Overview
Gaffeltuig is a Belgian shanty group, founded in 2012 by volunteers with a great passion for sailing heritage.
“You have to be creative with the pieces of yesterday”
This is what Willem Vermandere says in an interview. It perfectly illustrates what we are concerned about in our commitment to sailing heritage; it is our pleasure to convey our passion and make it known to a wide audience. This being creative also applies to us: today’s resources are used to preserve and share the past. That is why we do what we do, as we do it, and as best we can. And it’s also enjoyable…
Gaffeltuig was founded by employees of Tolerant vzw, volunteers who work on old ships and want to sing about it with the wooden curls still in their hair. Enthusiastic musicians and singers complete the group. The idea of singing came up in early 2013. A basic repertory was quickly put together for a first performance at the Weekend op de Helling 2013. The world premiere is not too bad, the comments are usually positive; it could be more streamlined but we don’t really want this, fishermen and sailors didn’t have a conservatory diploma either. We remain ourselves: simple and unpredictable.
We bring a mix of songs from on and around the water, old and new, serious and fun, good and on the edge, international and local.
What started as an idea of a few volunteers has grown into a fixture. . . We are working on expanding the repertoire and on the quality of our performance; there is still cutting and filing work but we do not do polishing.
We can’t resist planning, the experience in different places and for diverse audiences show us new ways:
Songs are part of our intangible heritage but that is also the image and story of life on and around the water
Singing together with spectators is an infectious form of ‘being together’
Near our home base Rupelmonde, just like everywhere where water flows, there is a wealth of folk songs about everything that lived on and around that water
Singing and pleasure support any form of communication, that is why we are working on a few new initiatives:
We improve our local anchoring with a search for old songs from the region; this is done in collaboration with our host municipality Kruibeke and KruibekeTV
Communication and promotion are staged with Facebook page, publication through various channels, a newsletter, links to other water heritage initiatives and organisations
We are developing a full evening program around water heritage; with image, film, word and singing, the past is made visible again. Associations can appeal to us for this, singing together is not mandatory but much more enjoyable…
A note on the group’s name: A “Gaffeltuig” in Flemish is a type of sail on a sailing ship that is distinguished by a fork at the top of the mainsail.