Moving farewell to Flemish folk singer Walter De Buck this afternoon in De Bijloke (Gent). Walter was a fantastic singer, composer and sculptor. In the late sixties, he single-handedly revitalised De Gentse Feesten. More than thousand people came to take leave of Walter on his last journey. A band of well chosen musicians - amongst them his old friends Clee Van Herzeele and Guido Schiffer - played a selection of his classic songs. The music brought back memories of the seventies. I still recall entering Walters pub De Martiko as a teenager during De Gentse Feesten, with my fiddle on my back and the excitement I felt seeing all the musicians playing around Sint Jacobs. Les Frères Désaunay were regular visitors and little did I know that I would play with both of them in later years. I also remember hearing Walter sing an a capella version of the old flemish folk song Te Duinkerke and being very impressed with his vocal skills and artistry. The humble nature of the man and the folksy humor in his lyrics and music in some way concealed his impressive talent as a singer. It would be more than time to release all of Walters records on CD. If no record company is willing to do this, then the city council of Gent should undertake the enterprise. After all, Walter has done more for Gent than any city council over the last hundred years. Take care Walter and rest in peace.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 23:25:32 +0000
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