Philippe Robrecht – Passant

In 2026, Robrecht turns 60. After a life of music, he’s doing one last tour of Vlaanderen. He’ll be playing his favorite songs from 10 albums—his life’s work—alongside his favorite musicians. Giving it his all one last time, before letting his songs rest.

The foundation for Philippe Robrecht’s singing career was laid at the age of twelve, and certainly two years later when he bought his first guitar and strummed his first original songs. As a 16-year-old lad, he and his first band opened for acts like Johan Verminnen and 2 Belgen. They also performed twice at the Lokerse Feesten. Philippe sang his own interpretations of famous songs by Tom Waits, Sting, Nick Cave, and Billy Joel, always adding his own unique touch.

Philippe retreated to a secluded cottage, which inspired him musically. He was recommended to manager Roland Beirnaert just as he had more than enough material for a series of original tracks. The result was a CD with an Alan Parsons-esque sound featuring string ensembles by The London Symphony. Singles like ‘Magie‘ and ‘Vurige Tongen‘ were instant hits: ‘Tien om te Zien’ discovered him, he won the trophy for best solo debut at the Radio 2 Zomerhit, and his singles shot to the top of the Flemish Top Ten…

Nevertheless, Robrecht quickly cultivated his own image. He consciously stayed out of the spotlight and threw himself into various collaborations and musical side projects, such as the show ‘De stoet van verlangens’ with the support of the Dutch group De Dopegezinde Gemeente, Vera Coomans, and Guido Belcanto.

In his twenties, Philippe Robrecht was already playing Irish music and traveling through Ireland every year. This eventually led to a life on the island of Inishbofin off the Irish West Coast, where he has his studio and where the immersion became even more intense. The album ‘2021’, featuring original songs and Irish traditionals, became a reality. In addition to jigs & reels, Robrecht plays all kinds of songs of Irish origin—including Van Morrison, The Waterboys, Damien Rice, and more—making it both authentic in its lineup and accessible.

He will be performing at ‘Nouter Club together with Dirk Naessens and Wouter Berlaen.