Walter Verdin cannot easily be categorized. He is a composer and video artist, but he also makes films on commission, video decors for theatre and dance videos. He has won prestigious prizes at various festivals with Roseland (1991) and La Mentira (1992), videos which arose from his co-operation with choreographer Wim Vandekeybus. He became known to a wider audience with his pop group Pas de Deux which scored a number 1 hit in the Flemish Top 10 in 1980. But, when he represented Belgium three years later at the European Song Festival, he was pilloried by his 'artistic audience'. In 1984 Verdin made the video concert Videorhythmics in which he edited videos to produce rhythmic image and sound compositions; editing and composing became synonyms for each other. Using a whole series of monitors and a projection screen, video served in the concert as a sort of rhythm box which provided the strict frame work for the musicians. In this way an auditory and visual composition was created which inundated and hypnotized the audience. X<Afrika, which can be seen in the Melkweg during the World Wide Video Festival, is generally considered to be a sequel to Videorhythmics. It builds on the same principles: video rhythms (sound/image rhythms on video tape) which serve as an orchestra and dizzying decor for a live performance by musicians. By projecting the video rhythms onto two walls and the ceiling, the audience is, as it were, overwhelmed. This time, for his material Verdin travelled to what the West considers the source of all rhythms, Africa. The percussion group Kian-Zo who are part of the group of musicians on stage, also come from Africa. In the first performance in 1996, others in the group were singers Sylvie Nawasadio and Sabine Kabongo (known from the group Zap Mama) and Vévé 'Shake' Mazimpaka (La Fille d'Ernest). And last but not least, the ethno musician and percussionist Frank Michiels who was also involved with Videorhythmics in 1984. Michiels also played an important role in bringing about X<Afrika.
– Lies Holtrop
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2 video players, 15 monitors, 2 projectors, 1 video mixer, p.a. system
Concept Walter Verdin, Frank Michiels, Text Sabine Kabongo, Sylvie Nawasadio, Shake, Music Sabine Kabongo, Kian-Zo, Lack, Frank Michiels, Shake, Sylvie Nawasadio, Walter Verdin, Sound egineering Alexandre Fostier, With Marc ‘Lack’ Van Binst, Sabine Kabongo, Kian-Zo (Guié Abel, Gnonka Gouzouo Marius, Dali Vincent , Wahi Beugre Zacharia), Geneviève Lagravière, Alix Lenfant, Vévé 'Shake' Mazimpaka, Frank Michiels en Walter Verdin, Research Frank Michiels, Tour production Daniel Demoustier, Backline Jeroen Wuyts, Production office Erik Borgman, Production Corban vzw, Co-production KunstenFESTIVALdesArts, Brussel en Walpurgis, Brussel, With the support of Audiovisuele Dienst K.U.Leuven, het Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap and the Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie van het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, Thanks to Gemeenschapscentrum ‘De Kriekelaar’, Brussel, STUC, Leuven, Paul Buekenhout, Stef Delfosse, Sonia Gasparini, Peter Missotten, BB Nougat, Rea Pihlasviita, Paul Pourveur, Katlijne Verheyen, Eric Vermeulen, John Zwaenepoel.
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Walter Verdin Interview