Turbulent start of winter

The start of winter was not that cold in Belgium. Actually the year 2015 saw the hottest 17 December ever recorded in Belgium with 16°C! A series of events also made Belgium a "hotspot" that got the media's attention, and it just went on and on until Christmas...

The Phantom Menace

After Paris attacks, the alert level was raised to 4 in Brussels because the Government found a potential threat. The decision was, according to a Belgian media (DH), triggered by a text message saying that a group of people was planning something in the capital very soon.

As a result of this fourth level of alert, the metro was completely blocked and schools remained closed for a few days. People were asked to avoid crowded places like shopping centres or train stations, and it was forbidden to launch any demonstration (too bad for the start of COP21 on climate change!).

#soldiers in #brussels pic.twitter.com/XGxofBdM1j

— Alain Van Kerckhoven (@bowmore64) November 26, 2015

Usually popular streets in the centre remained empty and silent, which is strange for the pre-Christmas period. A few tanks towered these streets and a lot of soldiers were charged of protecting them, making the city look like a war zone... As an anecdote, one soldier got photographied on Facebook carrying a shopping bag around a commercial area of Brussels!

Belgium got a bad reputation in France and around the world. The country was accused of not giving the appropriate check on potential fanatic killers, who later on went to France with the results that we know. A particularly bad picture was given of the commune of Molenbeek, with its important Maghrebi community. Homes of a lot of people got searched and some were arrested in the whole country.

Belgium goes meow!

The police officially asked people in Belgium not to give away any information about these raids to undermine criminal networks. The advice was followed by many, who instead of publishing serious and specific details about the raids conducted by the police, flooded social media with so-called "Lolcats" (i.e. funny pictures of cats with captions) using the #BrusselsLockDown hashtag. The national police later expressed its gratitude to the population by publishing a tweet with a (virtual) bowl of cat food! Further evidence that humour is an integral part of Belgian culture.

Forget terrorism. Go surrealism #BrusselsLockdown Video https://t.co/0NEp0NxxQz pic.twitter.com/i9FERa0HWH

— beebah (@beebah) November 26, 2015

At the same time, a French newspaper (Canard Enchainé) published a stolen photography of the Royal Couple on holiday. King Philippe and Queen Mathilde were relaxing in a spa in Brittany, France on 21st and 22nd December. The king was photographed in a bathrobe reading and drinking cocktail. The Belgian public opinion thought that it was a bit unfair for someone representing the country, but the Royal Family insured that it was a private trip that they had been planning for a long time and King Philippe was always in contact with Belgian authorities.

On 26th November, the alert level was lowered to 3 (and it is still going on), like the rest of Belgium. The metro re-opened and the threat was considered as less imminent, probably because the main fugitive had left the country, hidden in a cupboard...

It was also the start of Christmas markets in many Belgian cities. In Brussels, a light and music show lights up the the newly renovated Grand'Place. This time, a huge Christmas tree was transported from the Walloon Ardennes. In addition, a human-size crib (with real sheep!) was set up next to it. Last year a group of militants made a demonstration inside it, so this year the authorities put fences to protect it.

There are still a few days for you to visit Belgian Christmas markets. The Brussels one ends on 3rd January, like many others (Antwerp, Oostende, Mons, Durbuy...), and it finishes on 30th December in Liège and 31st December in Namur.

Merry Christmas everyone and thanks for your faithfulness in this blog!

English rap in Flanders: Woodie Smalls and Coely

Hiphop and rap music has become a blooming genre nowadays, being performed all over the world and representing various communities, and in a previous article, we focused on Flemish rap and so-called "Nederhop". Two (young!) artists recently attracted my attention. Why? Because they were using American English and weren't even born in the US but in Flanders!


Woodie Smalls, whose real name is Sylvestre Saluma, was born in Sint-Niklaas in 1996. He started rapping in his early teenage and released his first song "Champion Sound" this year (he is now 18!), coming together with an EP called "Soft Parade", with the help of Dutch producer Thovobeats.

The video features him in a typically Flemish village (I assume) in the company of his cousin and friends. Flemish radios such as Studio Brussel (mostly indie music), MNM and JimTV directly broadcasted it. It also reached listeners in the Netherlands, France and Australia.

His lyrics are in English and with a "Black American" accent but his rap is about his life here in Belgium, a whole different lifestyle, far away from the usual "gangsta, diamond rings and bitches" type. He also chose humour for the title of his second track "About The Dutch".

But wait... Woods was not the first Flemish rapper to use English. Three years ago, Belgium discovered Coely! Born in 1994 in Antwerp, Coely Mbueno recorded her first track "Ain't Chasing Pavements" with independent record label Beatville (2012). She came by as a relevant ambassador of female rap, but she also proved that she could sing. National radios embraced her performance and Studio Brussel even elected her as their "Hotshot".



Her first EP "RAAH The Soulful Yeah" also includes the singles "Nothing On Me" and "All I Do". She changed her looks for something more androgynous and revealed a more feministic mind ("(...) the world surrounding me is mostly run by men, but we're taking over!"). She then graduated in 2013 before starting to tour in various festivals of the Benelux. Having attended one of her concerts, I found her very generous with the public and full of energy.

8 quirky places to visit in Belgium

Belgium is not just about Manneken Pis, the sculpture of a tiny boy having a pee in Brussels. There is so much more to see in this country, like the city of Bruges, which was described in the previous article. Here is a list of ancient or modern, quirky and amazing places in Belgium, including ones not all Belgians have ever heard of...

Bluebells forest - Halle, Flemish Brabant

The forest Hallerbos is probably one of the most mysterious ones in appearance. It is covered with a natural purple carpet made of bluebells, giving it a magical look. If you want to have a walk in Hallerbos and watch this incredible scenery, you should wait for spring, when the bluebells flower for only a few weeks...

Museum aan de stroom - Antwerp

This huge (60m!) modernly shaped building was designed by Neutelings Riedijk Architects along the river Scheldt. It is the largest museum in Antwerp and hosts a series of exhibitions. On the rooftop, you can look over the whole city like a giant!

Villers Abbey - Walloon Brabant

In the quiet city of Villers, you can find the ruins of an ancient Cistercian abbey, founded in 1146 and abandoned in 1796. Its colossal foundations are now covered with climbing plants, which gives it a green, legendary aspect.

Liège-Guillemins station - Liège

Nine years of intense work were necessary to build this monumental station, which amazes all rail users making a stopover in Liège since its inauguration in 2009. Created by famous contemporary architect Santiago Calatrava, this 160m-long steel and glass arch perfectly captures the light and looks like it was made by someone from outer space.

Castle of Freÿr - Namur province

Belgium is the country with the most castle per km². One example is the one in Freÿr, built on the left bank of the river Meuse. Surrounded by woods, it is a major heritage site of the country, luxurious on the inside and full of ponds, fountains and mazes in its big garden.

Ypres trenches - West Flanders

The Ypres Salient zone is famous in Belgium for being a historical site where important battles occurred in 1914-15 during the First World War. At the time, soldiers used long cavities in the ground called trenches to hide when the enemy was close to their troops. Nowadays the trenches still exist and can be visited in Ypres itself, but also not far from it, in a wood called Bayernwald in German, because it used to host Bavarian soldiers.

Dinant - Namur province

Built in front of the Meuse river, the city of Dinant is famous for its legendary rock, on which a citadel was built in the 11th century. Surrounded by a natural area, the place also has a nice gothic church and is full of history.

Grotto of Saint Anthony of Padua - Crupet, Namur province

Situated in the peaceful village of Crupet is a quirky religious construction called the grotto of Saint Anthony of Padua.The artificial cave was inaugurated in 1903 and hosts 22 coloured statues, created to tell the story of the saint, with tales of devil and angel fights.


If you have any other suggestion, feel free to post a comment to this article!

A musical comedy from both sides of the linguistic border

Two weeks before Christmas, a truely Belgian musical romantic comedy was released in Belgium. "Brabançonne" by Vincent Bal has been in the movies since 10th December. It is one of the rare films in which both communities are represented.

The title of the film is pretty symbolic because it is also the title of the national Belgian anthem in French. The story is about a Walloon brass band and a Flemish one being rival. Both are selected for a big competition in Europe. Yet, a tragic event happens to the Flemish band and a singer passes away during a rehearsal... They really need to find someone to replace him, but where are they going to find that person? ...Maybe in the Walloon band?

A Walloon trompettist of the rival brass band seems to be the ideal candidate, but the challenge already seems impossible. The story goes on with a female member of the Flemish band who wants to give a little help to get to know the musician a bit better... But Walloon band members are jealous!

Belgium has lost a fabulous queen

Former Queen Fabiola passed away last week at Saint Nicholas's Eve. She was widow of King Baudouin (Boudewijn in Dutch) and was the fifth queen in this monarchy. The image that many Belgians have of her is that of a small delicate lady with a large fancy hat and a sort of 60s extensive haircut. More than that, her name sounds a bit like "fabulous"... Fabiola!

Fabiola was Spanish and first worked as a nurse. She then married the youngest monarch in Belgian history... In Belgium, a king doesn't really have any decisive power, but an important representation role. Baudouin was only twenty-one when his father, King Leopold III, died and he was very shy. They made a nice couple because Fabiola was a sober and humble person. Unfortunately, they couldn't have children together, so when King Baudouin I passed on to the other side in 1993, which saddened many Belgians, his brother Albert II was called to reign with his wife Paola as a new queen.

Queen Fabiola and King Baudouin I

Queen Fabiola wasn't just the queen of Belgium, she had something special. She was kind and funny, and a true believer, very sensitive to children and world issues. One of her big passions was music and it will occupy a great part of the ceremony that started today at 10am. Will Tura, a Flemish sentimental song singer, will sing Hoop doet leven ("Hope (is what) makes (us) live") at her funerals, and he sang the same song when King Baudouin died.

Humility, a key word for Fabiola. In her last wills, she said she didn't want to make too much fuss about her death and very simple funerals. She didn't want to be "exposed" and she wanted an ugly coffin in a small chapel, but these wills weren't followed by people, who really appreciated her and wanted her funerals to be something important although the announcement of her death remained pretty sober.

Lead singer of Flemish band Gorki passed away

©PHOTO NEWS

Luc De Vos, lead singer of Flemish rock band Gorki (known earlier as Gorky) passed away on Saturday 29th November. He was only 52 and was born not far from Ghent.

The band Gorki was made famous in Flanders and the Netherlands with the song Mia in 1991. Their lyrics, in Dutch, were generally poetic and told stories that felt close to the heart of every listener.

In their first album in 1993, the band sang the song Hij Leeft ('He Lives'), which was used as the name of the whole album.

As a hommage to Luc De Vos, Flemish synthpop band SX recorded an English version of the song, adapting it to their own style.

Special Movember: 8 Belgians who adopted the stach

For some reason, people tend to always picture Belgians (and also Frenchmen) with a moustache. It is definitely not a typically Belgian feature and, although some hipsters tend to get one "ironically" nowadays, it is not very popular here... Yet this months, you will probably see a bit more people with it because of "Movember", a charity event in which men grow moustaches in November to remind others of cancers and other health issues. As a support for this event, I have made a list of famous people or characters from Belgium who usually wear a stach, a good way to know more about our culture.

1) Hercule Poirot: Like a sir



Fictional private detective and Agatha Christie's main character, probably inspired of Belgian immigrants in the UK, he always solves intricate criminal affairs with a Belgian phlegm(!)

2) Anthony Van Dyck: The creator



Famous 17th-century Flemish Baroque painter, he also invented an eponymous type of beard-stach, which you can see on all of his self-portraits.

3) Bert Kruismans: The caustic bilingual

 

Flemish stand-up comedian, also popular on tv-channels of the whole country, he has performed in both national languages and loves to describe the splendid weirdnesses of Belgium

4) Grand/Lange Jojo: The singing grandpa



Funny old-fashioned singer from Brussels, he is often considered as a symbol of Belgian identity and he is famous for popular tracks like the drinking song "On a soif" (We are thirsty).

5) Balthasar Boma: Mr Tournée Générale



Fictive character from popular Flemish sitcom F.C. De Kampioenen, telling the story of a local football club, he is that old fashioned company owner who has the worst pick-up lines and keeps mixing French and Dutch all the time: one of his catch phrases is "Tournée générale!", meaning "It's my round!".

6) Thomson & Thompson: The slapstick policemen



The clumsy police twins are part of the comic book Tintin, and until the 80s, the stach was a popular trend among policemen in Belgium (didn't it even use to be part of the uniform?), which is not the case anymore, unfortunately for those who have this as a fantasy!

7) Olivier Deleuze: The green stach



Co-president of ECOLO, a francophone green party, and also the first mayor from this party in the Brussels region, he is from the multicultural commune of St-Josse-ten-Noode.

8) Bent van Looy: The indie boy



Lead singer of Das Pop and drummer of Soulwax, the thirty-something has also designed his own clothing and is now jury in the Flemish version of The Voice.

Any other idea? Send it in a comment!

Item of the Week: Tchantchès marionette

The (double) item of this week consists of two famous puppets from Liège: Tchantchès and Nanesse... They are a must-see if you want to understand the culture of the city. The two characters are usually encountered as marionettes or giant puppets carried by people at folk parades. People in Liège love them and probably every kid in Liège has already enjoyed a marionette play in the Outremeuse district. Tchantchès symbolises the typical Liège chap, but nobody is really sure of what his name means. Some say Tchantchès is a diminutive of Françwès, i.e. "Francis" in Walloon dialect, but others prefer to see it as an ancient diminutive Djan (John) via Dutch "Jantje" (little John).

Tchantchès is a legendary character who is said to be born in Outremeuse, a district of Liège in the middle Ages. The name "Outremeuse" means that if you come from the centre of Liège and the district is "beyond the Meuse (river)". In his stories, he is a close friend of Charles the Great and always defends him against enemies in big battles. His favourite way of fighting is by head butting his opponent. He is the representation of the traditional personality of Liège people, because he is said to be impertinent, courageous and loyal to his friends. Finally, his big red nose gives away that he is a big lover of pèkèt, the local jenever drink.

Tchantchès, Nanesse and Charles the Great

 

Represented with a red scarf around the neck, a black cap, and a blue work coat, Tchantchès wears the typical working-class outfit from the end of the 19th century, and it is believed that it was the time when the puppet was invented in a local theatre. He also has a wife, Nanesse (Agnes in English), a basket carrier, who, although being full of integrity and a gentle character, is also strong and strict to her husband and likes hitting him with a frying pan when she gets angry. 

A parade in Liège with the giant puppets

 

Today, Tchantchès and Nanesse are famous for their puppets (or marionettes), which appear whether in theatres or as giants for a parade every year on 15th August in Outremeuse. The marionettes are particular in that they are made of around 8-10 pieces of wood, iron strings and cloth. The scenarios of the plays were usually written during the 19th century and re-enact medieval "chansons de geste". Only one rod is used to manipulate the puppet, which only allows limited and awkward body moves. This gives a funny touch to the plays, especially when characters are fighting. The play is ideal for younger kids, because the puppets discuss and interact with the audience, make jokes and ask them for advices... All I can say is kids love it and I loved it as a kid.

Music from Wallonia-Brussels underrated in Flanders

K's Choice, Hooverphonic, Selah Sue, The Magician, Netsky, dEUS... A lot of Flemish bands and solo artists have gotten very popular in the whole country and even internationally. On the other side of the language border, a lot of nice bands have been playing too, but some of them have recently complained about their weak representation in the Belgian media and their lack of budget... Apparently, it is less easy to get famous and advertised in Flanders when you're a French speaker, even when you sing in English. Let's examine the situation and give you some nice music videos of the French-speaking community!

The truth is, singers and groups from Wallonia and Brussels find it particularly difficult to establish themselves in Flanders, especially if they sing in French. Some share the exact same label as Flemish bands who sing in English and are famous in the whole country, but their success is much weaker. It's a pity, because a bunch of them could benefit from being a little more famous, like Great Mountain Fire.

Great Mountain Fire - Late Lights

The problem is that if you want to get famous in your whole country, you first need to be famous in your own community... And here the problem comes from customers and radio listeners. Artists have noticed that the French-speaking public wasn't as curious as the Flemish one could be, probably because the latter is more influenced by a more diversified Anglo-Saxon culture. Walloons would rather listen to famous French or international artists than their own ones, which have a smaller budget. This explains why originally "indie rock" radio PureFM has now turned into mainly a mainstream broadcaster, favouring Pharrell Williams over Soldout, for instance, an electro-rock band from Brussels.

Soldout - 94

By contrast, Flemish people have a certain degree of pride for their own culture and they feel that they need to protect it. As a consequence, Flemish artists are more often considered as celebrities in Flanders than Walloon artists in Wallonia. French-speaking bands usually need to be really good on stage to rely on the word-of-mouth process to get famous, rather than the national media. That kind of thing happens with bands such as the fancy rockers from Piano Club.

Piano Club - Love Hurts

A lot of bands have already toured in Wallonia and France with a lot of venues, probably because their cultures are closer. But it's in vain that they try to be famous in Flanders. Some have been into business for some time now and most of them actually sing in English. However, they still suffer from being French speakers when they tour in Flanders, as they get smaller crowds and venues. People might say it is because they still have a French accent and their lyrics are so-so, and it might be an obstacle for an intercommunity success indeed. This doesn't seem to be the case for a band like BRNS (from Brussels - it's pronounced "brains"), which has been recently building its success in English.

BRNS - Mexico 

Some Walloon/Brussels bands only sing in French, perhaps because it's what they can do best. Examples include Eté 67, which was more famous in the 2000s, or more recently Suarez, who has become very popular in the French community (the singer is in the jury of The Voice Belgium, French version), with its musicians from Madagascar. Yet, these bands are not famous at all in Flanders, which is strange, because, as said in that blog post, Flemish singers who sing in French while it's not their mother tongue (Axelle Red, dEUS, Vive la Fête, Arno...) are praised in the whole country!...

Suarez - Qu'est-ce que j'aime ça

Is there a particular resentment from Flanders towards French-speaking Belgian artists? In general, there is very little room for these in the playlists of famous Flemish radios like Studio Brussel, which rather prefers international and Flemish artists. In fact, the only way to get famous in Flanders is to find fame in some other non-French-speaking countries and to come back here with a nice reputation. See the case of Stromae, a French-speaking singer that Flemish people seem to love, as well as the rest of Europe. And he only sings in French...

Have you heard of any other artist from Wallonia or Brussels? Don't be afraid to share them in a comment!

10 surprising facts about Belgium

Here is a collection of ten facts that make Belgium so special. I was speechless when I discovered some of them and you'll probably be too!

 1) Illegal drugs cheaper here

Party drugs such as cocaine are cheaper in Belgium, according to the Global Drug Survey. Cocaine costs on average around €15 to €45 less in Belgium than in neighbouring countries. The reason is that drugs transit by havens (e.g. Antwerp), making the country a "turnstile". ...In the Netherlands, some of them are legal though(!) Yet the fact that these drugs are cheaper may also imply bad quality... In any case, consuming drugs is bad for your health, so don't do it!

2) Largest electro music festival

Created in 2005, Tomorrowland, taking place in Boom (Antwerp), is recording an increasing success. It only takes a few minutes to sell all tickets around the world. Decorated in a fairy-like and kitschy style, the festival lasts a couple of days and has 16 stages with the most famous international DJs. Also, participants can go to a swimmingpool, a fun fair, watch fireworks and Sound and Light shows, or sleep in a fancy mansion.

A castle in Tomorrowland

3) Lowest proportion of McDonald's per inhabitant

Belgium is the only country in the developed world in which McDonald's is not the most successful fast-food chain. It only counts 0.062 restaurants per 10,000 inhabitants (62 in total), which is seven times less than the USA and twice less than France and Germany. The reason is the increasing success of Quick, the first fast-food company of European origin, born in Belgium in 1971, subsequently redeemed by a French company. With 86 restaurants, it is leader in Belgium, as well as in Luxembourg, and number two in France.

4) Most lethal place for bees in Europe

According to a recent study, bees had the highest mortality rate in Northern countries during winter 2012-2013, due to the freezing winter we experienced. Other causes may include developing bacterias or pesticides. For some unknown reason, Belgium recorded the highest mortality rate, 33.6%, while it was 28.8% in the UK, 14.1% in France and 13.6% in Germany. The news is creating a buzz here...

5) First openly gay Prime Minister in the EU

The 60-something Elio di Rupo, also the first French-speaking leader in four decades, has been leading the French-speaking Socialist Party (PS) for years. He is the child of Italian immigrants and he did a PhD in chemistry before getting into politics. "Yes, so what?" he replied when a journalist asked him if he was gay in 1996. Since then, the PM is pretty well accepted by the population and never hides his lifestyle. Anyway, there is a whole gay quarter in Brussels, so worries... Note that the world’s first openly (female) gay prime minister was Iceland’s Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir in 2009.

Elio Di Rupo and gay-rights supporters

6) Around two years without official Federal Government

By the way, before Elio became PM, Belgium had no official Federal Government for all this time. The reason was a constant disapproval from a Flemish part of the Government, who wanted more fundamental changes, including the separation of Dutch-speaking municipalities from Brussels' district. Different people chosen by King Albert II had to take turns to lead the discussions. Yet, the country didn't really suffer from this lack of Government and nothing bad happened. Actually, the preceding Government was still somewhat operating at a reduced level...

 

Belgians are globally happy and don't care!

7) Airport as world's biggest chocolate selling point

Brussels National sells more than 800 tons of chocolate every year, which makes it the world’s biggest chocolate selling point ever. A lot of brands, mostly Belgian ones, are represented, and the place guarantees the lowest prices. Read the article on Belgian chocolates to know which ones to choose!

8) Most castles per km² in the world

Ghent, Vêves, Antoing... a hundred of prestigious castles of various styles (fortresses, properties, medieval or not) can be found here. But Belgium is so small that it is not possible to find such a concentration of castles in any other country.

The magnificent Ghent's castle

9) World's diamond capital

The world’s main diamond Stock Exchange is situated in Antwerp. Around 70% of cut diamonds in the world market transit by this city, as well as 80% of raw diamonds. After World War II, the diamond centre moved from Amsterdam to Antwerp. Other important places for the diamond market are New York, Tel-Aviv, London and Mumbay.

10) Brussels sprouts also going Dutch

Despite its name, Brussels sprout doesn't have Belgium as its biggest producer in the world. It is mainly in the Netherlands that the most hated vegetable in America (that I also don't like...) is produced, at 82,000 tons. This cabbage-like ball seem to have been embraced by Belgium in the 16th century onwards, but its history is still debated. Anyway, just eat some, it's really good for your health!

Surprising huh? Share this article to your friends or post new fun facts as a comment here!

"Ne me quitte pas", a true Belgian story

While Belgium is still culturally divided in the common opinion, a moving and absurd documentary tells the story of a Flemish guy and a Walloon guy who are best friends forever... The film is seeking international recognition, as it was nominated at the Tribeca Film Festival and the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam (IDFA).

Dutch film makers Sabine Lubbe Bakker and Niels van Koevorden collaborated on a bilingual film (in French and Dutch), Ne me quitte pas "Don't leave me", whose action takes place in Belgium. The genre is a mixture of humour and tragedy, but the story is non-fictive and genuinely moving. It is not told in a cliché, voyeurist way though.


The plot is the following: In a small village situated in a remote unpopulated place full of forests, farmers Bob, a retired Flemish who always smokes cigars lives a long-lasting friendship with Marcel, a younger Walloon guy, whose wife leaves him and tries to take their three kids with her. This is the story of failure, depression and alcoholism. The two friends want so much to help each other that they even discuss the best ways to commit suicide...

The title of the film echoes to Jacques Brel's (legend of Belgian chansons) sad song "Ne me quitte pas", which backgrounds a part of the story, while not a lot of music is used in this film to make it look less "artifically dramatic". Will this purely Belgian story touch international hearts?...

Did you see this film? Give your opinion in comment!

First Flemish TV-show entirely in English

Today I came across a TV-show that really reflects Flemish pride and proficiency in English. The project I'm going to talk about is quite similar to this blog, but it only focuses on Flanders, rather than the whole country.

In September 2012, the Flemish public broadcaster VRT decided to create a TV-show intended for expats in Flanders. Being aware that not that many expats could speak Dutch, they created for the first time in history a TV-show entirely in English (with subtitles in both Dutch and English).

Fans of Flanders is a weekly programme with presenters who all speak an excellent English. The goal is to make people (expats or Belgian people themselves) learn more about Flanders and the most quirky things going on in there. The show focuses on Flanders but also includes Brussels, although the city has a majority of French speakers, because it is often the place expats choose to settle in and probably also because the VRT premises are located in Brussels. The French-speaking community is left out for once.

The programme mainly describes how quirky Flemish people can be, but also tells you about interesting places to visit and provides interviews of expats on what they think of Flanders (in the sequence 'Expat of the week'). All of this is made with a lot of (Flemish!) humour and may also depict the weirdest sides of the region (e.g. the irrationality of the garbage bag system). Also, typical Flemish expressions and words are presented by a journalist.

Actually, Fans of Flanders is primarily a website with 'funny' videos and all the content is first published on the internet before being broadcasted as a full-shaped TV-show. The VRT makes use of social networks, polls and blogs a lot. As a less recent project, the same broadcaster launched a Flemish online magazine all in English called Flandersnews.be.

Hopefully one day the French-speaking community will do the same... or the same will be done to introduce the whole country to the world...

Spread the word!

French-speakers dismiss their local cinema

A rough but moving humour, surrealism and royalty, those are some features that probably build Belgian culture and may be reflected in the national cinema. Yet, if you don't know about it, you will have a hard time trying to find common features between all films produced in this country. This intricacy is due to a cultural difference between Flemish and French-speakers, once again! In fact, each linguistic community's vision of itself is reflected on how they make and watch films.

Flemish people tend to watch less often Dutch channels, favouring their own Flemish ones, which promote local films and make them proud of their community. An example of the way Flemish film-makers tell the world about their own history is 1992 film Daens, which deals with the misery side of Flanders during industrialisation time and the hand given by local bishop Daens, who created the Christian Socialist party.

Also, Flemish film-makers try to make films that can be easily exported. As a consequence, their cinema seems to be closer to English-language cinema and American remakes of them often come as a reward for their success. An example is Ben X (2007), in which a bullied teenager tries to escape real life through online games. Other significant Flemish films include The Misfortunates (2009), which is about drugs, crimes and... riding a bike naked(!), and Bullhead (2011), which deals with a Limburg farm and a murder case...

In comparison, French-speakers in Belgium identify themselves to their country as a whole and less often to their linguistic community. French-language Belgian films lack means and money, and are less valorised. Being often documentaries or auteur films with a social side, they appear less "exotic" to Belgians (but maybe culturally enriching to foreigners). Some were made by the Dardenne brothers and received awards (e.g. The Child), but they may be depressing because they show the 'sad' side of Belgium.

Very clearly, over Belgian TV-channels people prefer French ones, which only promote French films. Yet, it is often the case that Belgian actors play in French films or that these films are co-produced by Belgium and shot in this country, for instance Nothing to Declare (2010), a comedy about a French and a Belgian custom man having a fight.

It is not true, however, that French-language Belgian films cannot leave their mark on the history of cinema. For example, an alien, Man Bites Dog (1992) is a disturbing comedy shot as a fake documentary depicting a serial killer who explains the art of killing people. Another one, The Eighth Day (1996) has as main character a man with Down's syndrome (some people may find similarities with Forest Gump...).

Now I suggest you go to the DVD store and order some nice Belgian film!

One country, two Justin Biebers

The unexpected happened in Belgium with the uprising success of Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It happened after his haircut was imitated by basically all teens whipping their hair in a manly way (!) and adjusting their NY caps to look like true "brothers". This small country, which he probably doesn't know of (when asked about the German origin of his name, he said he didn't know what "German" was!), has given birth to two Bieberclones. And guess what... one is a Flemish and the other one is a Walloon! Fierce competition going on...

Flemish Bieber

The Flemish version of Justin Bieber is 16-year-old Ian Thomas. His father is a Flemish actor and his mother a Dutch choregrapher. The teenager decided one day to sing a Dutch version of the hitsong "Baby". This song was at first released as a Youtube video and then became full-shaped a single. Quickly, the song reached #1 of the Flemish charts. He then got also famous in the Netherlands as well and many girls were crazy about him.

Yet recently he published a music video called "Haters" in which he appeared more agressive and full of frustration. In the track, he rapped violently against his bullies, who he said called him names (e.g. "gay") and he often had the police escort him to school and cried in his bed at nights. Although the goal of the video was to stop all attacks against him, it resulted the opposite. Tons of negative comments were posted on his video, which led his mother to ask for the video to be removed from Youtube...

Walloon Bieber

On the other hand, you have Christopher Hagelstein, who is better known as Chris Bieber, the Walloon Justin Bieber. This huge "belieber", aged 20, adopted the complete look of his idol and decided to sing his own song alongside a couple of rapper friends. The music video was published on Youtube and got noticed by a Belgian youtubers, although he didn't get as famous as Ian Thomas, probably due to the quality of his lyrics and singing... Yet the story came to the French media's ears and he was interviewed a number of times and a documentary was made about him.

Recently, however, the young Walloon celebrity's life was plunged into sadness, as on April 4th he had a car crash with his 10-year-old brother. Both were transferred to a local hospital, but only Chris survived, which gave rise to a number of criticisms on the singer for being responsible of his younger brother's death.

All in all, both Justin Bieber look-alikes have in common not only their passion for the Canadian singer, but also a tragic history, with a lot of criticisms and attacks against them. Some people will say that it's because young girls love Justin Bieber so much that young boys hate him even more by pure jealousy... I personally... don't care about him, but I hope these two Belgian singers will have a peaceful life.

Music: Flemish reluctant to listen to their own language

Here is an unfortunate fact about Flanders... Flemish youngsters listen less and less to songs in Flemish! In recent TV-shows like Idool or The Voice van Vlaanderen, almost all artists sang in English, some tried in French too, but the only two songs in Dutch were bashed by the jury. This may be the symptom of a lack of self-confidence among the Flemish. This article will show how the only genre in which Flemish language is still successful is hiphop!

Some Flemish bands have become famous worldwide. They're creative and, in the manner of Scandinavian musicians, they are good at singing in English. In that way, bands singing in English constitute most of current Flemish musics. For example, Hooverphonic, Selah Sue, K's Choice or Soulwax, have made the Flemish music scene as what it is today. Flemish people are often "musicoholic" and have quite ecclectic tastes... Studio Brussel, a Flemish indie radio, also a branch of national broadcasting VRT, is a perfect showcase of what Flemish youth listen to today.

A longlasting tendency in Flanders is to listen to French music ("chanson française"), perhaps because French used to be the only official language in Belgium and it had prestige. Did you know that Jacques Brel's family was Flemish? Probably not, because he only sang and spoke French on TV. Today, young people listen to chansons a little less (maybe because learning French is not considered as enjoyable), but some artists like Stromae, from Brussels, hit the charts in Flanders and sing in French. A few Flemish artists have sung in French too: Arno (rock), Axelle Red (pop-jazz), Vive la Fête (electro) or more recently dEUS (rock). All of them are famous in both linguistics communities today and youngsters like them.

Vive la Fête

Let's talk about songs in Dutch or Flemish dialects that people listen to nowadays. Last century saw a revival of folk musics from Flanders (maybe in link with the rise of Flemish nationalism). These songs, called today "schlagers" (a German word meaning "hits"), are often sung in dialects. Young people rarely listen to them, but they may enjoy them at carnivals or folkloric festivals, in which everyone drinks beer and dances. Otherwise, it sounds a bit too old-fashioned.

 A parody of Flemish slagers

Next, we find a few pop-rock bands that have songs in Flemish, like Clouseau, De Kreuners, Gorki or De Mens. Some of their songs are actually quite cool. Yet, there are not a lot of them and they are getting a bit outdated, as they are to be classified as 80s or 90s bands. Today, some of them still release songs, but they are not as famous as they used to be anymore.

De Kreuners (80s band)

Finally, as a matter of fact the music in Flemish that youngsters listen to the most is actually... hiphop! Actually, rap has always been about what's happening in your own town and it has to be very slangy, so that it is easier to write rap lyrics in your own language. That's why young Flemish people still enjoy hearing their language in rap songs. Dutch hiphop, also called "Nederhop", is quite famous in Flanders, with bands like The Opposites or De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig ("nowaday's youth"). Yet, some Flemish rap bands also gain a regional success, such as Tourist LeMC (Antwerp), Safi & Spreej (Mechelen), 't Hof van Commerce (West Flanders), etc. Their songs, like schlagers, often have their lyrics in Flemish dialects, and it is probably through the hiphop genre that you can learn the most local phrases, mixed with English or French catchphrases.

Safi & Spreej

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