Laune Toujours is founded by Piet Maris. Maris says it is named after "an acute attack of hepathites. In short time this Belgium group has built up a enormous reputation as a live band. He is also member of Mec Yek, a gipsy/balkan band with Belgium and gipsy musicians.

CD-review, Camping del Mundo, Choux 2002:

If you have checked out the link above, then you'll already know that Jaune Toujours is a hell of a live band. At the Førde pages I'm using the term "Brazzy Folk Punk" to describe what I was introduced to. 
The concert simply was breathtaking. So if their in your neighborhood, go, 
-or better, run! And if you don't like party music with balls, run away.

Now at home I'm listening to their latest CD, "Camping del Mondu". In this situation my big question always is - does the hermetic goods live up to the live act? As usual, the answer is yes and no. It's still thrilling music with a lot of punch and drive. But, it is a bit less "punkish". On the other hand, its slightly more sophisticated in the arrangements.

Then what is this music? It is impossible to label. Sometimes this frustrates me, labels makes things much easier, in this case it just tickles my ears nicely. Anyway, the group is founded by the singer, songwriter, and accordionist Piet Maris. The rest of the band are, Bert Bernaerts (upright bass, trumpet, tuba, voice), Théophane Raballand (drums and perc), Christophe Morisset (trombone and other brasses, voice) Mattias Laga (saxes and clarinets, voice) and Bart Maris (trumpet and voice). At one track they have help from the friends, Luba Macova & Katia Pohlodkova, of a parallel group, Mek Yek.
It is a urban group based in european folk music. On the other hand. I can't help thinking of Edith Piaf. It is something with the language (belgium sounds near french in my north european ear), the accordion and something else. Something timeless. Its an odd mix of styles. Many places the accordion are used to make the distinct beats of ska music, almost like an electric guitar. This undelinning of the beat seams typical for Piet Maris. I can't remember hearing more "percursive" accordionists. The drummer is a locomotive. Always pushing the music with groovy beats and counterbeats. The brass section is punchy too. And here and there they makes very intersting soloes, sometimes jazzy, sometimes in folk styles. There are obvious traces of latin music and jazz. When the horn section goes wild it kind of reminds of Balkan brass bands, but its not balkan either. It is more circus music. Let us just drop the styles, let us call it good music. The husky voice of Piet Maris ain't pretty, but in a way it has a certain beauty. In fact he sings very well. The arrangements and the production are very good. The result is an open sound, efficient and never overloaded (this is rare with these brassy bands).
Money spent on this CD is definitely a good investment.

Jaune Toujours at Choux de Bruxelles

The nefesli orkestars are a living village tradition in the Balkans, specially in Serbia and Macedonia. Most of these roma bands brass bands are family projects, and Kocani is no exception. The leader and trumpet player, Naat Veliov are member of a family of trumpet players. Most of the members of Kocani are related to each other in some way. In addition to standard brass instruments Kocani uses Saxophones, accordions and drums. 

The music of Kocani is ritual, dance and party music.This must be some partyes, wow! It's very colorful, with an extremely high tempo, and intricate 7/8, 9/8 and even 11/8 beats. In shorts, it is breathtaking in more than one way.

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