Nine years after farewell concerts at the Lotto Arena and the Vorst Nationaal concert hall the Belgian pop band Vaya Con Dios is making a comeback. Last week the band released a first new single: “Shades of Joy”. Vaya Con Dios’s new album is being released on 17 November.
Vaya Con Dios was one of the leading Belgian bands of the 90s and noughties. They were one of the few Belgian bands to break through internationally and sold millions of records thanks to hits like "Nah Neh Nah", "What's a Woman", "Puerto Rico" and "Just a Friend of Mine".
The band was formed as a result of pure coincidence. Two musicians, two friends, Dirk Schoufs and Willy Lambregt, were asked to produce some atmospheric music for a store. Willy Lambregt is better known as Willy Willy, the guitarist of the band The Scabs. The two musicians took Dani Klein along to store too. They enjoyed their musical experiment so much they decided to write and play their own songs. Within days a demo of "Just a Friend of Mine” was recorded. It was the start of a musical journey that combined American jukebox hits, French chanson, Soul, Blues and Gypsy Swing.
Sadly, Dani Klein is today the only one of the three founding members still alive. She is 70. Klein recorded the band’s new single “Shades of Joy” as well as the new album with guitarist Thierry Plas and bass guitarist François Garny.
At the Music Industry Awards, the MIA's, in January of this year Dani Klein received a Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of the entire band. Our video shows her rendition of “Just a Friend of Mine” at the MIA’s.