Naragonia

In 2003 Pascale Rubens and Toon Van Mierlo formed Naragonia. There's no compromise to the music they make, which goes straight to your heart; free from all conventions. Their particular sensitivity towards strong melodies allows the duo to create their own unique sound – acknowledged by the phrase “The Sound Of Naragonia” The continual innovative quirkiness of their music is infectious and soon Naragonia was to become one of the most loved and wanted folk bands in Europe. They play at just about every big festival and are regular guests on the national Belgian radio (Klara, Radio 1, La première) as well as performing on national television (RTBF).

Naragonia was nominated in the ‘Best live band’ and ‘Best album’ categories in 2022, in the ‘Best live band’ category in 2023 and won the ‘Best live band’ award for the Flanders Folk Awards in 2024.

Their impact on the European folkscene cannot be underestimated. They are an inspiration to numerous musicians and many of their numbers have been covered or recorded. Not just by Belgian musicians but also by those abroad from Portugal to Russia, from Sweden to the USA... Some of Naragonia's numbers become real signature tunes.

Over the past years different collaborations within the Arts have come to fruition. Theatre (Tal en Thee and Theater de Spiegel), musicians and bands from abroad (Fernhill, Andy Cutting, Paulo Lameiro, Gregory Jolivet...) have all taken part in these ventures. All rich encounters; encompassing travel to new lands to meet new people and to form new tales.

During the period of the Covid-lockdown, a new idea came to life: to organize musical meetings and make fresh melodies with a number of these musical friends. These meetings were named the ‘The Guesthouse Sessions’.

The sessions became interesting collaborations, often creating intriguing new sounds. Musical styles, melodies, and songs were often quite divergent, but the music still carries that signature Naragonia sound.

Due to the unfiltered live recordings and the variety of the guest musicians, ‘The Guesthouse Sessions’ is different from their other studio albums. However, the duo is still loyal to their pursuit of beauty and authenticity, without compromises. A search that already counts 18 years of beautiful music which gave voice to Belgian folk in many parts of the world.

Video: Naragonia - ‘The Guesthouse Sessions’ (teaser)

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