The buzzing and cozy basement bar Le Baixu (pronounced as baïchou) has grown into a genuine cultural and musical lab in the middle of the Tour & Taxis site in just one year. On September 16 and 17, founders Martine Renwart and Emmanuel de Ryckel, who found each other in their passion for Brazil and music, announce a sparkling birthday weekend with which they also kick off the new season. Throughout the year, a varied mix is on the program with concerts, jam sessions, literary acts, stories for children and much more. This rich offer reflects the purpose of Le Baixu, as an incubator for emerging talent that wants to promote cultural diversity through hybrid projects.
"Baixu" is the word that the Pataxos Indians use for "beautiful". Based on this idea, co-founder Martine Renwart realized her dream and created a unique place that has become a fixture for Brussels music lovers in barely a year. But beauty is not the only focus here; Le Baixu also wants to be a springboard and offer a platform to tomorrow's talent. "
Our vision is twofold. First, we want to give young artists a platform so they can generate more awareness and meet professionals," says Renwart. "
But besides that, we also want to make sure that culture becomes accessible to everyone, including the residents of our neighborhood. That's why our programming is very diverse and open, so we can reach as broad an audience as possible."
Musical candles
Le Baixu celebrates its first anniversary in style and invites you to a musical party during the weekend of September 16 and 17. It will be a birthday full of discoveries and surprises that will enchant music lovers of all ages.
Starting on Saturday at 4 p.m. with
Schubert est amoureux. A tender, idiosyncratic family performance, written and directed by Sophie van der Stegen with pianist Julien Brocal, mezzo-soprano Sarah Laulan and baritone Julien Fanthou. At 8 p.m., Bernard Foccroulle presents
Dialogues entre Musique et Peinture. Sitting at his harpsichord, Foccroulle takes the audience on a musical journey in which he interweaves old and contemporary compositions and harmonizes them with the brushstrokes of Fabienne Verdier. Each of her paintings resonates with a counterpoint from J.S. Bach's
Die Kunst der Fuge.
The next day, on September 17 at 5 p.m., it's time for the talented Akhtamar Quartet with their – so far newest – album
ENLUMINURES. For this, the quartet worked with Claude Debussy's
String Quartet Op. 10, a special work of pronounced harmonic richness and with original influences such as jazz and gamelan sounds. The program is further enhanced by a series of six miniatures by composer Judith Adler de Oliveira, which she composed especially for this occasion at the quartet's request. The pieces revisit old Armenian themes and connect tradition and innovation with each other.
Diversity is in the DNA
Keeping its core values in mind, the new season of Le Baixu builds on two pillars: diversity and quality. Martine Renwart surrounds herself well with a team of curators and artists who specialize in the different genres presented. "
Every week, classical music will be heard in Le Baixu, but also jazz and global music. And that's not all! There are also family moments planned with concerts tailored to children and special projects where multiple disciplines come together."
Every first and last Tuesday of the month there is room for jam sessions. One Wednesday per month is then devoted to enchanting Balkan sounds. A special asset of this monthly concert is that the stage is open after each performance to anyone who wants to join the artists and play with them. So it's an
open stage, with plenty of room for dialogue.
Thursdays are reserved for jazz concerts. And Fridays are devoted to Brazil and forró dance and guarantee a bustling cultural experience. On Sunday, finally, you can discover the art of storytelling and let yourself be immersed in gripping fairy tales and legends by renowned storytellers. It will be a season full of highlights and intimate moments, with artists such as Charles Loos (piano), David Enco (trumpet), Fabrizio Cassol (saxophone) and Jean-François Prins (guitar).
In barely a year, Le Baixu has also established itself as the perfect place to discover emerging talent. "
By supporting young artists in building their careers, we also enrich Brussels' cultural landscape," explains Renwart. "
Le Baixu sees itself as a springboard for emerging talent by offering them residencies and recording opportunities. The many assets that the location has to offer, including fantastic acoustics, ensure that many artists want to collaborate with us."
A wild mix
On the poster are also hybrid projects that mix different approaches and genres. The aim is always to make music accessible to everyone. The "Literary cabarets", which are organized in collaboration with actor Bruno Georis, will start in November. Four young actors present texts that often revolve around sensitive subjects and then engage in conversation with the audience... The intention? To set up an intergenerational debate on topics that we often avoid in personal situations.
Another project with a similar approach is the creation and execution of a puppet opera in collaboration with the Parvis school in Sint-Gillis. Guided by a team of professionals with different and complementary backgrounds (a teacher, composer, musician, artist or storyteller), twelve children between 8 and 12 years old – with behavioral disorders type 3 to type 8 - will work on
De prinses Brambilla for two years, a real opera inspired by a story by E. T. A. Hoffmann.
"
Too many young people still have no access to culture and we want to help them develop their creativity and imagination. Through music, but also through literature and visual arts, and that is where our project wants to push boundaries," says Renwart. "
We want to stimulate both the thinking and the emotional skills of children, help them understand the richness and diversity of Brussels' heritage and invite them to express themselves freely and look at themselves positively... We want them to be taken seriously as players in their neighborhood or city, and that they can be full citizens." Several performances are already planned at the Cultuurhuis in Molenbeek, at Studio 1 at Flagey and of course also at Le Baixu.
www.lebaixu.be
