And that’s precisely what the festival of Dranouter has to offer: music that is rooted in tradition, but never wallows in nostalgia. That’s why the festival is not afraid to program pop acts like Milow, Ozark Henry or An Pierlé & White Velvet. Or Arsenal, which spices up its electronic sounds with rock and a bit of world music. But of course, there’s still a lot of roots music to be savoured too, in different forms and shapes. Ben Harper, for instance, the American singer and guitarist who mixes blues, rock, folk and even small doses of soul and funk into a unique blend.

Or Grant Lee Buffalo, the Americana pioneers who in 2011, after a hiatus of more than ten years, make a remarkable and surprising comeback. Or their colleagues from The Jayhawks, also back after years of silence, responsible for some of the best country rock of the past quarter of a century.

Or Flemish singer-songwriter Zjef Vanuytsel. In the ‘70s he was incredible popular, but then concentrated on his real vocation for decades, architecture, until he made a surprising comeback, a couple of years ago. Or, well, so many others…

The Dranouter festival takes place, literally, in the middle of nowhere. The different stages, all nicely placed in tents that protect the patrons from cloudbursts, are set up in green pastures where cows gawk with some ennui at the music freaks camping three, four days on a spot where they have been grazing until recently. It’s the ideal place to surrender unreservedly to the music and forget all your daily worries.

www.festivaldranouter.be