Micheline Van Hautem is born in Ghent, a provincial town in Belgium, the flat country where she was raised. Her passion for music and natural talent for singing has pushed her to venture outside of the Belgian frontiers. Her first stop is New York City, a true melting pot of vibrant cultures and ethnicities where, to set herself apart from so many other performers, she sings primarily in French. It is with the songs of Jacques Brel and Edith Piaf that she finds herself performing for full houses at, for example, Manhattan’s prestigious Florence Gould Hall.
Her revue, “Songs of Jacques Brel”, leads her more than once to the annual Edinburgh Festival, where she is honoured with the much-coveted Herald Angel Award, and then on to Australia, where she also performs to packed audiences. Back in the Netherlands, where she sells out the Concert Hall in Amsterdam, she is received with equal rapture. Of the CD version of “Songs of Jacques Brel” more than 15.000 copies find their way to the homes of Micheline’s admirers.
Her worldwide travels inspire Micheline to compose songs of her own, resulting in her first solo-CD, “Chocolat”, which contains a carefully chosen array of songs written by Micheline alternated by reinterpretations of songs of others. Accompanied by Erwin van Ligten, her musical partner on guitar, she goes on to perform “Chocolat” all over the world.
On her next CD, “La Musique”, produced by Erwin van Ligten, Micheline invites Bruno Brel, the nephew of the “Grand Jacques”, to sing a duet on the song “Marieke”. Their collaboration is a success and turns into a full tour and joint CD, “L’esprit de Jacques”.
Inspired by the jazz songs from the 1930s and 1940s, Micheline creates “Nostalgia”. This show combines songs featured in the legendary English TV series “The Singing Detective” with some French classics like “C’est si bon” and “Padam padam” alternated with carefully chosen American standards like “All of Me”, “The Man I Love”, “Tea for Two” and “As Time Goes By”. By popular demand, “Nostalgia” becomes an acclaimed live performance revue.
On “Crème de la Crème” Micheline sings a surprising collection of songs by artists such as David Bowie, Nina Simone, Herman van Veen and Frank Boeijen, translated for the first time into French.
In 2016, ‘Brel&Brass’ is launched on the market. A brass-CD with arrangements especially written around Micheline’s intense style of interpreting. Together with Jos Jansen on bass trombone and in collaboration with the Belgian Royal Fanfare Kempenbloei conducted by Ivan Meylemans, eleven of Jacques Brel’s most beautiful chansons are put in a copper jacket. The Brel & Brass live show, always a collaboration with a local orchestra, has been performed more than 80 times.
And now there’s Shaffy & Brass! Again with the winning team Jos Jansen and Ivan Meylemans. This time, arrangers Peter Habraken, Jan Nellestijn and Guus Jansen can hear their custom-written arrangements played by a true top orchestra: Harmonie St. Michaël from Thorn. Shaffy & Brass embraces the rich repertoire of the most flamboyant Dutch singer Ramses Shaffy. Do you want to hear “Pastorale” roar with brass, or see “Vivre/Laat me” sparkle with a full wind orchestra? This is your chance!
This, in a nutshell, is five- star quality entertainmentThe Scotsman
Bewitchingly full- strength Van HautemThe Herald Scotland
She is , simply , fabulousThe Times , London
Short of major surgery , cancel whatever you have on tonight and hear Micheline Van HautemThe Sydney Morning Herald
She is, simply, fabulous!Robert Dawson Scott, Times London, 5-star review, 2004
Mesmerizing performance. An astonishingly powerful Amsterdam.
Edinburgh Spotlight
This, in a nutshell, is 5-star quality entertainment
(The Scotsman) Edinburgh Festival
Bewitchingly full-strength Van Hautem.
Unspeakably gorgeous Ne Me Quitte Pas.
The HeraldScotland