In 1976, when Disco was all the rave and Abba and Boney M dominated charts, a group of young idealist artists met every Monday in a hideout, secret vault whose key was kept by an enigmatic Hortense. Their goal? To organize a future for young Belgian musicians.

The mission appeared ambitious as France had only eyes for Sardou and Johnny, and seemed to have lost its ears altogether. “Cette année-là,” that year, as Cloclo said so well, a group of volunteers founded “Les Lundis d’Hortense.” Editor of your favorite magazine, this association has been bending over and backwards, head over heels, arm in arm, and pouring their hearts out, for almost half a century in order to tirelessly promote Belgian music, and then jazz from 1980 onwards.

While some things age, our fifty-something association has been able to cultivate youth. Its board has been regularly renewed, with advice and ideas coming from the country’s best musicians. All this under the kind and benevolent gaze of one of the last members of this original act of cultural defiance, and who maybe one day will explain who the mysterious Hortense was: the indomitable Jean-Louis Rassinfosse, 50 years of commitment to les Lundis d’Hortense and counting. Hats off!

50 years, that’s a party!

In this upcoming 2026, which we wish you all the best for, your fidelity will be rewarded by many a concert and events, one more jazzy than the next. If their sparkle already tickles your ear, they will be revealed only tomorrow. The magic of Christmas grants us a little extra delay while we attune our program, like an orchestra before a symphony.

In order for our jazz(wo)men colleagues to join the party, a special member card will be available at the symbolic cost of 20 euros. This card will grant you access to all concerts of the Soirs d’Hortense season at Jazz Station, as well discounts with our partners in Brussels and Wallonia. A member card is also available to others for the same price. With it, you can benefit from substantial discounts on concerts and the Jazz au Vert masterclass, while supporting culture and jazz through our actions.

Those of you who, despite these discounts, might feel damaged, will have no other choice but to pursue a professional music career or campaign for a country with culture accessible to all, and education, health care and welfare as state priorities. A country where wealth will not be counted through GDP, but through a happiness index, and where authorities will welcome our ideas with interest and enthusiasm.

We’ll be happy to discuss all this throughout our many events.

Happy New Hortense Year!

Grégoire Tirtiaux, Administrator