Arts Centre Vooruit, Ghent, Belgium

Houndstooth! Charleston! Gin, java and jive! Three-part harmony and music from before the war going by the catchphrase “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing!” Les Amis De Louis play great jive tunes while you dance the Charleston!

This seven-piece swing and Latin orchestra will drive you to the Belgian Cotton Club by yellow cab. Big groups will be brought to their destination by a Cuban bus. The Jacobs sisters and Jessie Willemse will transport you into another world with their voices, and at the same time the rhythm section will make it impossible to remain seated. Bob Van Brandt, escaping from Jewish weddings since he was born, always makes a harmonious entrance. The early core of Les Amis De Louis was formed at the Antwerp Jazz Studio in 2000. Other members were recruited from their circle of musical friends (Eva and Kaat Jacobs), the Klezmer formation KlezmicNoiz (Bob Van Brandt) and the Brussels Conservatory (Rik Lenaerts). Together they perform hot swing, retro jazz and warm Latin. It’s especially from the 30s and 40s repertoire (from The Mills Brothers, Louis Armstrong and Tito Puente to Thelonious Monk) that the ensemble distils a sensual and energetic touch.

LEARN TO DANCE! Sign up for the introductory Jive class, which will precede the Café Dansant (13:30 – 15:00, Balzaal, € 5), organized by Polariteit.