vpeter's VirtualTourist Home Page

Hi fellow travelers.

Brussels is 'my city'. I guess that you all have something 'special' with a city for excample with Reykyavik, Barcelona or the place you have in mind. When I think of Brussels I see the beautiful guildhouses, the Art Nouveau architecture, I smell the waffles. I smell the Warandepark when I visited the Festival 'Boterhammen in het park' and I remeber the music played those days.
Anyway, for me it is Brussels because of Belgian beers, Belgian bonbons and Mr. Brussels Jacques Brel.
I am a great Jacques Brelfan.
I know that Brel is famous all over the world.
What I like to know from all you guys and girls from Austria to Zanzibar, what is your local, regional or national 'Brel' for this time.
Please tell me his or her name and cdtitle(s) so that I can check if it fits to my taste of music.

Possibly you know Brel covers by your local/regional/national artist(s) I wanna know it also.
If possible please name the artist, songtitle and when able the original Breltitle.

Thank you all for your help.

My Dutch 'Brels' of this time, because of their kinda same pain, passions, power and engagement, are:

- Bram Vermeulen
- Ede Staal
- Maarten van Roozendaal
- Huub van der Lubbe (De Dijk)
- Thé Lau (the Scene)
- Boudewijn de Groot
- Cornelis Vreeswijk
- Ramses Shaffy

My Belgian 'Brels' of this time:

- Wannes van der Velde
- Willem Vermandere
- Johan Verminnen
- Jo Lemaire
- Raymond van het Groenewoud
- Arno
- Dani Klein

- Ne me quitte pas - Nina Simone (tipped by: forshy1)
- Amsterdam - I Muvrini (Brel in the Corsican language is superb)
- Jackie (La chanson de Jacky) - Willem Nijholt
- Een vriend zien huilen (Voir un ami pleuré) - Johan Verminnen
- Dit slag volk (Cest gens la) - Herman van Veen
- De stad Amsterdam (Le port d'Amsterdam) - Acda & De Munnik
- Ne me quitte pas - Natacha Atlas (in an Arabic arangement: very special)
- Amsterdam - David Bowie
- Ne me quitte pas - Marion (aka piccolakitten)
- Jef - André van de Heuvel (Jef; a Dutch actor who sang this song all the best till now)
- Seasons in the sun - Terry Jacks (tip from hundwalder)

- Frank Boeijen (tip from: Sandracula)
- Vladimir Vissotski (Russia)
- Johannes Kerkorrel (Suid Afrika)
- Cornelis Vreeswijk (specially his Swedish songs such as 'Blues for Brel')
- Laura Nyro USA)
- Khaled
- Adriano Celentano (Italy; tipped by ctnw)

- Douwe Heeringa - Brel in Fries. (Douwe Heeringa sjongt Jacques Brel)
- Klaus Hofmann - Klaus Hofmann singt Brel (at first it was hard to hear Brel in German, but I have to admit Klaus made great translations and a perfect performance)
- Laurika Rauch - The Brel Album (English and Ne me quitte pas(Moenie weggaan nie) in Suidafrikaans)

Jacques Brel played in some movies too.
you can find out on http://www.imdb.com/

One of my dear friends is Walter Vilain.Not only he is passionate, he goes for his goals. That makes a woman, or a man, special. He is, in my opinion a multitalent: painter, composer and conductor.In my opinion he is the 'Brel' of the painters nowadays. There is so much to tell and to see on my Sint Idesbaldpages. I really hope that you will take your time to check them and see some beautiful paintings from my friend.

I started my Samois-sur-Seine and Festival Django Reinhardtpages.