BRU JAZZ WE - LOTTO Brussels Jazz Weekend

Peter Hertmans, one of Belgium's most sophisticated jazz guitarists, seeks the ultimate symbiosis between jazz and classical with Ataneres. Inner Stories weaves his trio's guitar, double bass and drums with the ensemble's strings and Stefan Hertmans' poems into a melancholic encounter of improvisation, composition and poetry.

Wajdi Riahi Trio creates a link between Tunis and Brussels, between tradition and innovation. They effortlessly merge traditional rhythms of Stambeli and Gnawa with jazz. Pianist Wajdi Riahi, double bassist Basile Rahola and drummer Pierre Hurty propel their music from intimate tranquility to frenzied energy like a storm that rises and falls again.

Le Monde Merveilleux de Pépito is the quartet around trumpet player and composer Pierre-Antoine Savoyat that culminated in Memories from a Winter Journey after five years of development. For this ode to his mother, the quartet was expanded to include saxophone and a string quartet, resulting in an intimate and layered fusion of jazz and classical.

With RUBY, guitarist Lorenzo Di Maio and his quartet explore an eclectic sound. Piano, synths, guitar and percussion merge into melodic compositions in which virtuosity and delicate interplay go hand in hand. Serenity and visceral energy merge organically in a patchwork that is as refined as it is untamed.

Une voix incroyable et une énergie improbable, c'est Jazz Sanusi. L'artiste belgo-nigériane interprète un R&B alternatif et plein de soul, aux influences jazz, blues, disco et hip-hop. Elle célèbre la beauté par effets de contraste : fragile mais puissante, vulnérable mais pleine de conviction. Introspective, désarmante et toujours pleine de good vibes.

Belgian-Brazilian singer and composer Helena Casella weaves jazz, neo-soul, R&B and Brazilian rhythms into a dreamy, organic sound. Her songs grow from piano and voice, with as few effects as possible for maximum emotion. She delivers personal and poetic stories that balance between the intimate and the ethereal and resonate delightfully.

Amy Gadiaga's warm soul voice and groovy bass lines linger for days... This London-based singer and bassist’s fresh and unique style connects the old jazz tradition of great names like Betty Carter and Wayne Shorter with the raw and modern sound of D’Angelo, Stevie Wonder, and Twinkie Clark. It earned her a nomination for “Jazz Newcomer of the Year” by the Parliamentary Jazz Awards. For the festival she’ll enjoy the good company of Luke Bacchus (piano) and Simon Lamb (drum).

Banda Bruselas is a Salsa project that has formed under the direction of Peter Van Marle as part of the Royal Conservatory Study Program. The band that consists of 4 singers, 6 horns, 1 violin and a 6 member-rhythm section, plays classical and modern salsa-hits. This repertoire is the combination of songs from the Fania Records-era , Willie Colon, Ruben Blades and Eddie Palmieri. Also songs by Cuban artists such as Osdalgia , Manolito Simonet & Su Trabucu are on the repertoire-list. Salsalovers: lace up your dancing-shoes and groove to the exhilirating sounds of Banda Bruselas!

The Luismi Aguilar Sextet pays tribute to multi-instrumentalist and jazz innovator Eric Dolphy, sixty years after his death at the age of 36. They focus on the last four years of his career -from his influence on Coltrane, Mingus and Russell to his own pioneering avant-garde post-bop and free jazz compositions.

Orson Claeys has been called the wünderkind of the Belgian jazz scene. Inspired by Herbie Hancock, the Ghent pianist weaves influences from jazz, hip-hop and oriental music into a rich and emotional sound. His track Conversations appeared on Lefto's Jazz Cats 3 while debut EP Odyssey to Self was released on Sdban Ultra in 2024. 

Matoka Quartet consists of four Brussels-based musicians with a shared love of groove and improvisation. In their collective compositions, they bring together soft melodies (Elly), African rhythms (Yarno), lyricism (Emanuel) and grounding pulse (Umberto) into an organic sound full of melodic layering and tension.

BLEND / REACT is a Brussels jazz sextet formed around pianist-composer Piergiorgio Pirro, which explores the intersections between jazz and spectral music. With influences from Steve Coleman, Steve Lehman and Bo van der Werf, they combine microtonality, experimental grooves and layered improvisations to blend as a collective and react as individuals.

Marylène Corro is a Belgian-Chilean singer-songwriter who blends soul, R&B, pop and jazz into a sound full of groove, empathy and a lot of character. A former lawyer with a strong social conscience, she sings disarming songs that combine vulnerability and strength, urgency and lightness.

Ashtabiez brings together unique musical voices around Yamen Martini's compositions, merging jazz and oriental influences. Inspired by travels in the Middle East and Europe, this quintet mixes groovy rhythms with spicy melodies and contemporary touches in order to create an immersive, cross-genre musical experience.