Living Room Music Festival 2018
Quartier Solvay / Ixelles
Sunday 6 May 2018
Welcome to the Solvay district of Ixelles. On 6 May ten local inhabitants will open up their living rooms and host a concert of world music that will set the whole area jumping. To mark 15 years of Muziekpublique some of these concerts will also include dancing. Come along in the afternoon, discover musicians and dancers from a variety of horizons and meet the neighbors, the audience and the volunteers involved in the festival.
How does it work? Choose three concerts from the ten on offer. Each group plays three half-hour concerts, with an interval of thirty minutes between them to allow the public the time to go from one living room to the next. Take a look at the program below and choose three concerts. Be daring: it’s not every day that you can go on a musical journey across five continents within such a small area!
With the support of Mayor Dominique Dufourny, the Mayor of the Flemish Affairs Maïte Morren, the Flemish Community, the Wallonie-Bruxelles Federation and the Commissions of the Flemish and French Communities.
PROGRAM
1. Duo Szabadsag (Klezmer) chez Mathilde, Victor & cie
15h-16h-17h
15h-16h-17h
1. Duo Szabadsag (Klezmer) chez Mathilde, Victor & cie
15h-16h-17h
 |
The Duo Szabadsag consists of the French-Sephardic violinist Ariane Cohen-Adad and Jefferson Louvat, a Belgo-Hungarian mandolinist. They bring together their two distinct musical experiences, mixing East European and Balkan klezmer traditions (Ariane) and North American bluegrass and Irish folk (Jefferson). Jefferson Louvat is best-known for his work with his brother Steve, performing as “Louvat Bros”. Together they won a prize in 2012 for the most innovative bluegrass group. While ensuring a touch of klezmer, Ariane’s contribution to the repertoire reflects her varied and eclectic background, which includes not only music but also theater and dance.
Jefferson Louvat : American mandolin, mandola, mandocello Ariane Cohen-Adad : violin, viola, vocals Diana Amaro : dance |
Mathilde, Victor & cie
 |
Mathilde and Victor are bosom friends of Muziekpublique! Mathilde took one of our courses last year and helped to organize the Hide and Seek Festival. Her friend Victor helped us to design our new website. This year their shared home will be turned into a concert hall. Their living room is never really deserted, as it is a meeting place for their fellow renters from the most varied backgrounds:psychologist, architect, director – when it’s not their cat Oscar lounging there!
Rue de la croix, 60 |
2. Myrddin (Flamenco) chez Brigitte
16h-17h-18h
16h-17h-18h
2. Myrddin (Flamenco) chez Brigitte
16h-17h-18h
 |
Myrddin De Cauter has for many years been one of the most astonishing and inventive flamenco guitarist in the country. In his own personal way he has taken flamenco to new heights, often tinged with hints of jazz. Just as in his virtuoso guitar-playing, over the years he has developed his own approach to composition, producing a subtle and complex music of extraordinary beauty. He knows better than anyone how to give each note its true worth and emotion, making every melody the culmination of a deep inner search for the right balance of style and meaning to ensure an ideal composition.
Myrddin: flamenco guitar |
Brigitte
 |
Brigitte is highly creative and gifted with her hands and she loves to fiddle with things, to scrape them, to turn them this way and that… In short, to do something with her hands, and it doesn’t go unnoticed. If you go into her living room you’ll immediately admire her colorful works. But Brigitte also likes to discover the wider world. Her travels have given her a taste for meeting other people and the unexplored. That’s why she’ll be delighted to welcome unknown guests into her living room.
Rue du président, 11 |
3. Tano Trio (Congo) chez Hugo et Martha
16h-17h-18h
16h-17h-18h
3. Tano Trio (Congo) chez Hugo et Martha
16h-17h-18h
 |
Tister Ikomo was born into a family of musicians from the Congo. He is a professional multi-instrumentalist and dancer/choreographer, plays the balafon and the likembe (thumb piano), and sings and plays percussion. He was the artistic director of several shows and coordinated numerous projects to promote the dance. In 2014 he worked with Alain Platel and Fabrizio Cassol on the ‘Coup Fatal’ show, a production by KVS and ‘Les ballets C de la B’, which traveled around the world. Now he is giving courses on traditional dance, and he hopes one day to be able to open his own dance school in Kinshasa. Tister will be accompanied in the Living Room by Mamadou Dramé on the kora and by the dancer and singer Alice Sinephro. They can promise you music and dance electrified by rhythms straight from Kinshasa !
Tister Ikomo: Balafon, likembe, percussion, voice, dance Mamadou Dramé : Kora Alice Sinephro: Voice, dance |
Hugo & Martha
 |
Hugo and Martha met 3 years ago and it was love at first sight ! They are both architecture students and totally passionate about art and culture. From contemporary dance to the plastic arts, from hip hop to classical music, they are always looking out for new discoveries. Their time is taken up by their studies so they can’t travel as much as they would like. None the less they will be delighted to take you on a musical voyage for the length of an afternoon.
Chaussée D’ixelles, 102 |
4. Leàn Trio (Latin Folk) chez Florence & Cie
14h-15h-16h
14h-15h-16h
4. Leàn Trio (Latin Folk) chez Florence & Cie
14h-15h-16h
 |
Leán is the trio made up of Silke Clarysse, Otto Kint and Gielis Cautaers. They met here in Brussels in 2014 and since then they have developed their passion for world music at the crossroads of Africa, Latin America and the Mediterranean. The groovy combination of Silke’s guitar. Otto Kint’s jazzy double bass and Gielis’ subtle hand percussion is red hot and cool at the same time. Their first album ‘Pangea’ led them from Brussels to Dranouter and on to the Safaricom International Jazz Festival in Nairobi, Kenya. Meanwhile they are preparing their second album, which you may well hear something about.
Silke Clarysse: Guitar Otto Kint: Double bass Gielis Cautaers: Percussion |
Florence & cie
 |
These 6 young people are intimately linked to music and alternative milieu : they love to move between electronic rhythms and ancestral sounds. Engaged in teaching and languages, these young workers love their part of town and would love to reach out more to their neighbors. You won’t be the first strangers to enter their living room. Alive to refugees’ situation, they don’t hesitate to show their hospitality by inviting people to stay the night in the warm in their living room.
Rue du président, 56 |
5. Nil Görkem Trio (Turkey) chez Sabrina et Guillaume
14h-15h-16h
14h-15h-16h
5. Nil Görkem Trio (Turkey) chez Sabrina et Guillaume
14h-15h-16h
 |
The challenge of Nil Görkem’s repertoire is to present in dance and music the musical heritage, full of history and influences, of Anatolia. The music and folk arts of Anatolia have many influences: the tradition of the troubadours, the heritage of the Kurdish, Armenian, Greek, Pontic populations; the Persian, Arabic, Celdaniet and finally Turkish modal contributions. And then the music of the Ottoman court, Sufism, the Gregorian chants of Christian minorities, not to mention the culture of nomadic communities. Enriched with contemporary accents, they present the articulation of all these cultural components which make Turkey, by sublimating what connects today these historical populations to minorities present in Belgium.
Aytekin Kilic : Chant, saz, kaval |
Sabrina & Guillaume
|
Sabrina and Guillaume are both passionate about meeting people. Moreover, if this young Breton couple settled in this large apartment on the Chaussée d’Ixelles, it is precisely to accommodate, from time to time, travelers passing through Brussels. Openness, culture and discoveries: our festival fits perfectly in the mentality of their home! We can also add the importance of music to this list, because the Algerian origins of Sabrina have taught her that relationships are created around it.
Chaussée D’Ixelles, 102 |
6. Roda de Choro Bruxelles ft. Humberto Araujo (Brazil) chez Christophe, Gaëlle & cie
14h-15h-16h
14h-15h-16h
6. Roda de Choro Bruxelles ft. Humberto Araujo (Brazil) chez Christophe, Gaëlle & cie
14h-15h-16h
 |
The collectif Roda de Choro de Bruxelles gathered, a few years ago, under the impetus of the cavaquinho player, singer and composer Pedro Moura, to spread the ‘choro’ in our country. The choro, a style resulting from the meeting in the 19th century between European dance music (waltz, polka, mazurka …) and African rhythms, is a bit like jazz-musette in Brazil. Brussels-based Henri Greindl has been passionate for years by the chorinho, as a musician and as the driving force behind label Mogno Music. Percussionist Nema Lopes is from Recife and studied at the Rotterdam Conservatory. Saxophonist Humberto Araujo, a pupil of Pedro’s uncle Paulo Moura, has been nominated numerous times for the Grammy Awards and is a true reference for the choro and Carioca culture.
Humberto Araujo: Saxophone, flûte |
Christophe, Gaëlle & cie
 |
When you step inside the home of Christophe and Gaëlle, you immediately feel a colorful musical atmosphere. The living room is full of vinyls, a piano here, a violin case there … Music is a part of their lives! It is especially part of the everyday life of Christophe, who works in an instrument shop. Gaëlle and their two daughters tend to enjoy Christophe’s eclectic tastes. The spirit of the festival is not unfamiliar to them, they have organised living room concerts themselves.
Rue de l’arbre bénit, 24 |
7. Brochet – Strazzante – Venero (India) à "La concorde"
16h-17h-18h
16h-17h-18h
7. Brochet – Strazzante – Venero (India) à "La concorde"
16h-17h-18h
 |
In addition to being known for eclectic jazz, Raphaëlle Brochet is also an incredible singer of Indian classical music, a graduate of ethnomusicology and specialised in Carnatic music. Her innate sense of rhythm and her great talent for improvisation, combined with her command of Solkattu (spoken rhythmically in southern India) make her one of the most remarkable Carnatic music singers of the moment. She will be accompanied by Carlo Strazzante, a multi-instrumentalist of great talent, specialising in Indian, Oriental and Italian percussion. For this special dance edition, the dancer Cinthia Venero will accompany them with the Bharata Natyam, classical dance of southern India
Raphaelle Brochet: Chant carnatique |
“La Concorde”
 |
An architect, a stylist, two film makers and an apprentice jeweler are the members of this co-habitation full of freshness and creativity! What attracted them to the Living Room festival is its intimate and surprising side. They also like the idea of stepping into the private sphere of people listening to a concert. Two things not to be missed in their apartment: the mascot, Mr. Cat, and the minibar straight out of a film set.
Rue de la concorde, 31 |
8. Damast Duo (Syria/Be) chez Colette
16h-17h-18h
16h-17h-18h
8. Damast Duo (Syria/Be) chez Colette
16h-17h-18h
 |
Damast Duo is the result of the collaboration between Syrian violinist Shalan Alhamwy and accordionist Jonas Malfliet. Together they are bringing us music from the regions lying on the way between Syria and Belgium. In their compositions, they mix together Arabic and West-European sounds, transcending the borders while respecting the traditions. This year they will be recording their first album. Violinist and compositor Shalan Alhamwy was born in Homs, Syria. He is active in a number of international projects, including the Ghent Folk Violin Project “Liga” and Olla Vogala. He often plays at Muziekpublique. Jonas Malfiet is a young pianist and folk accordionist. He is playing with several bands, such as Eenzam Ensemble and Les Busiciens.
Shalan Alhamwy : Violin |
Colette
 |
Colette is a big fan of world music. Besides her participation in a Georgian choir, she spent a good deal of her life organising concerts in retirement homes. For a few years, Colette has been involved in the life of her neighbourhood in the comité XL Nord. She actually took part in one of the first editions of the Living Room Music Festival in 2005!
Rue de l’arbre bénit, 73 |
9. Duo Pilartz-Gielen (Folk/Be) chez Kris
14h-15h-16h
14h-15h-16h
9. Duo Pilartz-Gielen (Folk/Be) chez Kris
14h-15h-16h
 |
A folk duo that, on their first album, « makes pure rock’n’roll that also sometimes takes minimalist music trips”, according to Moors Magazine about the duo Pilartz-Gielen. Both artists are central musicians of the folk scene. Luc Pilartz is without doubts the reference in folk violin in Wallonia and was part of the legendary bands Panta Rhei and Trio Trad. Diatonic accordionist Simon Gielen may be a bit younger than his musical partner, but he is already surrounded by the best musicians, such as Dave Shepherd or Vincent Sionneau. Together Pilartz and Gielen play not only their own compositions, but also music pieces from musician friends, as well as traditional waltzes, mazurkas, jigs, andro’s, bourrees, and other rondos.
Luc Pilartz : Violin |
Kris
|
|
Kris knows a whole lot of stories about her neighbourhood! Charmed by the multiculturalism surrounding her, she has been working for years towards the cohesion of the area through several projects, such as the writing of a cookbook, the creation of an exhibition, of a photo album, of a CD… Any excuse is good to meet each other! Don’t hesitate to ask her questions about where she lives, she will be very happy to talk about it.
Rue Jean d’Ardennes, 60 |
10. Tarbouch (Syria/Sufi) chez Marius et François
15h-16h-17h
15h-16h-17h
10. Tarbouch (Syria/Sufi) chez Marius et François
15h-16h-17h
 |
The term “Sufism” refers to a state of consciousness that we can reach through love, trust and gentleness. Sufism was transmitted in the first centuries of Islam by small groups of masters. Around the 12th century, Sufism got organised in brotherhoods, called ‘turuq’ in Arabic. The brotherhood of the “mevlevi”, with the help of whirling dervishes, is responsible for the emergence and continuity of their mystical religious music. The combination of dancing and Sufis religious texts brings the practitioners closer to God. The singer will be accompanied by a music instrument and a dervish, Yazan Al Jamal, who will be whirling in the flat.
Yazan Al Jamal: Dance |
Marius & François
 |
If this shared flat started in an unusual way, it’s because its idea emerged on the other side of the world. During an exchange program in Tokyo, these two French guys decided to live together in Brussels afterwards. A second anecdote? François is studying architecture with Hugo, who you might meet if you go to number 102 this afternoon. Several of their friends are actually living in the neighbourhood, and many of them are taking part in the festival! Your turn to find out who else is their friend…
Chaussée d’ixelles, 79 |
1. At Benedicte's
1. At Benedicte's
Rue du Brochet 68, 1050 Etterbeek
2. At Lieve's
2. At Lieve's
Avenue de la Couronne 184, 1050 Ixelles
3. At Celine and Cedric's
3. At Celine and Cedric's
Rue du Brochet 52, 1050 Ixelles
4. At Mathias's
4. At Mathias's
Avenue de la Couronne 48, 1050 Ixelles
5. At Las Meninas
5. At Las Meninas
Rue Gray 122, 1050 Ixelles
6. At Dimitri's
6. At Dimitri's
Rue de la Brasserie 74, 1050 Ixelles
7. At Michael's
7. At Michael's
Rue du Vivier 8, 1050 Ixelles
8. At Esther's
8. At Esther's
Rue des Champs Elysées 85, 1050 Ixelles
9. At Veronique and Jean-Baptiste's
9. At Veronique and Jean-Baptiste's
Rue de Theux 97, 1050 Ixelles
10. At Christine's
10. At Christine's
Rue de Hennin 83, 1050 Ixelles
TICKETS
ATTENTION: Until Sunday 6/5, 9.30 am you can buy a PASS for three concerts online (12 € / 10 € members).
After, you can buy a SOLO place for a concert, on site, with the residents. To know the available places for each concert, you can visit the Checkpoint (L’Epicerie, Keienveldstraat 56, 1050 Ixelles) from 12AM where our volunteers can tell you where there is room. (5 € / 4 € per concert of 30 minutes).