Over the past decade, Belgian jazz has turned its multifaceted identity into an asset. It is so varied, in fact, that no artist can embody all of it. All over the country, we are witnessing a boom of emerging artists, some still firmly rooted in the tradition (often with a Surrealist twist), while others are breaking barriers, creating a crossover sound with pop, electronics and wildly unpredictable ingredients. From the bass saxophone to the oud, from chamber music finesse to doomy underground roar, from a swingin’ snap of the finger to a headbangin’ riff, it’s all there.
After just a quick scan, it becomes obvious that Belgian jazz has also become much more inclusive, with increasingly more female bandleaders and musicians with other geographic backgrounds infusing their take on jazz with elements from their specific roots. As such, Belgian jazz has become this veritable 21st century music: eclectic, iridescent and increasingly picked up abroad as an example of the sound of surprise.
The following bands will represent the Belgian jazz scene in the showcase & fringe program during the upcoming European Jazz Conference 2024 in Ghent:
aki, Aleph Quintet, Black Flower, Camille-Alban Spreng’s ODIL feat. Nina Kortekaas, De Beren Gieren, Donder, Eve Beuvens “Lysis”, Fnussjen, GingerBlackGInger, Julien Tassin Quartet, Karen Willems ‘Terre Sol Four’, Le Monde Merveilleux de Pépito, MDCIII, NΔBOU, Orchestra Nazionale della Luna, schntzl, Stéphane Galland & The Rhythm Hunters, Under the Reefs Orchestra, Vitja Pauwels’ Early Life Forms, Wajdi Riahi Trio and more!
More info: https://www.belgiumbooms.be/events/european-jazz-conference-2024
