Made in Belgium: Urban Trad

In the beginning of this decade I was walking with a friend on the Gentse Feesten when we stopped at the stage of Sint-Jacobs. There was a folk group performing that was really contageous and it didn't take much time before my body decided to start moving to the music. I remember they showed a green CD cover.

The next summer I was letting myself getting seduced again at the CD-shop at the Folk festival at Dranouter and all of a sudden a recognised the green CD-cover. Urban Trad...Urban Trad was the band that I was looking for :). And I found them on a folk day in Antwerp and on Dranouter and on the big market square in Brussels, etc.

In 2003 the Wallonian broadcasting assigned Urban Trad as the Belgian group to go to the Eurovision song contest. At that point they became known to the Belgian public, also the non-folk lovers, although I think "Sanomi" is a song that is rather un-Urban Trad. I miss the drive in the song, that element that always makes my feet start dancing. Nevertheless the stuck out at the contest and we missed one point to win the 2003 edition. 1 point! Argh.

Since then I've seen them more on Dranouter and also in Leuven on Beleuvenissen Folk in 2007 but that must have been the last time. While I'm typing this post I realise I urgently must buy their latest CD since that Scottish à la Tête down below is so incredibly contageous. So forgive me but I have some dancing through the living room to do right now (ok....very very gently that would be at the moment, but it's the thought that counts). Who's joining me?


Vodka Time



Sanomi 2003




Kerua



Scottish de la Tête

Comments

Kat Mortensen said…
Count me in, Ellen! They sound quite a bit like the traditional French Canadian musicians over here and over course the Scottish element is very obvious. My feet are tapping!

I love this kind of stuff!

See you on FB!

Kat
Brian Miller said…
very pretty music...loved it. great mixture of instruments and voices...

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