eine reiche Fanfaren-Tradition – und das darin wirkende Blech klingt nicht nur nach Osteuropa. Äusserst buntscheckig geben sich die 19 nordfranzösischen und flämischen Bläser dieses Orchesters. Taumelnde Bittersüsse von Balkan und Klezmer sind da nur eine Ausprägung. Polkaeskes wird auf die Spitze der beschwipsten Rasanz getrieben, eine Tarantella hüpft durch die Register von Tuba bis in die Klarinetten.
Und dann sind da auch völlig anders geartete Einstreuungen. Plötzlich dreht sich alles um die Pariser Musette und eine Piano-Miniatur mag an den „Amelie“-Soundtrack erinnern. Der Klassiker "Moliendo Cafe" brüht in der Blechfassung schliesslich auch ein Latin-Getränk auf und mit dem Vetex-Mex hopst man bekifft durchs kaktusgesprenkelte Gelände. Und was eine zünftige Fanfare ist, die beherrscht auch den Trauermarsch: Etna“ haben sie das morbide Stückchen genannt.
review: Stefan Franzen
permanent link:
orchestre-vetex-flamoek-fantasy.html
- Blue rythm reviews
Orchestre International du Vetex
World
Via Lactea Records
Petit retour en arrière. Nous sommes en 2004. A Courtrai. Dans les locaux d’une ancienne usine de textile : Vetex. Un comité de quartier entreprend d’y jouer une pièce de théâtre. Cherchant des musiciens capables d’animer leur projet, ils arrivent à associer musiciens du coin, d’un peu plus loin, voir même transfrontaliers. Une fanfare naît sur le sol poussiéreux de l’usine. Frappant des pieds, des mains et du cœur, l’association musicale qui se devait éphémère s’embrase et s’enflamme sous les vivats. L’Orchestre International du Vetex est né. Une troupe atypique, cherchant à intégrer dans leur univers celui des autres. D’ici ou d’ailleurs. La formation ne se quitte plus, multiplie les ‘répètes’ et fiestas improvisées. Dix-neuf poilus au trombone, clarinette, sax, etc., se délectent d’énergie en soufflant de tous leurs poumons, la joie d’être ensemble. En 2005, « Le Beau Bazar », leur premier opus, voit le jour chez Via Lactea (Amapranoïa, La Kinky Beat, Radiochango Soundsystem,…) Forts de cette première expérience gravée dans la liesse, l’équipe attaque ensemble les 80 dates de concerts programmées. C’est une unité, une entité unique répartie intra-émotionnellement. Sans doute marqués par les voyages de la tournée, c’est sur ce thème qu’éclot « Flamoek Fantasy », le dernier né de la tribu. Tel un enfant du voyage, on sent les influences qui on empli les oreilles et nourri la culture des musiciens. Une énergie communicative qui donne envie de danser, de faire la fête et d’embrasser son voisin. Un chouette album. Positif. Où la bonne humeur entre sans s’imposer. Et qui donne la pêche, en plus…
- Muziczine
Discography
- “Le Beau Bazar” (2005). A mix of catchy balkan brass in a festive ska-mood, but also some melancholic songs. It comes with a DVD presenting the band’s work and life in a video documentary.
- “Flamoek Fantasy” (2007). This 19 tracks album is the result of 3 years of the musicians sharing work and life. The theme of this album is travelling and it is made up of almost only original composing.
- “Mixed grill” (2010) is the next one to come. It’s gonna be released in may 2010. It will come with a DVD getting onto their Balkan experience of the countries, the people, the music…
Photos
Bio
The Orchestre International du Vetex was formed in 2004 in the small Flemish town of Kortrijk for a special occasion : to gather professional and amateur musicians from Flanders, Wallonia and the North of France in order to publicise the possibility of renovation of the old textile factory Vetex situated in an abandoned part of the city. Some local associations took part in the project and a couple of weeks later, the Orchestre International du Vetex gave its first concert at the “Fiesta Mestiza”-festival in Kortrijk.
It’s the beginning of a great adventure. The band is quickly noticed in the musical world in Belgium thanks to this crazy mixture of brassmusic, always with a punky rock'n'roll attitude. It sows energy everywhere it goes, but not only because of the style or the numerous musicians, also because they don't like to be too serious and certainly want to have fun with the spectators. It’s a cross-border band, with people from three different regions in two different countries but that have some important goals in common and that fight for the same ideas. Fascinating? Of course. Easy ? Not always…
In 2005, after a series of concerts in Belgium and France, the Orchestre International du Vetex records its first album, "Le Beau Bazar", a CD and a DVD with 12 songs and a documentary about the life of this cross-border band. Then, they record “Flamoek Fantasy” in 2007. Both albums receive very good critics in Belgium but in other European countries as well.
Till now, the Vetex has played more than 400 concerts… From little clubs and parties to big and famous stages… From the streets of Sarajevo to the underground in Praha. From the Olympic Games in Turin to prestigious street and world music festivals in Graz, Jelenia Gora, Nis, Santander, Amsterdam, Bansko, Berlin…
In 2008 and 2009, the band headed more and more east-wards, spending a lot of time touring through the Balkans (Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Bulgaria). First of all because the Vetex is a cross-border band, but also because this region is a great source of inspiration for them. During these travels and tours, they started a friendship and a musical collaboration with musicians from these regions including the great Serbian accordion-player Ivo Vucelja, the young talented Bosnian trumpet player Ivan Sucac and the phenomenal female singer from Mostar, Jelena Milusic. Soon, they start to work on a new project : create a show where both the music of the Vetex and traditional song of the Balkans are played. Moreover, Adela Jusic, a young artist-filmmaker that survived the war in the surrounded city of Sarajevo, gives us a very personal view of the life near the borders and the way to live with our neighbours in spite of our differences through images and videos.
And here is the result : an international production called ‘Balkan Banquets’. A fascinating show with a lot of joy but with sadness and nostalgia too. A show that makes us think about the borders, here and there. Physical and psychological borders. Musical and geographical borders…
In June 2010, the Vetex will release a DVD-pack with a photo-booklet that summarize the 6-years-life of the band. In the DVD, you’ll find videos of Balkan Banquets, clips videos, reports from young filmmakers, … In between, the band will record his third album at the end of 2010, and they will be present in a myriad of festivals and events all over Europe.
Links
