Lunalia is more than just the successor to the Festival van Vlaanderen. It's more than flawless organization by a dynamic team. More than a joyful reunion with kindred spirits in Mechelen's most beautiful venues.
It's called 'Lunalia' – hello Sister Moon! But it meant leaving the late afternoon sun behind only to return under a full moon or pouring rain. And Lunalia was also an immersion in ancient Andean culture, in the refinement of Argentine Tango, in the innovative a cappella world of the eight singers of Lyyra, and in the cross-pollination of the best that La Strada, the street with all its inhabitants from here and elsewhere, has to offer. On top of that came a heartwarming fellowship around an inspiring meal, prepared on site by culinary artists Hadas Cnaani & Sadaf Malyar.
What keeps surfacing from that colorful world is the infectious richness of folklore as documented around 1780 by the Basque Balthasar Martinez Compaon, Bishop of Trujillo, in his Codex Trujillo de Peru, a monumental work preserved in the Royal Palace of Madrid. A colorful font of information that could give Google a run for its money. The eight ladies and gentlemen of the Dutch-Latin American Ensemble Musica Temprana have been immersed in Latin American Baroque and Renaissance music for 25 years. And that was heard in every note, every word of the program 'The Andes in Fire and Flame'. And as for 'words', anyone fluent in Spanish was in luck. Those less versed in the language can thank festival director Mathias Coppens for the helpful program booklets, sometimes with welcome translations.
It was typical that the music accompanying the Trailer Festival 2026 was Eduardo Rovira's tango music, as promoted by Sonico. Because Tango is not just Piazzolla. Tango is not only for dancing but also for feeling. And feel it did – a packed City Theater from the first notes of bandoneón player Lysandre Donoso, in interaction with guitarist Alejandro Schwarz and double bass of bandleader Ariel Eberstein (hat on, as it should be). Add to this trio the virtuoso oboe of Christian Impaziente and you have the ideal backdrop for singer Claudia Pannone, an Argentine woman of many talents. And radiant, refined elegance personified. For her, singing is telling, charming, moving—like in the story of 'Madame Yvonne'.
The limitations of public transport and other commitments kept me away from Downdrake, Innercities, Heleen Van Haegenborgh & Christian Wallumrød Ensemble, Tutu Puoane, and Casco Phil, which left enthusiastic memories. I said goodbye to Lunalia with the six singers of Lyyra. Following their program 'In the Beginning', they started with one soprano, then two, three... And before you knew it, a cohesive choir with angelic voices made the cross-over from Hildegard von Bingen, via Couperin, Bach, Byrd, and Barber to Paul Simon, Lennon-McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Amy Beach, American folk and gospel, which seemed written for alto Cecille Elliott. Their collaboration with the VOCES8 label and mission is evident. Their debut performance in Belgium received a standing ovation from a packed Sint-Pieter en Paulkerk.
