ABOUT BARWALKER LOUIS

Barwalker Louis is a saxophonist known for his ripping and unique sound. 
Born André de Laat on July 22, 1983 in Antwerp, he grew up in a warm family that had a great influence on his love for blues & jazz music. Nice detail is that Barwalker's brothers Louis are no strangers to the blues scene either... Baby Paul (aka Paul de Laat) was on stage with his harmonica more than once with Guy Davis, Big Dave, Steven Troch,... and brother Johan de Laat is the regular guitarist of Howlin' Bill.

At a young age, Barwalker already showed interest in music and learned to play different instruments (Guitar, Piano, saxophone,...) When he got his hands on a saxophone for the first time at the age of eleven, he immediately knew that this was his instrument. He soon began performing professionally in local clubs and bars, where he further developed his talent and impressed audiences.
As the years went by, Barwalker became more and more popular in the music scene of Antwerp and started collaborating with renowned bands (The Electrophonics, Sebi Lee, Ian Siegal, Nigel Mack, Solomon Burke,...). He quickly became known for his punchy sound and ripping emotional playing style, which set him apart from other saxophonists in this scene. 

In 2006, Barwalker Louis was part of The Electrophonics' first album, followed by 3 more. There followed rave reviews of the albums after which it influenced Barwalker Louis' further career. This further resulted in a collaboration with his great example and mentor Big Jay McNeely.

In 2021, Barwalker Louis and his family were struck by a tragedy in which their 7-year-old daughter Loes died. This left a big mark on him and his family. In memory of his daughter, he made an album along with many of his musical friends. Think of Ian Siegal, Guy Forsyth, Tony and Roby Lakatos,...
This became the start of Barwalker Louis as a bandleader instead of a sideman, and together with his musicians he does this with flying colors.
For this occasion, Barwalker Louis made, as always, the right selection of musicians to support him. The current band consists of none other than Niko Deman der Linden (Hammond/Piano), Mo Gomez (Guitar), Ron Wouter (Double Bass) and Marc Gijbels (Drums).

Each of these musical friends earned their stripes with big names from the music world... Think Ellen Foley, Red Holloway, Big Jay McNeely, The Dibs, Solomon Burke,.... Too many to mention.  
 

The signature sound and style of Barwalker Louis will not leave you sitting back, the combination of ripping, swinging and chasing sounds of the saxophone or the screaming shimmer of a bluesy ballad will make you sweat and give you goosebumps. No table, chair or bar is safe because just as his name suggests, he does not avoid interaction and will transform any evening into a fun-filled musical experience.
 

As Barwalker Louis says : ""To remain motionless is out of the question!". .
Barwalker Louis is without a doubt one of the most refreshing bands currently looking to conquer Belgium and the Netherlands.... 
His passion, dedication and talent have already made him a living legend, and the high-energy of their performance will blow your mind....