You live in Dubai, but you have attached to Belgium?
Even if I live in Dubai, I will remain Belgian until death. Dubai, we will say that it is my “place of retirement”. I am almost 60 years old. With more than 45 years at the decks, it is starting to be long, and it is true that Belgium will remain in my heart anyway, forever. Like Brussels, like all other cities. This is where, for me, it all started. If I have this chance of being able to live abroad today, it is thanks to everything that happened in Belgium that I have this opportunity to be there, and that, I will be eternally grateful to people, and besides I always want to be as close to people. Because I always say it: without them, I would not be where I am today, whether in Dubai or elsewhere.
How would you define this Belgility?
Belgility, for me, is not to take yourself seriously, to be a little clumsy at times, to get out of totally incredible things. For that, our politicians are champions. All this is part of our beautiful country, we do not take ourselves seriously, we do not take the lead, even artistically, we have no constraints, we really do what we want. We are not in calculation in Belgium, we are really in spontaneity, benevolence, well-being, we want to do what we like, and if it works, it works, if we are ridiculous, we are ridiculous. Here, I mean, Belgium does not take itself seriously. For me, Belgility is it.
I experienced the whole ascent of Stromae. It is the artist who best represents our country.
Which artist best represents Belgium?
Stromae, whom I know very, very well. I knew him at the very beginning. I experienced all his ascent, when he came to bring me his first single so we dance, when I boss on the radio. We found it very, very strong, but we did not think it would become what it has become, and that it would touch the whole world. I find that today, Stromae was a little bit the trigger, at least for France and all that. We have to pay a little attention to Belgian artists, because in Belgium it is not only the fries, the mussels, and perhaps at the time Benny B. Today, there are singers, singers like Angèle, rappers like Hamza, like Damso, who sell millions of albums, which are Belgian and who are hoping everywhere. So I think Stromae was a bit of this trigger, and thank you, really.
What are your projects for the start of the school year?
I signed a new two -year contract with NRJ, nostalgia, so it will be a total of four years. I always have my show every weekend, and many festivals still. And then I let things come as they come, because I do not hide from you that in the past five years, things are only amplifying without asking anything, and it is only bonus. Me, I tell myself that every year, it will stop, because there is a time when people are going to be fed up, and each year there are more and more. So there you go, I let myself be carried away by the desire of people, by the desire to meet and party together.
Helena, Axelle Red, Romeo Elvis, K3 and Lost Frequencies this Monday, July 21 at the Cinquantenaire Park
In addition to the big popular celebration of this Sunday, July 20, from 7 p.m., where some 15,000 spectators are expected to attend various free concerts, including that of Daddy K, on the Place du Jeu de Balle, in Brussels, the traditional party at the Park will have place this Monday, July 21. With free entertainment, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., from the Palais de Justice to Parliament, passing through the Brussels Park, Sablon and rue de la Régence. The civil and military parade on Place des Palais is scheduled for 4 p.m. Troops and vehicles will parade from boulevard from the botanical garden to Place des Palais. The public will have the opportunity to see several generations of defense vehicles parade. The musical atmosphere will start at the Cinquantenaire Park at 6 p.m. to the sound of different DJs. At 9 p.m. will start a concert featuring about fifteen artists from the Belgian scene, like Helena, Axelle Red, Romeo Elvis, K3 or Lost Frequencies. After a multimedia spectacle of lasers and drones, the traditional fireworks will be fired at 11 p.m. The evening will be broadcast on the front page.
