BRUSSELSBELGIUMEUROPE

LIFESTYLE

Looking for love? Check out our internet dating guide

BUSINESS

Scabal, the Belgian brand that’s cut from a different cloth

FINANCE

All you need to know about private banking

CULTURE

Happy birthday Toots!

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SURVIVORSURVIVORThe boy scout who outwitted the NazisThe boy scout who outwitted the Nazis

A PR IL 20 - M AY 3 2012

1980

Johnson & Johnson & JohnsonBrussels proved to be the breeding ground for one of the most quintessentially British political dynasties

On April 11, 1980, The Bulletin profiled Euro-MP Stanley Johnson (above right). Described by journalist Jonathan Fryer as “an overgrown schoolboy” with a “dishev-elled mop of corn-coloured hair”, Johnson held any number of lofty posts with the United Nations, the European Commission and the World Bank. In his spare time he had by then written 11 books. Fryer men-tions that the ever-busy Johnson “sees much of his four children, either on holiday abroad or in his Somerset farmhouse in England”. Daughter Rachel (above left) was a Bulletin contributor in the 1990s.

Stanley’s son Boris (above centre), also known for his schoolboy looks and unruly hair, attended the European School of Brussels before go-ing to Oxford and becoming a journalist. A Conservative Party member like his father, he entered politics, first as an MP for Henley before becom-ing Mayor of London in 2008. He will be seeking a second term in the mayoral elections on May 3. Stanley, now 72 and a respected writer and environmentalist, published his memoirs in 2009. Rachel, also a successful journalist, is editor of The Lady magazine. By Cleveland Moffett

Celebrating 50 years

2012

Editeur Responsable /Verantwoordelijke uitgever: John Stuyck, A. Gossetlaan 30, 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden. Opinions expressed in The Bulletin are those of the authors alone. For reasons of space, street names in Brussels are given only in their French version.

54 Focus – KunstenfestivaldesartsWhat not to miss at this year’s edition of Brussels’ multidisciplinary arts festival

57 Focus – Toots ThielemansA look at the life of a jazz legend

60 14 DaysThe Bulletin’s cultural highlights for the fortnight ahead – in Brussels and beyond

68 FilmCinema reviews and recommendations

71 Property76 Classifieds80 Jobs

82 Capital LifeJazz musician Marco Bardoscia opens up his diary for The Bulletin

Contents

5 THE BULLETIN

9 News In Brief

14 Focus – 20th ConvoySimon Gronowski, who survived the 20th Convoy to Auschwitz, tells us his incredible story

18 Interview – José Bové The radical sheep farmer turned MEP talks French politics and globalisation

22 Know-howHow to choose a private bank

26 The Brand – ScabalWe look at the Belgian suitmaker and textile company beloved by global powerbrokers

29 Your MoneyTax for the wealthy

31 Lifestyle In Brief

36 Food – Love at First BiteMarc Haywood of Englishshop.be shares his foodie favourites

38 Focus – Click. Pray. LoveAs The Bulletin launches a new dating website, our love guru shares her tips on how to make e-dating work for you

40 Up my StreetCinquantenaire Park

42 TravelOut and about in Limburg

47 DigitalOur technology tips

48 Behind the ScenesHomo Erectus

49 Community

Politics & Business

Culture & Events

Lifestyle & Community

2 3

p18 José Bové

p32 Tram Experience

p54 Kunstenfestivaldesarts

Cover story

p38 Internet dating

1

Letters to the editor

Editor-in-Chief Tamara Gausi Section Editors Robyn Boyle (Politics & Business) Sarah Crew (Culture & Events), Tamara Gausi (Lifestyle), Sally Tipper (Community) News Leo Cendrowicz (Belgium), Alan Hope (Brussels), Ed Morrison (Europe)Contributing Editor Thomas Buytaert Art Director Patricia Brossel Sub-editor Sally Tipper

Contributors Paul Ames, Emma Beddington, Kristof Dams, Katy Desmond, Stephanie Duval, Pierre-Michel Doutreligne, Joanna Gill, Nicholas Hirst, Kate Holman, Shada Islam, Harlan Levey, Katrien Lindemans, Ronald Meeus, Cleveland Mof-fett, Ian Mundell, Tom Peeters, Georgio Valentino Emily von Sydow

Photographers Bart Dewaele, Sander De Wilde Natalie Hill, Max Pinckers, Dieter Telemans

Founder Monique Ackroyd OBEPublisher John StuyckManaging Publisher Joske Plas

Advertising Helena Vreedenburgh (Sales Executive), Evelyne Frégonèse (Account Executive), Ros Burnaby-Atkins (Real estate ads & classifieds) advertising@ackroyd.beAccounts Patricia BanzaEvents and distribution Annika StrasserUK representatives Stuart Smith, SSM Global Media Ltd, First floor, SSM House, 1 Cobden Court, Wimpole Close, Bromley, Kent BR2 9JF, tel 0044/208.464.55.77 or email stuart.smith@ssm.co.ukSubscriptions subscriptions@ackroyd.be Belgium 1 year €90 / 2 years €165. You can pay by bank transfer (ING 310-0883533-46 or KBC 432-2012231-12), or by sending a cheque or your Visa/Eurocard number and expiry date to Ackroyd Publications sa/nv. Contact us for details.Ackroyd Publications, A. Gossetlaan 30, 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden,fax 02.375.98.22

COVER Dieter Telemans

PHOTO CREDITS p3 Getty Images; p5 Reuters, Corbis, Dominik Mentzos; p9 Isopix; p10 Photo News; p11 Getty Images; p12 Belga, Shutterstock; p13 Belga; p21 Reuters; p23 Corbis; p29 Corbis; p34 Max Pinckers (La Piola II), Shutterstock; p36 Corbis; p37 Shutterstock; p39 Corbis; p40 Shutterstock; p44-45 Toerisme Limburg; p45 Maasmechelen Village; p46 Luc Daelemans; p53 L Friob; p54 Dominik Mentzos; p57 Jos L Knaepen; p59 Photo News; p62 Dian McLeod; p64 Erfgoeddag/Philippe Debroe; p65 Les Armes des Chevaliers, JP Bretonnière; p66 LukasArt in Flanders; P71 www.greenimmo.be; p82 OPT

Contact us email letters@ackroyd.be or write to A Gossetlaan 30, 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden

Does anyone have a good recommendation for a Moroccan restaurant to visit with a friend? It doesn’t have to be fancy, just good traditional tajine and couscous. Ambiance is an asset.

Brussels has its fair share of Moroccan restaurants, as this questioner on our Q&A forum discovered. One poster pointed out that “it depends where you live. Our local one, P’tit Chouia en Plus, is unpretentious and friendly with good basic tajines and couscous (http://newsites.resto.com/leptitchouiaenplus).” One respondent suggested La Kasbah on Rue Dansaert (www.lakasbahresto.com), and another backed this up: “I second Kasbah for the good quality food, the decor and the ambience, even if the staff is a bit pretentious, but you’ll definitely impress your friend. If you go at the weekend, you should book.” Also garnering two recommendations was Kif Kif, “a very big and very, very nice Moroccan resto in Ixelles, near to Place Flagey, just behind the small lake”. It has no website, but you’ll find it at 1 Square Biarritz. Smakelijk!

Join the conversation!Go to www.thebulletin.bewhere Brussels is talking

7 THE BULLETIN

Q&A Your questions answeredLinguistic racism?

I wish to highlight the undercurrent of Flem-ish nationalism creeping into the mainstream and the use of it by politicians to bolster their support. I have lived happily in Belgium for 12 years, nine of them in Tervuren. My children attend the local school and are perfectly bilin-gual. My wife and I pay full Belgian taxes – in short, we are fully integrated into Belgian society.

Our local school has recently undergone a renovation and after a group of (mostly expat) parents complained about a 12-month delay, the Burgermeester arranged an info evening. Imagine our shock when the Burgermeester, a representative of the Flemish liberals (OpenVLD), used this forum to insult and harangue the complainants, accusing them of being “an English-speaking minority” and stating that “foreigners don’t pay taxes and look to stir up trouble”. It seems that in his opinion only the Flemish are allowed to have an opinion on issues in Flanders.

I used to believe that despite the popular-ity of the Flemish nationalists at the last elec-tion, this was reactionary vote rather than a consensus belief, but it appears I am wrong. In a progressive Europe, this seems so out of tune with modern sensibilities and this kind of linguistic racism is shocking when it is found on your own doorstep. I would recom-mend that all expats register to vote in the upcoming local elections. Just because you are an expat doesn’t mean you don’t have a voice and a right to be part of Belgian society.

Ainsley WardTervuren

GSM updates are out of step After much research, it is evident there seems to be a fault in the way Belgian mobile providers transmit time and date update signals. Phones that update auto-matically elsewhere in the world fail to do so in Belgium. This seems to affect only lower-end phones, and not the more ex-pensive smartphones. I have the following, all Nokia: 6600, 1661, 1616 and 100. I use all four Belgian providers. None of my phones auto-update in Belgium; all do so outside Belgium on all roaming networks in Eu-rope, the US, China, etc. So it cannot be a handset or hardware problem, but rather a Belgian provider or network problem.

I have contacted Nokia, who have indi-cated that their handsets are not at fault, as the update function works normally eve-rywhere else in the world. And the Belgian mobile providers insist their systems are not at fault, as they point out that the up-date function is working for all those with smartphones. And they further insist that where it is not working, it’s a hardware fault. But I know that all my phones up-date perfectly in other countries, but not in Belgium. What possible differences could there be between the signals transmitted by Belgian providers and those transmit-ted everywhere else?

Jim KellyAntwerp

Correction: The web address for Grizzly Garden (issue 15, page 39) should have been www.grizzlygarden.eu

A PR IL 20 - M AY 3 20129 THE BULLETIN

Politics& Business

BRUSSELS TRANSPORT PARALYSED AFTER KILLING Public transport in Brussels was brought to a standstill for six days after drivers protested a deadly assault on a bus supervisor. Unions only agreed to return to work after Belgian Interior Minister Joëlle Milquet promised a speedier introduction of new security measures. Milquet pledged 70 extra policemen on Brussels’ STIB/MVIB public transport network immediately, and 330 more within five to 12 months. The strike ended on April 12 after the funeral of 56-year-old Albanian-born Iliaz Tahiraj, who received a deadly punch to the face early on April 7 while inspecting damage at the scene of a minor collision between a bus and a car. Bus and tram drivers have faced violence before, but this was the first time anyone had been killed. The man who admitted hitting him, 29-year-old Alexander Vander Elst, allegedly drunk at the time, is facing charges of intentional grievous bodily harm resulting in a death.

STIB protest

1

10 POLITICS & BUSINESS THE BULLETIN

BELGIUM In Brief

Quoted

“Facebook is looking to double its staff in Brussels (to a total of four people) and intensify European lobbying”German MEP Erika Mann, the head of Facebook’s Belgian office, during a recent presentation to BELTUG, Belgium’s largest independent group of ICT managers

Number of peregrine falcons recently hatched from their nest atop Brussels’ Saint Michael and Gudula Cathedral

Months in prison for Sint-Niklaas man who ran a large cannabis plantation in WalloniaIn Numbers

340

POLITICS

Vlaams Belang launches anti-immigrant website

The far-right Flemish nationalist party, Vlaams Belang, has unveiled a contro-versial new website where people can anonymously report illegal immigrants working on the black market or abusing the social security system. The party argues that the website is needed because Belgium is doing too little to curb illegal immigration. Anti-racism activists have condemned the initiative as offensive and illegal. Jozef De Witte, director of the Centre for Equal Opportunities and Op-position to Racism, said the website was akin to tactics used by Nazis or the East German secret police. Immigrants make up roughly 9 percent of the population in Belgium, according to the most recent statistics gathered by the International Organisation for Migration.

ACCIDENT

Two killed in Huy helicopter crash

A pilot and passenger died when their helicopter was caught in a cable lift over the Walloon town of Huy. The Robinson 22 helicopter was being used to take aerial photos of the town and hit the ca-bles as it flew over the river Meuse. It fell to the ground just 200m from the town’s Grand’Place. Unusually, there was no-one in the street at that moment, an early Friday evening, nor was there anyone in the cable lift.

CYCLING

Boonen wins Paris-Roubaix

Tom Boonen has won the Paris-Roubaix cycling race for a record-equalling fourth time, successfully breaking away from the pack about 60km from the end of the one-day classic. The 2005 world champion crossed the finish line alone in the northern French town of Roubaix. Boonen shook four fingers above his head as he crossed the line in front of a cheering crowd, in celebration of his tying the record four victories in cycling’s toughest one-day race, set by fellow Belgian Roger De Vlaeminck in the 1970s. It comes two weeks after his triumph in the Tour of Flanders on April 1.

STATISTICS

Belgium 15th in UN World Happiness Report

Belgium is ranked 15th in a listing of the world’s happi-est countries. The World Happiness Report, released by the United Na-tions, was topped by wealthy Scan-dinavian nations, with Denmark, Finland and Nor-way ranked as the three happiest. African nations Sierra Leone and Togo were bottom of the table. Despite a general link between a country’s wealth and its mood, the author, economist Jeffrey Sachs, said the two factors were not inherently linked. The report also listed a number of practical sugges-tions for govern-ments to promote happiness, including helping people meet their basic needs and promoting com-passion, altruism and honesty.

Tom Boonen cruises to victory in the Paris-Roubaix

11 POLITICS & BUSINESS A PR IL 20 - M AY 3 2012

Business

Percentage of people employed in the Brussels-Capital Region who actually live in the region

47.917,000Facebook users in Belgium

4.6 million

Planning for the grandstandA lax press may be one explanation for the Brussels government’s demonstrated lack of follow-through. By Kristof Dams

Spending time on the opposition benches can sometimes wonder-fully focus a politician’s mind – though partial loss of memory seems to be an inoperable part of their condition. The Brussels

leg of sp.a (the Flemish socialists) last week published a (naturally damning) half-term report of the Brussels-Capital Region govern-ment, of which they have not been a part since June 2009. Watching on from the grandstand, they couldn’t fail to notice how Picqué and his team have an incurable tendency towards announcing great new plans and then forgetting all about them. Sometimes the initial an-nouncement of the plan to the press is the last you will ever hear of it.

This is true, but it has been going on since before June 2009. There was, for instance, the case of a city marketing plan, “soon to be launched” in early 2009. A study was ordered from a Paris marketing agency, a publicity agency was put in charge and finally a press conference was held by minister-president Charles Picqué, leading to a flurry of articles in the press. And then? Nothing.

Today, three years on, as the sp.a report also states, Brussels must be the only city in the Northern Hemisphere not to have a city marketing plan. And it urgently needs one: since 2009, the rate of foreign investment has dropped. There are other examples, too, such as financing a broad-scale study into poverty as the basis of an action plan. The study, sp.a. says, was “brilliant”, but the actual plan no more than “a catalogue of already existing initiatives”. And recently, the implementation phase of the new Regional Development Plan, which was to guide every action of this government, was postponed until next term.

How does the Brussels government get away with dragging its feet almost demonstratively? Part of the problem is certainly the lack of a sizable, critical press following every move they make. There are of course thousands of journalists living and working in this city, but their regards are fixed more on the Berlaymont and environs, while Belgian national newspapers focus on the federal and Flemish or Walloon political levels, not Brussels. So the Brussels government basically has carte blanche to adopt a, let’s say, carefree approach towards planning issues. Hardly ever does someone ask “But exactly when did your last grand scheme die off?”

Life for government members around the world (at least in open societies) consists of being harassed by bloodhounds from the press with prickly and possibly embarrass-ing questions 24 hours a day. In Brussels, by way of contrast, the life of a regional politician might just be a tad too leisurely.

Kristof Dams is a Ghent-based journalist and historian

Hardly ever does someone ask ‘But when exactly did your last scheme die?’

On Belgium

Sibelco takes over Australian firm

Antwerp-based metals and min-ing giant Sibelco has taken over Australia’s QMAG, one of the world’s top producers of magnesia for the global refractory and chemical mar-kets. The acquisi-tion is expected to strengthen Sibelco’s market position in Aus-tralia. It already has presence with its subsidiary Unimin Australia.

Building orders hit 10-year low

Belgian building permit applica-tions dropped to their lowest level in a decade in 2011, falling 13 percent from 2010. Only 44,114 permits for new homes were issued last year. It has been mainly attributed to the lapse of tem-porary support measures such as a reduced VAT rate on purchases.

Brewer boosts profit

The Duvel Moort-gat brewing company saw its profits surge by 18.6 percent in 2011, the first full year that income from De Koninck, which it bought in 2010, was included.

Tonnes less meat consumed by Belgians in 2011 than in 2010

FASHION

Raf Simons named Dior’s creative head

Raf Simons has been confirmed as John Galliano’s replacement as creative director at Christian Dior. Limburg-born Simons, 44, is the former creative director for Jil Sander. His new responsibilities will include overseeing Christian Dior’s advertising campaigns as well as offering thought into further creative areas. The appointment follows more than a year of rumours, after Galliano’s sacking over an anti-Semitic rant in a Paris bar. Simons (pictured above) is known for his trend-setting minimalistic designs for Jil Sander, a stark contrast with Galliano’s flamboyant signature aesthetic. He has a degree in industrial design, not fashion, and his de-signs are often described as architectural.

ART

Belgian dealer dies under house arrest

A Belgian art dealer who had been under house arrest for years in Beijing has died of a heart attack. Kurt De Raedemaeker, 48, was convicted of smuggling antiques in 2003. He was arrested in 2006 and con-victed two years later of illegally exporting an ancient sarcophagus. De Raedemaeker, a sinologist, bought the sarcophagus in Beijing in 2003 and sold it to a US citizen. Chinese authorities said the antique was a national treasure and demanded its return. De Raedemaeker insisted the transaction was legal and that he had the necessary permits from the Chinese authorities.

18 POLITICS & BUSINESS THE BULLETIN

There is a d ist i nc t smel l of Gauloises cigarettes and pipe smoke in the office of José Bové. That’s as rebellious as the sheep

farmer-turned-MEP for the French envi-ronmental coalition Europe Écologie gets these days in the non-smoking zone of the European Parliament. But he’s not ready to be photographed lighting his pipe in his office. That would be too provocative. Not as provocative, probably, as defending the budget of the Common Agricultural Policy, which he does in his new book, Changeons de cap, changeons le PAC, in which he calls for the policy to be reformed but not scrapped. He defends the CAP as it was originally intended, as a way to make sure that Europe is self-sufficient in food and that it supports its farmers so that they can live off the land.

In today’s Europe, however, the CAP does not fill European larders with Euro-pean food as a lot is imported, which is more lucrative for the big agri-industrial complex than for the farmers. Everybody makes a big buck except the small farmers. That’s why small farmers have given up, sold or

consolidated into big entities. It’s simple economics and Bové hates it. He’s certainly changed his tactics. He no longer attacks McDonald’s or ransacks GMO-infested cornfields. Nowadays, he prefers to turn up the heat on the lobbies at the heart of EU decision-making by writing reports and investigating how these lobbies manipulate EU legislation, and he can look back on a successful 2011. His latest battle in the field was against the exploration of shale gas by the French oil company Total in his home region of Aquitaine, and that was produc-tive: France has – for now – abandoned shale gas exploration. Bové wishes to make the French decision into a European one. Shale gas extraction means injecting shale rock with large quantities of water. Serious environmental doubts are raised about the contamination of the groundwater.

“The gas is not a CO2-saver. It is as bad as coal, if you put the whole production into the equation,” he explains. “Energy policy should be European, including in the choice of energy source. The choice of nuclear energy, for example, has an

Rebel with a causeOn the eve of the French presidential

elections, The Bulletin meets 2007 contender and one-time radical sheep farmer José Bové

by emily von sydow portrait by sander de wilde

Interview - José Bové

19 POLITICS & BUSINESS A PR IL 20 - M AY 3 2012

José Bové in his of f ice at

the European Parliament

20 POLITICS & BUSINESS THE BULLETIN

effect on your neighbours,” he says. His record is certainly local, but he spent his childhood in Berkeley, California, where his parents worked as researchers in ag-ricultural sciences. The sheep farming is a chosen path. It is not in his genes, although he does look like the epitome of a French farmer.

From his two little offices on the eighth f loor of the European Parliament building in Brus-sels, there is not a field in sight.

This is urban glass and asphalt and Bové says he doesn’t mind. He says there is good food in Brussels and names Matongé as his favourite area, especially a Vietnamese restaurant that makes a great chicken and vegetable dish. I didn’t ask how he thinks the chicken got to the restaurant, but it doesn’t take a genius to work out that it probably wasn’t an organic free-range chicken raised in the fields of Limburg province. There is a buzz on his iPhone. He picks it up and ex-plains that he is busy. When the phone rings again, he ignores it. Isn’t it difficult to be principled at the same time as being anti-trade and anti-globalisation? When your iPhone may have been produced by a suicidal Chinese worker? Bové has heard the question before and he isn’t impressed. “There are three ways to go. You close your eyes to globalisation because your dream is to have every-thing that it makes available. Or you close yourself off com-pletely from the outside world. I could do that. I’ve lived with my family for 11 years without running water and electricity on our farm, when we resist-ed moving for the sake of the military camp. [Bové fought and won a battle against the extension of the Larzac military camp in 1981.] The third way is to be conscious of the problems and fight them as an MEP. That’s what I’ve chosen.”

When he was a presidential candidate for the French Green party in 2007, he wanted to be the voice of the little man. In Bové’s case, he most keenly relates to the small farmer, or ‘peasant’ as he prefers to call them. ‘Farmer’ has an industrial ring to it. Paysan speaks of the soil, of the country-side. Small-scale and local are two of Bové’s buzzwords. In his recent book on how to

reform the CAP, he laments that agricul-tural vocabulary has turned farmers into producers, mirroring the industrial view that has perverted agriculture as he wants to see it. Is his dream one of a long-gone world? In other words, is he a reactionary? Again, he has heard the question before and is not impressed. “People say I want to shut off the lights and live with candles. I don’t talk of the good old days. They were not good. But I talk of the resources that we have. If the whole world consumed as much as the average European, we’d need four more earths. It has to change.”

The big bad motor behind the industri-alisation of the CAP is the agro-industry and its lobbies. Say the words ‘seeds’ and (GMO giant) ‘Monsanto’, and Bové will clench his fists. Monsanto and the energy companies are also vilified in his recent

parliamentary report on the input industries, which sap the peasants, if not the farm-ers, of their income. The report, which suggests more support for farmers, was voted through with flying colours in the agri-cultural committee. A Swed-ish colleague on the commit-tee, the liberal Marit Paulsen, disagrees with most of Bové’s suggestions, although she calls him very charming and intelli-gent, albeit with quasi-Stalinist ideas in his urge to regulate and stop free trade. However, she did support his report.

Bo v é ’ s f a r m i n g was based on t he L a c a u n e s h e e p , which gives milk to

make Roquefort cheese. Ac-cording to www.sheep101.info, the Lacaune ewes didn’t give much milk until a large-scale selection programme with artif icial insemination and progeny testing produced

animals that yielded three times as much milk. It was the result of GMO without Monsanto tampering, you may say. It’s complicated to be consistent, which Bové readily admits. However, he is consistent in his anti-big-industry approach. When asked, he cannot name one big corpora-tion that has promoted his ideals. The bad corporations, however, are easy to name: on top of the agenda alongside Monsanto is Dassault, the French defence group that produces the fighter plane Rafale. Shortly after this interview, the Indian government

FACTS1953Born in Bordeaux; spends childhood in Berkeley, California 1972Starts pacifist career by refusing military service1974Moves to Larzac to become a sheep farmer1981Wins fight against extension of Larzac military camp 1999Ransacks a McDonald’s restaurant in Millau2004Uproots GM corn- field planted by DuPont in France2007Wins almost 500,000 votes in the presidential election2009Elected to European Parliament as a member of Europe Ecologie

“People say I want to shut off the lights and live with candles. I don’t talk of the good old days. They were not good. I talk of the resources that we have”

21 POLITICS & BUSINESS A PR IL 20 - M AY 3 2012

confirmed it was going to buy 126 of these planes. “It’s shocking that even left-wing commentators think this is good news for employment in France. These are killing machines,” says Bové, still a pacifist and anti-military agitator. That the Rafale deal has gone through has probably boosted the lagging sympathies for Nicolas Sarkozy in the presidential election. [Since this inter-view took place, gunman Mohamed Merah killed three Jewish children, a teacher and three soldiers in a series of shootings in Toulouse. France was traumatised by the attacks, which marked a turning point in Sarkozy’s downward trend in the polls.]

Bové, of course, supports Eva Joly, who was voted by the Greens to be the party’s representative in the presidential election. Her campaign is in dire need of assistance. Le Monde caricaturist Plantu depicted her as a threatened species, along with the panda and the whale, with Bové and his party friends Daniel Cohn-Bendit and Cécile Duflot sweating as they try to

support Norwegian-born Joly. “She is pun-ished for not being French. Having spent more than 40 years in France obviously isn’t enough,” he says despairingly. The Greens have done well locally, regionally and in the European elections, but on the national level, they are not deemed credible. “People understand that our concrete poli-cies work and can see the results locally and regionally.” Bové calls François Bayrou, the centrist candidate, a “good man, but this guy is alone. He doesn’t have a move-ment around him.” In the second round, Bové will have “no problem” supporting François Hollande, the socialist candi-date, with nuclear power and growth on his agenda, not the environment. Bové is indeed pragmatic.

Bové is arrested in the southwestern French village of Solomiac, September 5, 2004, after he helped destroy a f ield of GMO corn in protest against genetic modif ication

22 POLITICS & BUSINESS THE BULLETIN

What’s in a name?How do you choose a private bank? A rule of thumb is that reputation counts. King Albert II himself is said to bank with French bank Société Générale, although they do not disclose client identities as discretion is the name of the game when it comes to private banking. Most retail banks, such as ING, BNP Paribas Fortis and Belfius (formerly Dexia), offer private banking services, and banks often acquire new accounts on client referral, so ask around. When it comes to specialist pri-vate banks in Belgium, Delen, which Euromoney magazine ranked as the Best Private Bank in Belgium from 2007 to 2010, and Degroof, which took the title from them last year, are two of the best. Société Générale was named the Best Private Bank in Western Europe by Euromoney this year, while BNP Paribas stakes its claim, saying it is “among the world’s top ten private banks and is one of the eurozone’s leading banks”, as does ING which proudly describes itself as “one of the world’s strongest financial organisations with over €860 billion in assets”.

Trust me, I’m a private banker! Many private banks sell them-selves on low staff turnover because building a relationship with your banker is crucial in building trust. Vet them: check how long they have been working with the company, and you should also ensure that they have the right qualifications. Be-ware the bombshell or himbo: banks know that sex sells and often choose good-looking account managers. Check their portfolio performance and don’t be dazzled by the veneer. That said, the client-banker relation-ship is crucial, so make sure your private banker is someone you would want to share a gold-leaf-infused vodka with. All banks offer frequent meetings with your banker to ensure you’re kept in the loop and you can also access your banking dossier online.

Don’t get stung by the taxmanSpecialised tax advice is offered by experts as part of your private banking service. This is especially useful if you have sizeable assets in differ-ent countries and currencies. Some financial experts suggest a good lawyer and a better accountant as another way to manage your money and tax solutions, often offshore.

Counting the costPrivate banking services don’t come cheap. Depending on the bank, minimum requirements can range from €500,000 to €25 million. However, the more services you take advantage of, the more cost-effective it will be. Most banks offer tailor-made services and the fee system reflects this, though experts say you shouldn’t pay more than 2 percent yearly of assets managed. Depending on the options you choose, fees may be charged per transaction made. Check which option is the most appropriate for you.

Put your money where your mouth isIf you want to take a back seat and enjoy your wealth while someone else frets over your portfolio, each bankwill offer a range of ways to invest. They also offer you the opportunity to be more hands-on if you so wish. ING boasts of carefully vetting hedge funds. Société Générale has won awards for its structured products. Most banks offer bespoke solu-tions to investments related to your goals. Expert teams are consulted daily to provide up-to-date financial market insight to help you invest in the right place at the right time. Investment advice is also offered for life insurance policies, inheritance, real estate and derivatives.

Know-how

Private banking made easyGot a couple of million euros burning a hole in your pocket? Then you might be considering

private banking. For the uninitiated, when you sign up for private banking you receive tailor-made services and expert knowledge on how and where to invest your money.

However, it doesn’t come cheap. Private banking is aimed at high-net-worth individuals who have at least €500,000 to spare. Advantages range from getting the inside track on hedge funds to help with buying a yacht. If you prefer to let someone else look after your wealth you should be vetting them more strictly than you did your partner before you said ‘I do’. Who knows? Your relationship with your private banker may just outlast your marriage. With that in mind, here are a few tips on how to choose your perfect financial match.

Beware the bombshell or himbo: banks know that sex sells and often choose good-looking account managers

23 POLITICS & BUSINESS A PR IL 20 - M AY 3 2012

Can’t buy me love - but can buy more moneyA paradox of being rich is that everyone wants to lend you money. Unlike a normal bank, private bankers can help to extend large lines of credit. Different banks also have different partners abroad. This helps when you want to make investments or take out loans in another country. BNP Paribas Fortis, ING and Société Générale boast a solid global presence. Good private banks have experts living in the country you wish to invest

in, and they often organise networking lunches for their clients, giving you another leg up on the rich list.

What to get for the person who has it all?Want to buy a private jet, lease a yacht or become a collector of fine art but don’t know where to start? Your private banker can help you fulfil these dreams. ING Private Banking offers services such as yacht leasing to give you more flexibility than buying,

as “your capital stays intact and protected”. Or you might wish to avail yourself of the services of an art manage-ment expert. Whether you wish to have knowledge about how to start, expand, or simply a get a valuation of your collection, you’ll have an expert on hand. For those who want to give a little back, there are also socially responsible investment experts for the philanthropists out there.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

BELFIUSwww.dexia-private-banking.beBNP PARIBAS FORTIS www.bnpparibasfortis.beDELEN www.delen.beDEGROOF www.degroof.beING www.ingprivatebanking.com

SOCIÉTÉ GÉNÉRALE www.privatebanking.societegenerale.com

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A PR IL 20 - M AY 3 2012

Lifestyle & Community

2

CAMELEON’S NEW BOX OF TRICKS From Famous Stores, the company behind some of Belgium’s favourite online and physical multibrand stores (Cameleon, Snapstore) comes a brand new e-shop: Famousbox.be. Pitched as Belgium’s first online department store, it was launched in late March and features more than 70 specially curated interna-tional brands such as 7 For All Mankind, Patrizia Pepe, Filippa K and Desigual. Belgian brands such as Bellerose, Essential, Olivier Strelli and Wouters & Hendrix are also well-represented. As well as selling shoes, clothes and accessories from this season’s collec-tions, Famousbox will also offer fashion tips on the latest trends via its online fashion blog, Fashionmag, and next year, there will be a pop-up store in central Brussels where you can try before you buy. www.famousbox.be

Famousbox.be

31 THE BULLETIN

32 LIFESTYLE & COMMUNITY THE BULLETIN

March 23Best foot forward: part one

After 16 years of working for shoe brand Frida, Belgian designer Virginie Marobé decided it was time to start her own shoe label. She named her brand March 23, which is both her birthday and the day her shoes first saw daylight. The collec-tion was made for “women who under-stand that the right shoes make all the difference”, and features trendy wedge sneakers, fashionable ankle boots and elegant pumps. The shoes are made in Portugal and Italy, from quality leather and suede. There will be two March 23 collections per year, as well as a few mid-season flash collections.www.march23.be

We love...

IN BRIEF

Didden & Co Cutting a rug

Belgian carpet king Didden & Co has survived the ups and downs of the industry and, not content with that, it’s now pushing the bounda-ries of its product with an unlikely collaboration. The company was founded a half-century ago by Léon Didden, a hardy Brusseleer who came to preside in those boom times over some 20 Belgian show-rooms and a Manhattan office to coordinate exports. Operations have since been scaled back with the times and Didden’s daughter is now in charge. It was Nathalie Didden who recently joined forces with Franco-Belgian artist Benjamin Spark to produce a line of unique designer carpets. Spark delivers 10 designs in his signature style, inspired by retro pop culture, comic strips and urban graffiti (see above). Didden turned said designs into high-quality carpets by means of the most sophisticated tufting technologies. The finished product exceeds even Didden père’s expectations. “I didn’t know it was possible,” the enthusiastic patriarch said as he showed off his daughter’s handiwork at the big reveal. “This is an amazing technical accomplishment.” These modern marvels are on display (and for sale starting at €5,000) at Didden’s showroom in the Marolles district.Didden & Co, 66-74 Rue Blaes, Brussels, tel 02.512.72.85 www.diddenco.com

Fratelli RossettiBest foot forward: part two

Not trying to wish away the summer here but we can’t wait for autumn to come so we can slip into a pair of these no-lace moc-casins from Fratelli Rossetti, part of the Italian brand’s new line of ‘wo-mannish’ women’s shoes. www.fratellirossetti.com

Hostelle(Only) Girls Allowed

A new designer hostel opened in Amster-dam last month for women only (the first in the city). Hostelle (see what they did there?) is just 15 minutes’ walk from Amsterdam’s Central station and has 15 themed rooms. Private rooms start at €40 for two people. www.hostelle.com

33 LIFESTYLE & COMMUNITY

Jo MaloneNearly time for Mother’s Day

Quintessentially British fragrance brand Jo Malone opened a mini-boutique in upscale beauty emporium Sen-teurs d’Ailleurs last September to widespread celebration from a population of anxious expat gift-givers. The elegant cream and black packaging, reas-suringly heavy glass bottles and subtle English country garden scents have long made Jo Malone a first choice for Christmas, birthdays and Mother’s Day in the UK, and now beleaguered males in 29 countries worldwide can rely on the brand’s soothing, knowledgeable staff to avoid special-occasion disasters. The newly extended home range of diffusers, room sprays and scented paper (in addition to the existing range of hand-poured candles) make especially good presents. This summer, fragrance and lifestyle director Debbie Wild suggests combining a diffuser in Red Roses with a candle in Wild Fig and Cassis or Nectarine Blossom and Honey, to recall the scent of freshly cut blooms. Alternatively, the new limited edi-tion Plum Blossom (€42 for 30ml) fragrance, available from May, is a deliciously light floral scent, blending yellow plum, white musk and sandalwood in a pretty engraved bottle. Gift givers can breathe a – subtly scented – sigh of relief. Senteurs d’Ailleurs, 1A Place Stéphanie, tel 02.511.69.69 www.senteursdailleurs.com

A PR IL 20 - M AY 3 2012

BOOKS

The Story of The Streets* * * * *Mike Skinner, Bantam Press 304 pages, €32.05

The Streets’ debut album, Orig-inal Pirate Material, is widely – and correctly – regarded as a landmark in British pop, show-casing Mike Skinner’s ability to wax lyrical about everyday life over homemade garage beats. This long-awaited autobiog-raphy, however, falls short of expectations, mainly because of Skinner and ghost writer Ben Thompson’s unexpectedly bland prose and faux-matey style (“what’s-her-name with the big sunglasses from Vogue”). Luckily, Skinner’s vision is as sharp as his accept-ance of criticism is refreshing. Clever, rather than essential. PMD

The House That Groaned* * * * *Karrie Fransman, Square Peg 208 pages, €22.50

Karrie Fransman’s graphic novel debut serves as a delight-fully macabre antithesis to all the property porn that blights contemporary life. Through six eccentric characters – neigh-bours, ranging from a Nigella Lawson-inspired hedonist to a young man with a bizarre sexual fetish brought about by childhood meningitis – Frans-man not only looks through the keyhole of their lives, but also that of the rundown townhouse which they inhabit. Everybody, and every building, has a story – you’ll do well to remember that the next time you pop next door to borrow some sugar. TG

BrusseliciousBlack Russian Cocktail Challenge

Legend has it that the Black Russian cocktail was invented in 1949 by a Brussels barman working at the Hotel Metropole who came up with the genius idea of mixing vodka with coffee liqueur. In honour of the pioneering spirit of this unnamed hero, Brus-selicious is teaming up with the Brussels Hotel Association to see who can come up with the best contemporary rendition of this classic drink at various hotels across the city. See the website for more information. www.brusselicious.com

Belli e Buoni Bellissimo!

Established in the Galerie du Cinquantenaire in 1997 by Sicil-ian couple Marco and Biancamaria Mancuso, Belli e Buoni is more than just a speciality shop. Yes, the shelves on the sales floor are overflowing with artisanal products from Italy’s diverse regions: wines, oils, cheeses, salami, antipasti, sauces, fresh vegetables and, of course, pasta (even gluten-free varie-ties). But Marco and his crew also serve homemade lunches in a wifi-equipped dining room and on a spacious sun-soaked terrace, which hosts occasional concerts. If that wasn’t enough, the team is available for event catering too.Belli e Buoni, 38 Avenue de Tervuren, Brussels tel 02.534.03.96, www.belliebuoni.be

38 LIFESTYLE & COMMUNITY THE BULLETIN

Here’s a puzzle for you. Which of these do you think was my worst ever internet date? Was it a) the man who launched into an anecdote about a trip to a Vegas

strip club within seconds of meeting me; b) the man who asked me to interpret a complex point of EU law on our first date; or c) the man who liked to pose for photographs with his machine gun? Have a think, and we’ll come back to that later.

Some tipping point has been reached in our attitude towards internet dating; a point at which it’s more normal to have tried it, or thought about trying it, or to know people who have done it, than not. My most glamorous friend met her husband online. My best gay friend met his future husband online. Most of my single friends, both men and women, have done it. There’s no stigma, no sniggering: it is, quite simply, how we do things now. After all, online is where we work, we play, we stare open-mouthed at videos of sneezing pandas – why on earth wouldn’t it be where we look for love?

There’s something for everyone in the online dating universe. There are sites for every political, sexual or literary persuasion, sites for people who

like uniforms, for survivalists, farmers, expats… even would-be vampires (thanks, Twilight) are catered for. What good fortune it is, actually, to be living at a time when our romantic choices aren’t limited by geography or work, or the narrow radius of our social lives. This is particularly true once you get past your mid-20s: when the rhythm of going out every night gives way to the demands of full-time employment, your world does contract. It’s not necessarily a bad thing: the re-lationships and activities that survive are usually the ones that matter, but your opportunities to meet new people are drastically reduced. Online dating opens your horizons up again in a way that no once-a-week hobby or sport can.

I am now off the market, which I know will come as a grave blow to those of you who like your women with a light coating of dog hair and an incipient double chin. But I have done my time in the online dating trenches and I have a few thoughts to share. Actually, I should probably share a few apologies to anyone unfortunate enough to have gone on a date with me, because I was a terrible online dater. Whatever advice I might give is likely to be a case of ‘do as I say, not as I do’. On that basis, let us proceed, with caution.

Focus - Online dating

Click. Pray. LoveInternet dating doesn’t have to be a digital jungle. To celebrate the launch of our new dating site, The Bulletin’s love guru offers her top tips for finding, if not the one, then at least a good oneby emma beddington

39 LIFESTYLE & COMMUNITY A PR IL 20 - M AY 3 2012

40 LIFESTYLE & COMMUNITY THE BULLETIN

Be flexiblePeople react in different ways to the tyranny of infi-nite choice that online dating represents, but one of the more common responses is to establish a rigid set of criteria for their ‘ideal’ mate, from which they refuse to diverge. There’s a logic to it, absolutely: if you know what you like, you should do your best to find it rather than wasting time on prospects who simply don’t push your buttons. But consider: are exact height requirements, Pantone shade-matched hair colour or a two-year acceptable age range absolutely essential? Do you really believe only someone who precisely ticks these boxes can make you happy? Think about the successful relationships you see around you: would they have even got off the ground if the protagonists had applied such stringent criteria?

That said, I don’t mean you should say yes to abso-lutely anyone. Of course you’re allowed to – and should – have some deal-breakers. Should I have agreed to go on a date with a man nearly 20 years my senior without at least seeing a picture of him? Probably not. There was no attraction, we had nothing in common and it felt horribly like dating my dad. With hindsight, I think seeing a picture of your date is a minimum requirement. You can assume no one will choose to put a hideously unflattering picture of themselves on a dating site, so if the picture doesn’t do it for you, it’s unlikely sparks will fly when you see them in the flesh.

Be compassionateIt can be a brutal business, online dating. You like someone, you get in touch, they don’t reply. Or after a date you thought was successful, you never hear from the other person again, or worse, you get a lengthy, emailed post-mortem, anatomising all your faults (yes, people actually do this). You’ll have to steel yourself for a degree of rejection, and – which is almost worse – you’ll have to have to steel yourself to dish out some rejection in return.

My advice – and I’ll put my hands up and say that I NEVER managed to do this properly – is to be straight, but kind. If there’s no attraction and you don’t want to see someone again, best to say so. Vagueness, or hoping they will pick up on tepid visual or verbal cues, is a dangerous game, and simply disappearing altogether is cowardly. Practise at home if you have to (my best friend used to try and train me: “Can I see you again?” “Sure, gah, I mean NO”) or draw up a short, polite ‘thanks but no thanks’ email you can use when the need arises. Don’t get drawn into specifics – how can it possibly help anyone to know that the way they chew salad revolted you? – but do be clear.

CHOOSE YOUR SITE WISELY

Dating sites really aren’t all made equal. If the interface appeals, the likelihood is the people you meet through it are more likely to be your ‘type’

BEWARE TIMEWASTERS

If someone flirts end-lessly online but refuses to meet in person, pull the plug. Some people just enjoy the chase – don’t get sucked in

INSIST ON A SHORT FIRST DATE

A quick coffee is sufficient to work out whether there’s enough of a spark to commit to a longer stretch together. If they won’t agree to it, just don’t go

BE SAFE

It’s obvious, but it bears repeating: when you meet someone for the first time, meet them in a public place and let a friend know where you are

Golden rules

Some advice from online dating survivors

DON’T TAKE IT TOO SERIOUSLY OR YOU’LL GO INSANE

Try and have some fun on each date – choose a silly venue, ask a silly ques-tion, do whatever you can to keep the mood light: it’s dating, not brain surgery

41 LIFESTYLE & COMMUNITY A PR IL 20 - M AY 3 2012

Have funTaken in the right spirit, online dating can be life-affirming, fun and at times downright hilarious. Taken too seriously, it can feel lonely, brutal and ego-crushing. I’m not suggesting you should go into the process just to accumulate a good set of anecdotes: clearly most people who try internet dating are hoping, sincerely, to meet someone. But keep your expectations reason-able – you are unlikely to meet your soulmate on your first date – and try and enjoy even the less successful encounters. One of my regular online dating friends has a list of odd questions to ask dates (‘What are your favourite shoes?’ ‘Have you ever broken a bone?’); another picks off-the-wall venues (Korean karaoke, anyone?). The less pressure you put on a date to be The One, the more likely it is you’ll both have a good time.

When I was online dating, my preferred site used to email me a set of nine profile pictures every week with the tantalising message ‘one of these men scored you highly!’ The idea was I would click on the pictures to find out who my admirer was, but instead, I would forward the ‘cube of destiny’, as we nicknamed it, to my best friend as a sort of game.

“I bet it’s the one that looks like the Unabomber.”“No! Look at bottom right. The one who looks like

Silvio Berlusconi at the scene of a puppy murder.”“Ok, yup. It’s definitely him.”

I found this process lightened the mood immeasur-ably. Moreover, I liked to imagine that somewhere in the world, two men were having a similar conversation over a cube with my profile picture in (“It had better not be scary spinster librarian-witch!”). Trust me – you will need to learn to laugh about this kind of thing to survive the online dating jungle.

And what about those three dates? Astonishingly, they were my three best internet dating experiences, and two out of three I went on to see again. It just goes to show: whether or not you find love, internet dating will surprise you, challenge your preconceptions, expand your horizons. You can’t say that for most things you can do from the comfort of your sofa.

MEET YOUR IDEAL MATE WITH DATING.XPATS.COM

The Bulletin is launching a dating service called WeMatch, which is set to become the place to meet like-minded expats and Belgians. It’s 100 percent safe and secure and you can search through thousands of vetted profiles. All you need to do is complete our three-step registration process. Best of all, if you join now, it’s free for three months. So what are you waiting for?dating.xpats.com

You’ll have to steel yourself for a degree of rejection, and – which is almost worse – to dish out some rejection in return

A PR IL 20 - M AY 3 2012

THE QUEEN ELISABETH MUSIC COMPETITION opens on April 30 with 88 international violinists gathering in Brussels for the 75th anniversary of the prestigious six-week event. As one of the most technically difficult music competitions in the world, it represents a gruelling experience for the young candidates, 45 women and 43 men. Four are from Belgium among a total of 29 nationalities; the largest contingent comes from Korea. The previous violin competition was in 2009; the finalists, including second laureate Belgian Lorenzo Gatto (centre), are pictured here with Queen Fabiola. The first rounds and semi-finals of the competition are being held for the first time at Flagey as the Royal Conservatory undergoes renovation. The early rounds are free for under-26s and are a unique chance to hear world-class musicians at the start of their careers. For the prize-winners, a glittering future awaits. Flagey and Bozar, April 30 to June 14, www.cmireb.be

53 THE BULLETIN

Culture & Events

Royal approval

3

57 CULTURE & EVENTS A PR IL 20 - M AY 3 2012

Toots Thielemans with his trademark harmonica, which has brought him worldwide acclaim

Focus - Jazz

Toujours Toots!The jazz giant from the Marolles conquered the world with his harmonica. As he turns 90, Baron ‘Toots’ Thielemans hits the road for a series of anniversary shows by tom peeters

58 CULTURE & EVENTS THE BULLETIN

In 2001, when King Albert II ennobled him, Toots Thielemans adopted the credo that has ruled his life: ‘Be your-self, no more, no less.’ In addition to

his musical virtuosity, it is his humility and warm-heartedness that have brought the jazz icon international acclaim. There’s a universal appeal to Thielemans’ music. The skills of the renowned Belgian harmonica player, guitarist and whistler are appreciat-ed by both the lay person and jazz fan, adult aficionados and their offspring, whether they be from Belgium or elsewhere. Fol-lowing his 90th birthday, on April 29, he’s setting off on an anniversary tour of his home country. At the same time, a box set containing a book and a DVD provides a retrospective of his long and illustrious career. A new CD, entitled 90 Years and recorded live with his European Quartet, prove that the father of Belgian jazz is not totally reliant on his past success.

Jean-Baptiste ‘ Toots’ Thielemans learned to play the accordion at the age of three. He took up the chro-matic harmonica at 17 and almost 73 years later still considers the instrument to be his “second self”. Back then, in the 1940s, the instrument be-longed to the world of folk and blues, but Thielemans loved to improvise. He became hooked on jazz during the German occupation and learned to add a jazz sensibility, guided by the music of his teenage heroes, Django Reinhardt – who he started listening to on a wind-up gramophone – and American saxophonist Char-lie Parker.

Thielemans made his first major steps in music as a gui-tarist. In May 1949 he stood on a Paris stage jamming with jazz greats such as Parker, Miles Davis, Sidney Bechet and Max Roach. He also made his first album, The Sound, in the French capital. In 1950, he toured Europe as a member of the Benny Goodman Sextet and the following year he joined the band of Flemish country singer and fellow whistler Bobbejaan Schoepen. But soon, and inevitably, Europe proved too small for his musical talent and natural curiosity. In 1952 he emigrated to the US, the homeland of his jazz heroes.

Almost immediately he began playing with Charlie Parker’s All-Stars. Pianist George Shearing was so impressed he invit-ed him to join his own band, where he stayed until 1959. Two years later he composed his most popular song, Bluesette, which would become a jazz standard. The use of whist ling and guitar in unison set the tone for the rest of his career. Later, he would alter this combination by replacing the guitar with his faithful friend, the harmonica. It is the same harmonica that is heard on the original Sesame Street closing titles.

Not only did Thielemans work with jazz giants Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Quincy Jones, Bill Evans and Jaco Pastorius, but members of the pop and movie scene were also eager to add his unique sound to their recordings. His instantly recognisable har-monica playing appears on Paul Simon’s I Do It for Your Love, Billy Joel’s Leave a Tender Moment Alone and Julian Lennon’s Too Late For Goodbyes. To hit movies The Pawnbroker, Midnight Cowboy and Turks Fruit it would

introduce a melancholic layer. More recently, the soundtrack of TV series such as the Dutch detective series Baantjer or its Belgian counterpart Witse would be unthinkable without Toots’s characteristic lyrical ‘mouth music’.

Throughout the years, as a leader of swing and bop quartets, he has recorded numer-

ous albums, developing, among other influences, an appreciation for Brazilian-flavoured music. He has stepped on to the biggest jazz stages in the world and re-ceived many awards and titles, including the French Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres and hon-

orary doctorates from both of Brussels’ universities. In 2009 he became NEA Jazz Master, the highest honour for a jazz musi-cian in the US. He was the first musician born in Europe to be awarded it. But dur-ing all this time, he has never forgotten his roots. “In Belgium I call myself an Afro-Americanised Marollian,” he once said to an American jazz writer, referring both to the musicians who inspired him and his American career and to the working-class Brussels neighbourhood he grew

TOOTS 90 CONCERTSAPRIL 30 & MAY 1De Roma, AntwerpMAY 6De Bijloke, GhentMAY 9Bozar, Brussels MAY 10Cultuurcentrum HasseltMAY 11Concertgebouw Bruges MAY 17Opéra Royal de Wallonie, LiègeMAY 18Collegiate Cathédrale de Notre Dame, Dinant

www.toots90.bewww.toots thielemans.com

“Belgium is like a friendly old sweater that you keep wearing even though it’s worn out”

59 CULTURE & EVENTS A PR IL 20 - M AY 3 2012

Toots in his earlier days, pictured

here in Haarlem, the Netherlands,

in 1950

up in. Today Thielemans maintains dual American and Belgian nationality and is respected in both countries.

“Belgium is like a friendly old sweater that you keep wearing even though it’s worn out,” he said to Mike Zwerin, a critic for Bloomberg News who visited him five years ago in his home in La Hulpe. “I still love to wear it. It reminds me of Sophisticated Lady and those other old standards you never get tired of revisiting.” Confronted with Thielemans’s joie de vivre – they were sitting by the swimming pool, drinking Moët et Chandon and watching Thiele-mans’s wife Huguette doing the garden – he explained why he’s doing so well after so many years. “I never did drugs, I had no expensive divorces, no children to put through college. And for sixty years I’ve

been following my father’s advice that if you make two dollars, use one to live on and put the other in the bank and forget you have it.”

“I’ve crossed paths with the great Toots several times; each time was a joyful ex-perience,” recalls the New York-based jazz pianist Chick Corea. “One time in Belgium at a solo piano concert of mine, I invited Toots to join me in some duets and we had an absolute blast playing together. His persistent high level of creativity through his productive musical life is certainly an inspiration to me.” Corea is himself, at 70, a tireless and highly influential performer and musician. These testimonials are com-mon for Thielemans, who has always at-tracted praise for his humble and modest personality and the warm-heartedness that accompanies his music.

And it’s not just the older genera-tion that’s affected by Thiele-mans’s music and character. “The interest is mutual,” says

Jos Knaepen, Belgium’s most renowned jazz photographer, who befriended Thiele-mans after he came back from America. “Toots is still eager to play with young people. From time to time he asked for my opinion on this or that bloke. I think it helps to keep his mind young. And I’ve noticed he needs to be pushed, he needs the challenge. Especially before a concert that he doesn’t always feel like performing, but surrounded by young musicians he gets an extra boost and survives. My luck was that unlike many other jazz musicians he likes being photographed. I think here vanity kicks in.”

“I trust my goose bumps, they are my antenna,” Thielemans says in Toots 90, the book that has been published for his birthday and contains exquisite pictures by Knaepen. “There’s a sensory perception that goes from my brain to my heart. Do you think it is possible to get goose bumps from something your head doesn’t grasp? I admire avant-garde artists, but their music doesn’t give me inspiration. Nevertheless, their music does excite me and I’m curious enough to always listen to them. I don’t want to become an antique piece of furni-ture, which you only occasionally clean.”

82 CULTURE & EVENTS THE BULLETIN

CAPITAL LIFE Your city, your agenda

My diary

Marco Bardoscia, 29, is an Italian double-bass playerHow is the Italian jazz scene? In recent years there have been tremendous developments in Italian jazz. It’s a very vibrant scene with many young, tal-ented musicians like my friend, saxophonist Raffaele Casar-ano. We’ve been collaborating for the last 10 years. The growth and positivity of the scene is surprising because times are tough.

Has living in Belgium changed your perspective? I lived in Brussels for two years, and it almost became my second home. It opened my mind in many ways. I learned to speak two new languages, but not very well! The musical environment was new and challenging and I was lucky to work with many interesting musicians. I still have many friends here. In fact, I’m record-ing an album with two brilliant Belgian musicians, drummer Lander Gyselinck and saxo-phonist Nathan Daems.

What other styles interest you? Everything from classical to rock, electronic to singer-songwriters. Sometimes I even like the sound of my fridge.

Which musicians have inspired you? Almost every-thing I listen to has an influence on me, positive or negative. I’ve had phases of Deep Purple, Bill Evans, Rachmaninoff, Radiohead and many more.

Marco plays with Raffaele Casar-ano and the Locomotive quartet at Sounds Jazz Club on April 27

WEDNESDAYMAY 2

CALAVERA A new tequila bar and Mexican restaurant

by the Grand Sablon. The ceviche is delicious

7 Place de la Chapelle www.calavera.be

MONDAYAPRIL 30

DARINGMAN I like this cosy little local bar. It has lots of

character and is right in the centre of Brussels

37 Rue de Flandre

SUNDAYAPRIL 29

SAINT-GILLES MARKET A great selection of fresh products in

lovely Saint-GillesParvis de Saint-Gilles

FRIDAYAPRIL 27

SOUNDS JAZZ CLUB I’m playing at the oldest jazz club in town. The owners, Sergio and Rosy, host six concerts a week, and Rosy is a great chef 28 Rue de la Tulipe www.soundsjazzclub.be

SATURDAYAPRIL 28

ROYAL GREENHOUSES IN LAEKEN These 19th-century greenhouses are only open to the public a few weeks of the year

SUNDAYAPRIL 22

F-SHARP F-Sharp hosts an underground jazz party every Sunday. Drinks are cheap and the music is mad, free and not commercial at allT.A.G. Gallery, Passage Charles Rogier, www.aubes.net

TUESDAYAPRIL 24

BELLI E BUONI This Italian speciality shop also serves lunch on its sunny terrace36 Avenue de Tervuren www.belliebuoni.be

WEDNESDAYAPRIL 25

LE CHAT-PITRE A small bistro close to Rue du Bailli. Good people, relaxing atmosphere and lots of beer1 Rue du Tabellion

Marco will be talking to TV Brussel’s Brussels International programme on Sunday, April 22. Tune in at 18.15, catch it every 30 minutes after 19.30 or watch it online at www.tvbrussel.be

The Royal Greenhouses in Laeken

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The dating site for