Toasaves

Toasaves is a Belgian music collective with a fascination for medieval Flemish song and its relationship to both Early Music – trecento, ars nova and Flemish polyphony – and modal music from the East. Founded by oud player and musicologist Tristan Driessens, the ensemble brings together artists from different countries and traditions. The 2022 debut album, Zwerver, takes inspiration from the repertoire of the iconic Flemish singer-artist Wannes van de Velde (1937-2008). Toasaves means ‘homeland’ in the Antwerp dialect, the cosmopolitan city where Wannes grew up and encountered people from many different cultural backgrounds, shaping his own musical quest. Skilfully using multiple instruments, Toasaves follow the multiple threads of influences from medieval Belgium to classical and popular music from the Greek islands, the Sephardic Diaspora, the Black Sea and the Ottoman Court.