Vaya con Dios

Eurovision

Urban Trad

Music band Urban Trad - a spiritual child of the young Belgian composer Yves Barbieux. Yves had one big desire - that his music was executed by various musicians who have grown on folk and traditional music. What his purpose? The name of group speaks for itself, but his basic task - to make traditional and folk (celtic) music to more known to general public who is better familiar with sounds of modern dances and a techno.

History of Urban Trad begins with June, 2001. Initially original compositions of Yves Barbieux in style of traditional folk music of the Western Europe have received modern dancing arrangements in Nicolas Vandooren’s Bruxelles studio. The most known musicians - representatives of Belgian and international folk - former colleagues of Yves on group “Conncidence”, musicians from “Orion”, “Ambrozijn”, “Kadril ”, Spanish - Gallic female sextet “Ialma”, and also Perry Rose from “Rap a Doo” - with pleasure have brought their musical contribution to creation of the first compact disc of group. In result the dancing compact disc “One-O-Four”, full of melodies “ folk of the big city ” which has been released in the beginning of 2001 by Universal Music company, has been recognized both the press and the public with enthusiasm .

But it is not necessary to think, that Urban Trad it is known only for its studio CDs. Alive performances of the group have been accepted at various festivals (for example, at Folk Dranouter Festival) and in many cultural centers with the same enthusiasm. The group quickly turns to alive sensation.

By the way, about Dranouter Folk Festival. In 2000 the group simply acted on it among other participants. And in 2002 Urban Trad already played at its opening! Then the group has executed remixes of old melodies and also some new compositions.

The summer of 2002 has a little displaced creative accents of the group. Though typical for Urban Trad sound has its roots deeply in tradition national (basically celtic) music, replacement one of participants plus arrival in group the new musicians have led to occurrence of more rhythmical sound.

At the end of April 2003 the new album of the group - “Kerua” has been released. Again the disk appeared is full of beautiful dancing music and melancholic city folk. Besides in 2003 the Urban Trad will take part in well-known festival MarktRock 2003.

The basic structure of the Urban Trad:

The leader of group - 31-years Wallonian Yves Barbieux. He was born at June, 14-th, 1971 in Belgium. Before creation of group Urban Trad, Yves was the participant of group “Conncidence”.

Yves plays on an alto, a flute - soprano, tin whistle and low whistle, an accordion, and also on percussion instruments. Besides Barbieux has a scientific degree of the Master of Educational Sciences. In 2002 he has finished the music education studying of a transverse-flute and solfeggio.

The musical career of Yves Barbieux began from playing on a small organ, then he has change organ on synthesizers, play on it he has studied independently. Soon Yves has begin work with programmed compositions. In 1996 he has sold a synthesizer and has bought a piano keyboard accordion and a full set of flutes (including the Irish flutes and fipple-flutes). Being under impression from a concert of Sharon Shennon at festival of traditional music in France - St-Chartier, Barbieux starts studying celtic music.

Besides the work in group Urban Trad, Yves has showed interest to musical shows for children and to music stories. He also composes compositions and arrangements for other musicians and writes music to movies.

In group there is one more participant whom you will not frequently see on a stage. Nevertheless, without this participation any song has not been created. It is Nicolas Vandooren - the musical engineer, the composer and arranger. Constantly he works in Brussels, at Masda Studio. Nicolas composes commercial music for “Coca-Cola”, “Converse”, “Fiero”, “Hollywood”, “City Bank” and many other companies, and also music to short-footage movies - for example, to “Mr Manhattan”, “Les Snuls”. He also can play on a saxophone, keyboards, guitars itself...

Also in destiny of group not last role has played Wilfried Brits - the expert of actors and repertoir. The former manager of two other Belgian groups - not so known “Blue Blot” and world famous (and one of most my favourite groups, by the way) Vaya con Dios. Now he is the expert of actors and repertoir in Universal Music Belgium company. In his life Brits concluded contracts with such groups and musicians, as Angelico, Indiana, Mousta Largo, Joe Lemaire...

Wallonian (Wallonia and Flanders - two basic parts of Belgium, in Wallonia basically speak in French) broadcasting company RTBF informed, that the representative of Belgium on Eurovision Song Contest 2003 will be group Urban Trad with the song Sanomi. On a web-site of group about Sanomi has been told the following words: - “ a slow melody with a little more powerful refrain, for three vocalists. A violin, bagpipe and an accordion. According to rules of the Eurovision, only 6 participants of group from 8 will be acted on stage ”.

At the end of 2002 there was a small misunderstanding in group. The leading vocalist, Soetkin Collier, has been accused in connection with a ultra right political Flemish groups. In this occasion was accepted decision to discharge Collier from performance on the Eurovision because participation in such prestigious Contest the singer with such indecent belief has counted unacceptable. Therefore in Riga Urban Trad acted with other female vocalist who was born in Spain.

Though the full structure of group is the whole seventeen persons (well, if to consider musicians, who was invited for records of albums), by rules of the Eurovision as it was already mentioned above, on a stage in Riga was acted only six of them. Because of incomplete structure, the group had to act under a part musical “plywood” - during presence on a stage of six musicians there was a background soundtrack with record of playing of missing musical instruments. But Yves Barbieux did not find a special problem with it. He is convinced, that it is usual practice today as some of television musical shows broadcast in record, instead of go on the air. Also in similar shows the recorded background tracks are frequently used. In participation at Eurovision Song Contest 2003 Urban Trad group sees chance to obtain a world recognition of the their work, and also the chance to encourage those whom like to come on an alive concert of group and to experience its force. And the group has to the full taken advantage of this chance! The second place, after all. This performance - the first (and, I hope, not unique) large international achievement of this young Belgian group. Probably, soon Urban Trad will manage to repeat success of the well-known compatriots - Vaya con Dios group? Time will tell …

Song Sanomi, this perl of dancing folk, has been executed on artificial - and, thus, on universal - language. For all long history of the Eurovision it is the first similar case. The conclusion from here follows, that language of music is really universal language, clear to each person, irrespective of where that person was born. Successful performance of group only has confirmed it.

By the way, if have become interested in other Belgian musical groups or in general of Belgian music - I advise to go on web-site Belgian Pop&Rock Archive. Very cognitive Belgian resource (on English, by the way).

Some facts from a Urban Trad’s web-site had been used

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