21/12/2024
Here are a few words from our headliner from Belgium.
KRIS VAN BEETHOVEN
I caught the ska and reggay fever in the late 8T’s after hearing Don Drummond and Prince Buster. Around the same time I started listening to soul and r&b and my taste was hugely influenced by the Kent compilations (compiled by Harboro Horace/Ady Croasdell). The local mods were also a major influence but me and a couple of mates went for a harder look … so we cropped our hair and never looked back.
I’ve always considered myself more a collector than a dj although I have been dj’ing for as long as I remember at both mod and skinhead do’s (and youth clubs before that). I have played at several fantastic clubs and do’s over the years such as (in recent years) the Boss Dynamite Oslo weekender, the Atomium R&B weekender(s) and Treasure Sounds in Hamburg.
I’ve been part of a couple of clubs in Antwerp, the last ones being the Riverside R&B Club and Reggaematic (still going!). For a couple of years, I was in the artistic team of the Reggae Geel festival (Skaville stage, Tallawah stage) where we hosted some fantastic soundsystems, dj’s and foundation artists over the years.
I’m really excited to play at Boss Sounds Finest where I can play my two main musical interests side by side on a fantastic soundsystem in a beautiful ballroom and in great company. What’s not to love!
On the soulful side, this is what you might hear from me, from r&b to northern and blue-eyed soul:
* Lonesome shack ERNIE WASHINGTON (US Chattahoochee)
* Big bad wolf JOHNNY GUITAR WATSON
* It’s mighty nice to know BOBBY GUITAR WOOD
* Let me give you my lovin’ MAXINE BROWN
* You can’t mean it CHAPTER FIVE
And on the Jamaican side:
* Scandalizing THE UPSETTERS
* Hip hug SLIM SMITH
* Dollars & cents GLADSTON ADAMS
* It's you I love LITTLE ROY
* River to the bank RANDY’S ALL STARS
