Day 47 of the Covid19 quarantine:
“Tshaje Tshaje”, a Roma traditional, performed by Piet Maris

Mec Yek ‘Tshaje Tshaje’ from the album SuperDiverCity (2015). One of the first songs Piet learned from Laci, the Rom singer white whom the whole Gipsy adventure begun, mid ’90s…
James-Joyce-stream-of-conciousness-wise: misty woods – smokey tiny block huts – the tiny house Piet lived in at the lakes near an abbey in Leuven – discovery of/concerts in Brasserie De L’union – endless travelling in an R4’s, busses, planes – taking musicians, photographers, journalists, radio makers on a stroll – stubborn policeman at the checkpoints – passport problems – la chaconne (Bach) full force on a blaster while travelling – dancing in the snow at midnight at minus 20 – discotek in a small Roma living room – discovery of/concerts in Bazaar Brussels – passing midnight at new year’s eve with a bunch of Roma musicians in a small van while driving passed the Brussels Royal Palace in Laeken while fireworks burst out everywhere… But most important of all, the music, always taking the lead…

Watch the video HERE

Day 41 of the Covid19 quarantine:
“Kaskere ola duj tshavore”, a Roma traditional, performed by Piet Maris from the album Antikrisis (2008).

The Roma traditional repertoire where this song comes from is pretty straightforward, most of the songs are in 4/4 actually (or without rythm in the “halgads” the slow ballads, very slow and sad) – Piet even remembers from his first visits mid 90’s to the small village of Rakusy, at the feet of the high Tatra mountains, at the Slowakian-Polish border, when he played a waltz, 3/4, it was perceived as pretty exotic… For this song, to open up the borders a bit more, we turned its 4/4 into 7/8, kind of moving over to the balkans…

*
What are those two children doing
at the riverside
without a mother or a father
*

Watch the video HERE

Day 35 of the Covid19 quarantine:
“Julia Julia”, a Roma traditional, performed by Piet Maris.

Take a look at the really wild version by Mec Yek and with Kesaj Tchave at Balkan Trafik Festival on Youtube!

“where is your blanket,
what’s your story?
I went to the bar
I ordered her beer
beer, she didn’t want to drink
so I bought her chocolate”

Watch the video HERE

Day 32 of the Covid19 quarantine:
“Nane Oda Lavutaris”, a Roma traditional, performed by Piet Maris.
“There won’t be any musicians left to play my music”

Watch the video HERE

Day 29 of the Covid19 quarantine:
“E Terni O Terno”, a Roma traditional, performed by Piet Maris.

A bridal theme.

Watch the video HERE

Day 23 of the Covid19 quarantine: “Bashav Mange”, a Roma traditional, performed by Piet Maris.

Mec Yek recorded their version of ‘Bashav Mange’ for the album Antikrisis in 2008.
“Just play that song man!” Actually here in a medley with ‘So Tu More’…
Live we mostly play this “dubby” version, but regularly, we also do an uptempo one, adding still a 3rd song to the medley: “Ani Vodka, Ani Rumos’ (no vodka, no rum), going full speed and highly spirited at the end!

Watch the video HERE

Day 15 of the Covid19 quarantine: “Andre Mri Bar” a Roma traditional, performed by Piet Maris.
Also to be found in a fabulous version by Mec Yek, on the album Super Diver City.
Listen to the album HERE
⭐️
“in my garden stood a beautiful red rose
a girl came to steal it
the boys play music
the girls sing
hey! girl with the beautiful black hair
come and dance with me”

Watch the video HERE

Day 6 of the Covid19 quarantine:
“Shun tu more”, a Roma traditional, performed by Piet Maris.
From the lyrics: “Listen man, what I’m gonna do, I’m not gonna be afraid of you anymore”

Watch the video HERE

Dear Choux-Family,
As you probably already know, our original date for Choux-Fest [04042020] | VK in honour of the 20th anniversary of Choux de Bruxelles – artist collective is within the timeframe drawn by the government to allow it to go on.
In consultation with the team at VK vaartkapoen we have decided to look for a new date.
Your tickets remain valid.
Thank you for your understanding and solidarity.
Take good care of yourself and each other.