NL Catbug 39, EN Mohamed Toukabri 40, EN Nabou Claerhout

‘I have a soft spot for places hardly anyone goes’

EN She did not choose the instrument that everyone already played, she chose the trombone. “I prefer the side-path to the main road,” says Nabou Claerhout, and you can hear that on You Know, the debut album of her quartet N∆BOU.

— TOM PEETERS, PHOTO HELEEN RODIERS

On You Know, Nabou Claerhout and her band seem to have found a rewarding loophole in the unusual combination of trombone, electric guitar, double bass and drums that lets them work creatively with the twelve notes in Western music. Freshness prevails over pigeonholing. That’s also why the original band name Nabou Claerhout Quartet was

quickly changed to N∆BOU, which keeps all roads open.

There is a book, written a long time ago, about which characters go with which musical instruments, the trombonist tells us in the penthouse apartment in the centre of Brussels she shares with her partner, guitarist Machiel Heremans. “For example, brass players always seem to be late and fl utists are very precise.” It sounded like a horoscope, but she thought it made sense in her case. Especially considering her wilful choice of the maverick of the instrument class, as if brass requires an extra dose of character and adds a bit of colour. “When I look at my trombone and brass class, I notice that they are all characters who go for it. My students seem to me to have chosen their instrument very consciously. My partner also teaches, but hears different stories: ‘I didn’t know what to choose’ or ‘My mum told me to’. With me, everyone has a real desire to play this specifi c instrument.”

It also has to do with curiosity. “I have a soft spot for places hardly anyone goes, I want to know what

there is to do there.” She calls herself curious and open-minded but sometimes, she can be fussy and has had to learn to let go. She already stands out because of her choice of instruments, she also does that as a woman of colour in Belgian jazz. “Mentally I do have a hard time with it sometimes. I’ve already asked myself the question: am I here because you guys like my music, or because you can tick all the boxes with me?” Because of the many positive reactions and several awards – last summer Young Jazz Talent at Gent Jazz – she doesn’t really lose any sleep over it, but it all remains very ambigious. “The simple fact that I have a brown skin tone, while my family has lived in Flanders for three generations, has a huge impact.

“Composing is not about looking out your window and writing a piece about the bird you see flying past. Sorry!”

Especially in the press, colour is overemphasized. In the past it was paradoxically just the opposite: I had to speak Flemish as well as I could to show that I was doing my best.” As diffi cult as the puzzle remains, the fact that our stages were not as colourful and feminine at the same time was perhaps an additional motivator? “Indeed. Again, the fact that there weren’t that many of us made me like it.”

UNROMANTIC The reason why Nabou Claerhout started playing music is more straightforward. “Because it affects me emotionally. This is also what I hold on to when composing. I remember a workshop where someone told me that if your music does something to you there is someone else in the world who will be touched by it. It has given me peace of mind. So, it is fi rst and foremost about being touched by something. Then I fi gure out how to write it down and translate it to my fellow musicians. You need that self-confi dence, because it’s quite something: being on stage with your own music.”

The music of others is a great aid when composing. That could be a solo that a band member improvises or something from her music theory lessons or the research she does by dissecting other compositions, where a book about a rhythmic concept by drummer Mark Guiliana was an eye opener. “It sounds very unromantic, but composing is not about looking out your window and writing a piece about the bird you see fl ying past. Sorry!” During the artistic process she can just as well be seduced by a fragment of a pop or jazz song as by a classical composition, as becomes evident in “Who Owns What”, the closing song of her new record for which she transcribed a chord scheme from a choir piece by Bach.

She thought the title, plucked from a laundry list of artworks in Tate Modern, sounded philosophical. “Who is entitled to what? I like things that make you think. Though I hope my music can be for everyone, not just a select few. New compositions such as ‘K.I.P.’ and ‘You Know’ are very complex, but you don’t have to hear that complexity. I want my mum, with no theoretical background, to enjoy it too.”

NΔBOU: YOU KNOW Release: 22/10 on Outhere Records Concerts: 30/11, Ancienne Belgique, www.abconcerts.be & Nabou Claerhout & Lynn Cassiers, 7/11, Bozar, www.bozar.be

“IK VERKIES HET ZIJPAD BOVEN DE GROTE BAAN”

NL Nabou Claerhout koos niet voor het instrument dat iedereen speelde, maar voor de trombone. Op You know, het debuutalbum van haar kwartet N∆BOU, vindt ze in de ongewone combinatie van trombone, elektrische gitaar, contrabas en drums een achterpoortje om alsnog creatief aan de slag te gaan met de twaalf noten van de westerse muziek. Frisheid primeert op hokjesdenken. Ook als vrouw van kleur in de Belgische jazz valt ze op. “Daar heb ik het soms moeilijk mee. Sta ik hier omdat jullie mijn muziek goed vinden of omdat je met mij alle vakjes kan afvinken?” « JE PRÉFÈRE LE SENTIER À LA ROUTE PRINCIPALE »

FR Nabou Claerhout n’a pas choisi l’instrument que tout le monde jouait : elle a opté pour le trombone. Sur You know, le premier album de son quartet N∆BOU, elle invente une nouvelle façon de jouer avec les douze notes de la musique occidentale, en combinant de manière insolite trombone, guitare électrique, contrebasse et batterie. Elle se distingue aussi en tant que femme de couleur dans le jazz belge. « J’ai parfois du mal avec ça. Suis-je ici parce que vous aimez ma musique ou parce que vous pouvez cocher toutes les cases avec moi ? »

Nabou Claerhout

Born in 1993 in Antwerp Studied arts in Brussels, spent fi ve years at Codarts in Rotterdam and one year at the

Royal Academy of Music in London

In 2019, she released the EP Hubert with her quartet N∆BOU – trombone, electric guitar, double bass and drums – formed in 2016 and this has now been followed by debut album

You Know

Crowned Young Jazz Talent at Gent Jazz last summer. With the prize money she put together a

young European trombone ensemble

Teaches at the music academies of Wilrijk and Kortrijk and does research at the UAntwerpen

Owner Nicolas Clarebout and his little rascal Winok.

A hot new café

EN At a time when businesses in the food and hospitality sector are on the look-out for new and more ethical models, Café Winok is leading the way by demonstrating how

to be inclusive and sustainable. — MICHEL VERLINDEN, PHOTO SASKIA VANDERSTICHELE

CAFÉ WINOK ••••

avenue Louis Bertrandlaan 48, Schaarbeek/ Schaerbeek, www.cafewinok. be, wo/me/We > vr/ve/Fr 8 > 23.00, za/sa/Sa 9 > 23.00, zo/di/Su 9 > 21.30 Winok loves to take a walk around the neighbourhood. His favourite pastimes include ransacking bins and stealing croissants that are left too close to his nose. But who is this black-furred little rascal? He is the mascot of a new place that opened in Schaarbeek/ Schaerbeek on 2 July. The dog in question, who belongs to the proprietor, is a “Schipperke”, a type of miniature Belgian Shepherd, a breed that originated in Brussels. Fortunately, Nicolas Clarebout (36) keeps an eye on him and foils the four-legged scamp’s antics most of the time. Clarebout has experience working in fair trade (Ethiquable). During the lockdown, he became inspired to start his own business. He has taken over the former premises of the popular café L’Espérance.

From the moment you enter, a ramp providing wheelchair access lets you know how the place has changed. The thirty-something-year-old has adopted an approach based on inclusivity, locally sourced produce, DIY, ethical values, good taste, and recycling. Recycling? The seats and the counter are made out of the shutters that once hung in the five large windows that light the space, which now contains Scandinavian furniture and pretty marble tables. Outside, there is a lovely terrasse. Local produce? The well thought-out selection of suppliers will inspire locavores, from the ginger kombucha by Smile, available on tap, to the beers from the Brasserie de la Lesse. Those who enjoy a pint will be glad to find that the place has shed its hipster café vibe: you can get a draught pils for €2.20.

DIY? Passionate about coffee, Nicolas Clarebout has been exploring the art of revealing the aromas of coffee, he roasts all the coffees on sale himself. Ethical values? He buys his coffees from This Side Up, a small outfit based in Amsterdam that is committed to paying a fair price to their suppliers all over the world. Good taste? As well as the coffees, which are made with a Dalla Corte machine, Café Winok offers fabulous snacks, including platters, tapas, and sweet treats. On our visit one lunchtime, we enjoyed a delicious soup (€6.50) served with excellent bread. It was a smooth and comforting broth with notes of carrot, butternut squash, and basil. We also very much enjoyed the quiche (€8.50), from Maison Noirhomme in Lambusart, which was made with plenty of spinach and beautifully offset by a delightfully fresh salad containing roast pepper and finely sliced cucumber.

FILM VAN DE WEEK

Welkom op planeet Carax

‘So may we start?’ Met dat lied opent Annette. Neem de vraag serieus, want daarna is er geen weg meer terug. Je bent vertrokken voor een uitzinnige, duistere rockopera van de raarste vogel onder de Franse filmregisseurs: Leos Carax.

— NIELS RUËLL

ANNETTE ••••

FR, dir.: Leos Carax, act.: Adam Driver, Marion Cotillard, Simon Helberg Waar te beginnen bij Leos Carax? Geniale gek, cinéaste maudit, auteur van zes langspeelfilms die nergens mee te vergelijken zijn – zelfs niet met elkaar. Mauvais sang, Les amants du Pont-Neuf, Holy motors: zo goed als elke film die van hem uit de lucht valt, is een evenement – helaas ook omdat er tussen twee films soms een decennium voorbijsnelt. Maar binnen die kosmische onvoorspelbaarheid stond het ergens in de sterren geschreven dat hij ooit een muziekfilm uit zijn rocksterhoed zou toveren. Van zijn fetisjacteur Denis Lavant die in Mauvais sang door de Parijse straten sprint op ‘Modern love’ van David Bowie tot het aangrijpende muzikale intermezzo van Kylie Minogue in Holy motors: Carax kan films via muziek op eenzame hoogte brengen.

Ron en Russell Mael hadden dat in de smiezen. De Amerikaanse broers, die samen de cultgroep Sparks vormen, polsten bij de Fransman naar interesse om hun scenario voor een rockopera te verfilmen. En daar is het integraal gezongen, experimentele en ambitieuze Annette uit voortgekomen. Deels in Brussel gefilmd, maar dat is er amper aan te zien.

WTF-MOMENTEN Adam Driver, die probleemloos blockbusters als Star wars of The last duel afwisselt met arthouseparels als Paterson of Marriage story, leent zijn bas aan een stand-upcomedian die van duistere provocaties houdt. Marion Cotillard leent haar zangtalent aan een operadiva die elke avond op de bühne sterft. Tot jolijt van de media vormen ze een celebritykoppel. Maar na de geboorte van Annette verwordt het liefdessprookje steeds meer tot een nachtmerrie. De narcistische stand-upper dondert na een giftige voorstelling van zijn voetstuk, verdrinkt in jaloezie, agressie en controledwang en dwingt zijn zingende wonderbaby Annette tot het ene optreden na het andere.

De titels verraden de uitbundigheid van de liederen van Sparks: ‘Let’s waltz in the storm!’, ‘True love always finds a way’, ‘We love each other so much’. Dat laatste nummer brengen Driver en Cotillard ten gehore tijdens orale seks. Bij gebrek aan een zingende wonderbaby werkte Carax met een marionet. Het aantal wtf-momenten is niet bij te houden. De wellicht net iets te lang aangehouden, surreële extravaganza is niet voor iedereen. Zoals elke Carax is ook deze te nemen of te laten. Maar saai wordt dit zotte festijn van artificialiteit geen seconde. Ook los van het verhaal en de muziek laat Carax zijn cinema walsen met visuele vondsten, funky camerabewegingen en andere verrassingen. So may we start? Hell yeah.

Adam Driver en Marion Cotillard spelen een celebritykoppel dat al zingend naar de afgrond glijdt.

FESTIVAL

Bons baisers de Corée

FR Attendez la semaine prochaine pour binge-watcher la série trash de Netflix Squid Game. Cette semaine, le Korean Film Festival Belgium vous montre à quel point le cinéma coréen est riche, varié et captivant, et ce depuis des décennies. — NIELS RUËLL

Avez-vous apprécié Parasite, qui a remporté la Palme d’Or et l’Oscar du meilleur film ? Ce succès n’est pas tombé du ciel. Depuis vingt ans, Bong Joon-ho réalise des films qui n’ont rien à envier à son chef-d’œuvre primé. Et c’est loin d’être le seul Coréen à exceller dans le cinéma. C’est ce qui ressortira de ce festival du film coréen, qui met les bouchées doubles à l’occasion du 120e anniversaire des relations diplomatiques entre la Belgique et la Corée.

Le festival s’ouvre sur un film que les Coréens attendaient : Samjin Company English Class de LeeJong-pil. Le récit de trois employées de bureau dans les années nonante qui veulent gravir les échelons de la hiérarchie et qui se heurtent à un scandale environnemental. Le documentaire K-POP Genesis se penche sur l’histoire de la musique pop coréenne et présente des adolescents qui étaient aux premières loges lors de l’émergence de l’industrie musicale dans les années nonante. Les beaux gosses de BTS portaient encore des couches à l’époque.

Cette année, le festival met à l’honneur les films d’animation, l’occasion de revoir The King of Pigs. Bien avant Parasite et Squid Game, ce thriller brutal et stylisé a mis en lumière les inégalités énormes qui peuvent être fatales en Corée. Le réalisateur Sang-Ho Yeun a fait fureur par la suite avec le film de zombies Train to Busan.

Une troisième partie est constituée de cinq trésors cachés. Poetry de l’ancien écrivain et ministre de la culture Lee Chang-dong est un portrait finement observé d’une grand-mère atteinte de la maladie d’Alzheimer, un mélodrame qui traite des maux de la société moderne et une ode sincère à la poésie et à la beauté qui nous entoure. D’un autre calibre mais tout aussi fortement recommandé, The Wailing du réalisateur Na Hong-jin. Ce n’est un secret pour personne : ce thriller rural, toujours surprenant, plus intense et plus sombre, est l’un des films d’exorcisme les plus marquants depuis L’Exorciste.

KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL BELGIUM 22 > 30/10, Bozar & Galeries, brussels.korean-culture.org

SAMJIN COMPANY ENGLISH CLASS

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3Wolfwalkers IE, dir.: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart EN/ In Kilkenny in 1650, the English colonisers banned the Irish from venturing outside the city walls. A young heroine refuses to stay in her hovel and, in the surrounding woods, befriends a child of nature who turns into a wolf at night. This swirling ode to freedom, imagination, nature and the wolf is so beautiful that it makes one weep. The graphics of the animated film, which is drenched in folklore, history and magic, make it particularly enchanting. The tightly stylised, picturesque drawings are to die for. With it, Tomm Moore concludes his Celtic trilogy, which began with The Secret of Kells (2009) and Song of the Sea (2014). (NR)