Zwerver

Toasaves is a new generation of musicians who have given their own twist to the rich folk repertoire of Wannes van de Velde. The band brings together artists from various backgrounds and takes you on a journey through ancient music (Trecento, Flemish polyphony, Sephardic music) and Oriental music (Greece, Turkey, Afghanistan).

Toasaves is Antwerp dialect and means ‘home ports’. Antwerp was of course the cosmopolitan city where Wannes grew up and came into contact with various cultures that left their mark on his way of thinking and musical development through their language, history and musical traditions. Songs like De Zwerver, Pieter Breughel in Brussel, Het daghet in den Oosten and so on have become part of our collective heritage.

On their first album titled Zwerver, Toasaves has drawn from the compositions and the Great Songbook of iconic Flemish singer Wannes van de Velde (1937-2008), who breathed new life into the oldest known ballads and folk songs from his home town Antwerp.

The album is an eclectic dialogue with the Orient which seamlessly fits in with the nomadic spirit and openness of Wannes Van de Velde.

Press

“People are at their best when they try. And at their most likable when they comically fail.” (Wannes Van de Velde)

More info

muziekpublique.be/artists/toasaves

with Tristan Driessens (oed, lavta, vocals, concept, artistic directiong), Raphaël De Cock (vocals, bagpipes, ullean pipes, jew's harp), Harald Bauweraerts (hurdy-gurdy, vocals) en Miriam Encinas (santur, percussion, flutes, fiddle, dilruba) photo Dieter Telemans