A Flock of Flemings
Recent Recordings from Belgium's Wild Boar
by Steve Winick

If you're like most people, you probably don't give Belgium much thought; we hear about French-speaking Brussels every time the European Union or its currency, the Euro, makes a splash in the news. Otherwise, it's pretty much overlooked. But in the area of folk music, a productive little scene is happening in and around Belgium's "other" capital city, Antwerp, where the language is Flemish, a close relative of Dutch. Flemish language bands have become quite active of late, many of them recording for the Wild Boar Music company. Here's some of their recent output.

I'll begin with my favorite of this little Flemish scene, the unassuming but very impressive Webbesnaren [Wild Boar/ALEA WBM 21012 (1999)] by the duo of Guido Piccard and Philip Masure. Both musicians play mostly stringed instruments: Piccard specializes in the hommels, a zither that sounds similar to a mountain dulcimer or a French épinette, while Masure is above all a guitarist. But between them, they also play cister, mandola, mandolin, bouzouki, whistles, and percussion, and both sing as well, which ensures a fresh sound on every track. Their mostly tune-oriented set includes lively dances, as well as serene airs perfectly suited to their crystalline instrumental sounds. They also treat us to three songs in Flemish, two traditional folksongs and one original ballad based on a postcard written by a soldier during World War I. Lyrics are included in Flemish, and the general gist is translated into English and French. A few pieces from France, Scotland, and elsewhere spice up this Flemish soup, but otherwise this is sweet, beautiful Belgian music!

This is an excerpt. There are four more recordings reviewed in this article in Dirty Linen #90 (Oct/Nov '00).