E Biography

Vandeau

Ludo

Biography

Ludo Vandeau was born at Hamme, in Flanders, between the rivers Durme and Schelde. His mother lived in Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium, for the greater part of her youth. His father used to be an actor, but continued to play music and sing. Both parents contributed literature, music and creativity to his education. His father’s mother was Spanish by origin, Agnes de Castro.

Vandeau soon picked up the guitar and discovered the possibilities of his voice. He sang covers here and there. It was not until he was at university that he started taking part in song contests and small-scale performances. In this period he began to write his first songs. In the meantime he allowed himself to be influenced by new kinds and genres of music.

In the nineties Ludo Vandeau was engaged on theatre, travelling, study and work. His heart and hands, though, are with music all the time. He is much attracted to study and work too. After lots of performances, he writes, sings, plays the guitar, goes solo for a long time and is active in the theatre (TheaterBarrikade, Gent), where he contributes the music. For the time being he did not come to making recordings.

From 1997 to April 2004 he was the voice of Ambrozijn (folk music). With Olla Vogala (world music) he was one of two vocalists. He was guest-singer by the Flemish group Lais and by the French singer-songwriter Gabriel Yacoub (Fr).

Above all, after so many CD’s, Vandeau wants to make, to sing, to record songs of his own. With his group Bodixel he explores French and Spanish chanson. But this is not what Vandeau really wants. The CD ‘Marguerite’ (produced by Gwen Creesens) is the first full CD with French chanson – and one exception, the song ‘Cucurucucu’, which is well-known by the version of Gaetano Velose. ‘Marguerite’ was released on Wildboarmusic, under the names Ludo Vandeau and Bodixel. This is the musical path he has chosen to go...

Since 2010 Vandeau has gathered old and new musicians around himself. A period of preparing a new CD dawns. Writing, deleting, re-writing, pre-recordings, new cooperations, endless hours in the car, little concerts, school concerts, try- outs and studio work. Together with Ad Cominotto he is working on his first solo CD, which will be released in the autumn of 2014. Be patient! The first single, ‘Enfant’, is available on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GA- s_YYLfE

Musicians

Ludo Vandeau: singer, guitarist, composer, interprète

Ludo Vandeau began his career as a musician in Theater Barrikade (Ghent) towards the end of the 1980s, together with people like the author Johan De Boose. From 1997 to 2004 he was the singer in Ambrozijn (new folk). Since 1997 he’s been one of the two vocalists in Olla Vogala (world music). In 1999 he was the guest singer with Lais on their CD 'Dorothea' and the CD 'a la capella'. In that period the French chansonnier-composer-interprète Gabriel Yacoub asked Ludo to join him for several concerts, for recording the CD 'live at Quimper' and for the studio CD 'Yacoub'. From 2002 to 2008 he wrote songs, composed, and was coordinator for the group Bodixel, who recorded two easy-listening CDs containing Spanish and French chansons: 'Todo Cambia' and 'Métropole' (Ferrimusic). In 2006 Ludo Vandeau and Bodixel brought out their first CD together: 'Marguérite' (Wildboarmusic) featuring French chansons. Since 2011 Ludo has been working with several musicians – some of them for the first time – to produce his first solo CD, to be released in 2014.

Ad Cominotto : producer, programmer, arranger, keyboard player

Ad Cominotto (accordions, piano, synthesiser) studied music at the conservatories of Hasselt and Liege and studied privately (the piano and accordion) in Paris. He is a composer, and has written arrangements for artists like Arno, Alain Bashung, Marcel Vanthilt, Vaya Con Dios, Adamo. But he also composes and does realisations of music for films, documentaries, tunes and theatre productions.

Lode Vercampt: Cellist, multi-instrumentalist (accordion, sax, guitar)

Lode Vercampt did a Master’s in Music at the Conservatorium, Ghent, completing it in 1996. He went on to train to become a secondary school teacher in Music and the Dramatic Arts. He won prizes at national music competitions such as: Astoria, Jeunes Talents and Pro Civitate. Lode has played in many project bands/ensembles: Kris Defoort 4-tet, Trio Dick van der Harst, L’Orchestre Mouvement Perpetuelle, Trio Vercampt-Sluis-Mendoza, Kuka 4-tet, Ambush (Peter Vermeersch), Wim Mertens Trio and 5-tet, Prima la Musica, Beethoven Academie, Vlaamse Opera (Ghent) and I Fiaminghi. Since 2003 he has been the cellist for both Bodixel and Ludo Vandeau. The duo, Lode and Ludo, specialise in giving concerts at private houses.

Stijn Bettens: accordion, bandoneon, accordina

Stijn went to the Stedelijke Academie voor Muziek en Woord in Oudenaarde at the age of 14 to learn to play the chromatic button accordion. Now he teaches accordion and ensemble playing at the Academy in Oudenaarde, as well as at the Academy in Deinze. Stijn can play the accordion, bandoneon and the less well-known accordina. He also does backing vocals for Ludo Vandeau. At the moment he is one of the musicians working with: Sarah Dhont, Filip Jordens, Douce Ambiance and also does solo projects. Since 2006 he has worked regularly with Ludo Vandeau.

Herlinde Ghekiere: singer

Herlinde began music and singing lessons at a young age but was not discovered until later – when she won first prize in the Lemmens competition. Her activities include: backings for the group Aranis, for Pieter-Jan Desmedt and for Sioen; a series of concerts with the composer Dick van der Harst for ‘’Vlernica – los ninos de la guerra’; collaboration and recording with jazz musicians: George De Decker, Garreth Liszt; and working with Chris Joris and the Chris Joris Experience, Ivan Paduart, Hans Van Oost, Christoph Erbstoesser, Hendrik Braeckman, Piet Verbist, Mimi Verderame, Bart Defoort, Ewout Pierreux. And, she is the vocalist in the Wim Mertens Ensemble.

Siegfried Van Schuylenbergh: Dobro, mandoline, guitars, banjo

Siegfried Van Schuylenbergh is another of the multi-instrumentalists in the group: he plays mainly classical guitar, but also does mandoline, banjo, electric guitar, folk guitar (6- stringed and 12-stringed), resonator guitar, lap steel guitar, ukulele, Dobro and charango. He teaches classical guitar in Sint-Niklaas and Aalst. Sometimes he prefers to do solo projects or a music-and storytelling programme, but he plays mainly with the group around Ludo Vandeau, and has done so since 2003.

Wim Ramon: electric bass, fretless bass, double bass

Wim Ramon studied at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and has always worked in various combinations and with a range of styles including Tom Robinson, Neeka, Vaya Con Dios, Tars Lootens. He gained experience by performing in clubs and at festivals such as the Jazzlab series, Marktrock Leuven, Dranouter festival, Crossing Border festival in The Hague, the Brussels Jazz Marathon, Montreux Jazz Festival, The Cobblestones Dublin, folk festival Lillihammer, etc. Wim also teaches at the academies of Zottegem and Ghent. Since 2010 he has played bass (electric bass, fretless bass and double bass) with Ludo Vandeau.

Ronald Dhaene: drums, loops, recordings

Ronald Dhaene started his musical education at the age of 9 by attending the Oudenaarde music academy. He took Percussion lessons from Freddy Mertens and also studied with Frank Nuyts, Wim Konink and others. He completed his Master’s in 2000, percussion being his chosen instrument. Ronald also studied in Brussel with Bruno Castellucci (drummer for Toots Thielemans, and others). He plays in various ensembles and orchestras both as a regular and as a freelancer: Goeyvaerts Consort, Spectra Ensemble, SOV ( Flanders symphony orchestra). Bands: Kinky Afro, Watchamacallit (Frank Zappa), WiRDo (own quartet). Since 2010 Ronald has played the drums and done the programming and percussion for Ludo Vandeau.