The very talented Sophie Hunger at the Botanique singing a ballad playing her acoustic guitar... ©Helene Dehon2011 - www.flickr.com/photos/helenedehonphotography 

On march 22, Swiss born Sophie Hunger gave a concert at the Brussels Botanique. The young artist left me literally speechless. An amazing musical talent, of astonishing maturity despite her young age, showing an unseen versatility. She is a true multi-instrumentalist, playing with talented jazziness on the piano, improvising effortlessly, handling the acoustic guitar as a folk singer but also getting into a hammering hard rock “trance” when she puts an electric guitar in her delicate hands. To top is all, she also plays with subtlety and very melodiously the harmonica...  

Hans Knol ten Bensel

©Helene Dehon2011 - www.flickr.com/photos/helenedehonphotography

Truly fascinating is her enthusiasm. She gives herself totally on stage, last but not least when she sings. Being the daughter of a diplomat (she is actually born Emilie Jeanne-Sophie Welti, March 31, 1983 in Bern ) she masters of course German and English like a native, as she has lived in both countries. Especially fascinating is also her Swiss German dialect, which she used in her opening song. She brings the text with uncanny sense of drama, and uses her voice and body also as an instrument to convey the messages of her music.

Her latest album, "1983" was an instant hit in Switzerland, and awaits your discovery...  

She uses also fluently and convincingly the language of Voltaire in her songs. Her most recent album 1983 (2010) also includes a cover version of Noir Désir’s Le vent nous portera. Besides her languages,  her songs are also wonderfully different, embodying many genres, but each of them, and this is the most amazing, brought with breathtaking authenticity.

Until a few years ago, Sophie Hunger was hardly known, but she has now built herself quite a reputation in France, and last but not least in here home country Switzerland . (She lives in Zürich).

The very talented artist has also surrounded herself with truly amazing musicians, and we listened to some amazing trombone and other instrumental solos from her 5 strong band, making indeed beautiful music.

On this photo taken with my smartphone, you see the excellent trombone player at work in the concert held in the Botanique on March 22nd.

Her latest Album is, as we said,  “1983”, issued in 2010, and again she reinvented herself. If after these comments, you are getting somewhat music hungry, we can only say, try this album, miss Hunger will certainly still your appetite…

At the concert, I unfortunately did not take my camera, left sheepishly with my smartphone, of which I produce the small pictures here, conveying a bit of the atmosphere of the magnificent evening. But I was so lucky to stand close to a young female photographer, Hélène Dehon, expertly handling her camera with much professionalism. She chose the right lens and camera angle for the right situation every time, and needless to say I was very impressed. I show here two pictures she made at the concert, and I will be proud to show more of here work at the two following concerts I will attend in the framework of the VW Springs sessions, the Jef Neve & Liebrecht Vanbeckevoort  dual piano session at Flagey on May 3, 'If Mozart & Monk were brothers', and on the 14^th of June, the concert given by Cesaria Evora at the Bozar Brussels.

But in the meantime, behind the wheel, I would suggest you enjoy the talented Sophie Hunger!

Hans Knol ten Bensel

The 5 man strong band of Sophie Hunger was also a delight ot hear and see...

as she was herself, playing in the spotlights on the stage (see photos above and below, taken with my smartphone)  Miss Hunger and her band played a quite varied repertoire, from jazz to ballads and finally (almost) hard rock...