Biography
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Members
- Frederik Caelen
- Micheline Van Hautem
Micheline Van Hautem, born and raised in Gent, stepped out into the fast world of music ten years ago, armed with only her voice and her guitar. Her first stop was New York, a melting pot of inspiring nationalities and cultures. To set her apart from other grand performers in the city, the Belgian born, Dutch/Flemish/French speaking muse sang songs primarily in French, in particular Jacques Brel and Edith Piaf. It wasn’t long before she found herself performing sold out concerts with her band Mich en Scene at The Florence Gould Hall in Manhattan.
As a result of the CD, Songs of Jacques Brel (2001), recorded with Mich en Scene in The Netherlands, she toured extensively in local theaters from New York to Amsterdam and was invited as a guest for radio and TV shows.
The Songs of Jacques Brel led her to Edinburgh –where she was honored with the prestigious Herald Angel Award- then on to Australia, where she and accordionist Frederik Caelen performed their CD Madame 2005, an ode to inspiring women, to packed audiences. During their second international tour, they received standing ovations, twice selling out the Sydney Opera House. In Europe, Madame was enthusiastically received, selling out the Concert Hall in Amsterdam.
Commissioned by Vredenburg in Utrecht, Micheline put together a program full of nostalgic songs from the 30ies and 40ies inspired by the music of the English series The Singing Detective, French chanson and American standards. Due to popular demand, Nostalgia has become an esteemed performance program.
Micheline’s travels throughout the world inspired her to begin writing original songs. Her intro’s and explanations of her French repertoire blossomed into fully-fledged songs like City of Diamonds and Someone Else. Micheline’s self-willed song programs have gained widespread recognition on the international podia.
Her most recent project, Chocolat, is a carefully chosen selection of songs that Micheline has written or passionately interpreted. In 2008, she will be performing Chocolat in theaters world wide, offering Belgian chocolates at the end of every concert!
From the press:
The charismatic Micheline never holds back. She sets the scene for each song and captivates her audience completely. This is an inspiring show. Don't miss it.
She is one of those seldom singers that has found a body language that fully expresses her singing without it becoming a cliché. Well worth seeing.
She is, simply, fabulous!
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