Cahalen Morisson

Hailing from the high desert plains of northern New Mexico, Cahalen Morrison has built an impressive reputation over the past decade. He’s performed as a solo artist, formed a successful duo with Eli West and co-founded the country roadhouse band Western Centuries. Cahalen has graced stages and festivals across the United States, Canada, the UK, Ireland, and throughout Europe, sharing bills with major names like Tim O’Brien, Hot Rize, and Crooked Still.

Equally at home on guitar, banjo, mandolin, or delivering harmonies and lead vocals, he’s established himself as a distinctive voice in American music. In fact, he’s been praised for writing the kind of music the world needs right now. His poetic lyrics, thoughtful songwriting, and deep respect for tradition combine authenticity with a fresh perspective on contemporary composition.

His latest album, The Rolling Thunder of The Sea, inspired by his move from the American West to Scotland, was released this past spring. The record features collaborations with influential musicians including Kris Drever, Fergus McCreadie, and Tim O’Brien. The blend of banjo, guitar, fiddle, bagpipes, piano, and saxophone creates a singular and surprising sonic landscape. Cahalen Morrison moves seamlessly from pure Americana to an adventurous sound shaped by Scottish tradition, jazz, and classical music.

Derroll 100

From Portland, Derroll Adams landed in Brussels in 1958 with his banjo, his tales of the American West, and a simple philosophy: music belongs to no one, it’s bohemian, it travels. Steeped in California beat culture, he drifted his way to EXPO ’58 before settling in Brussels and Antwerp. He would never leave. Derroll Adams inspired generations of musicians with his deep voice, the gentle sound of his banjo and his raw authenticity. A century after his birth, his wandering, poetic spirit still echoes through the streets where he lived. This November 2025, we celebrate the life of this legendary cowboy-hatted banjo player.

To mark this extraordinary centenary, we’re presenting a series of unique, free lunchtime concerts at MIM (Musical Instruments Museum). Each invited artist carries forward Derroll Adams’ legacy in their own way. On the program: the gritty blues of Roland Van Campenhout and Nils de Caster, the captivating sounds of American troubadour Cahalen Morrison, British multi-instrumentalist Rowan Rheingans, and the luminous koras of Senegalese masters Malick Pathé Sow and Bao Sissoko, building bridges between Mali and the Mississippi. Lunchtime concerts as interludes, packed with authenticity and rich in musical encounters. Here we blur boundaries, let genres roam and forge our own paths just as Derroll Adams loved to do.

Alongside the concerts, you can discover an exhibition in Brussels (MIM) and Antwerp (Vleeshuis Museum) that traces the life, philosophy and remarkable influence Derroll Adams had on the contemporary folk and country scene. The exhibition unveils personal archives specially made available by his widow, Danny Levy. A deep dive into the intimate life of a man who crisscrossed folk cafés and stages.

4 free concerts at MIM to feel why the soul of this gentle, rebellious troubadour-storyteller still hovers over today’s folk music.

Derroll Adams in the Petite Rue des Bouchers – © F.Hellinckx