Made in Belgium: Willem Vermandere
When I hear about the "renaissance" man who excelled in many different arts and didn't limit himself to one stream, I sometimes think of Willem Vermandere. He writes, he composes, he plays the clarinette and the guitar, he's a sculptor and he's a philosopher. His music is sometimes playful and trivial but often very critical for our society, something I absolutely love. It's pure and simple without much pretences with a day-to-day dialect used and roots in folk music. Very often he writes very personal (a litany for the loss of his grandchild Rune, a song about his friend Steentje, ...) , other times he links to current events in society.
I've seen him several times already at festivals or smaller concerts. Always you see a wide range of generations coming to his music.
Steentje - 1976
(the story of a friend missionary who went to Northern Alberta in Canada to live with the Cree Indians and who died there as a member of the tribe)
Duizend soldaten - 1976
(If you ever pass through the "westhoek" , through the rain and northern wind, you return in the time , you'll find the war here and the graves of thousands soldiers always someone"s fatur or someone's child.
...
we say it's going well in our country and we've locked the peace in our laws. We're still producing weapons but with much more intelligence now but only to prevent the war
...
It the war that you'll find here and the graves of thousands of soldiers , always someone's father and someone's child. Thousand and thousand soldiars.)
Laat mi ma lopen -
(Let me walk on through the streets, I have my love that I adore so much and I'm happy when I get to see her...)
Bange Blanke Man (Scared white man) -
(I saw Turks along the river, Marrocans in the city center of Ghent and on the market of Brussels I heard some Algerians with a weird accent.
I saw Chinese in Cologne, skinny man from Pakistan and in London I saw Sikhs from India wearing a big tulband.
...
all the children of Mother Earth are crying and singing at our door "Open the door scared white man)
I've seen him several times already at festivals or smaller concerts. Always you see a wide range of generations coming to his music.
Steentje - 1976
(the story of a friend missionary who went to Northern Alberta in Canada to live with the Cree Indians and who died there as a member of the tribe)
Duizend soldaten - 1976
(If you ever pass through the "westhoek" , through the rain and northern wind, you return in the time , you'll find the war here and the graves of thousands soldiers always someone"s fatur or someone's child.
...
we say it's going well in our country and we've locked the peace in our laws. We're still producing weapons but with much more intelligence now but only to prevent the war
...
It the war that you'll find here and the graves of thousands of soldiers , always someone's father and someone's child. Thousand and thousand soldiars.)
Laat mi ma lopen -
(Let me walk on through the streets, I have my love that I adore so much and I'm happy when I get to see her...)
Bange Blanke Man (Scared white man) -
(I saw Turks along the river, Marrocans in the city center of Ghent and on the market of Brussels I heard some Algerians with a weird accent.
I saw Chinese in Cologne, skinny man from Pakistan and in London I saw Sikhs from India wearing a big tulband.
...
all the children of Mother Earth are crying and singing at our door "Open the door scared white man)
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