jean bosco safari

Will be hearing the beat from the thousand hills once more thanks to Zuiderhuis July 2 till July 14

BLACK BOY (LIVING IN THE CITY)

New single out now, b a s i c  i n f o.

Rwanda - Belgium

Pop,  Groove, Poetry

Years Active

1980-present

Starman Records - Cluster Park 

B I O G R A P H Y   Een begenadigd performer, songwriter en storyteller die zijn Afrikaanse roots op unieke wijze laat blenden met de Angelsaksische rock, soul en pop waarmee hij in Europa opgroeide. Gepassioneerd én geëngageerd, tour na tour, plaat na plaat, heeft Jean een zeer warme plek veroverd in het hart van een zeer ruim publiek en connecteert hij intens met zijn teksten en muziek met de wereld rond zich heen. Jean Bosco Safari staat er als nooit tevoren en heeft rond zich een ambitieus team verzameld om in 2023 terug sterk uit te pakken.

M   U   S   I   C 

 V   I   D   E   O   S

15/09/2024                                                              15u                       Feest in de Brouwerij, Abdijbrouwerij Grimbergen                 ingang parking Fenikshof

15/09/2024                                                              20u                                                                      groenten en bloemen, hoogstraten (gastoptreden), 17/09/2024                                                                               voor de eeuwigheid, oc kleine beer, beernem (neos), 22/09/2024                                                              11u                   hotel vocal - love is all you need                   fakkeltheater, hoogstraat 12, 2000 antwerpen                   www.fakkeltheater.be, 26/09/2024                                                               19u30                                                      enkele reis belgië, huis vrijzinnig, rodenbachstraat 18, hasselt, 27/09/2024                                                                 20u                                               maison beautique, statiestraat 63a, 2300 mol                 19u deuren - 55€ (incl menu)                 [email protected], 28/09/2024                                                                                                                 hope happening, paleis 20, brussel, 29/09/2024                                                              11u                   hotel vocal - love is all you need                   fakkeltheater, hoogstraat 12, 2000 antwerpen                   www.fakkeltheater.be, 06/10/2024                                                              11u                   hotel vocal - love is all you need                   fakkeltheater, hoogstraat 12, 2000 antwerpen                   www.fakkeltheater.be, 26/10/2024                                                               20u                   enkele reis belgië                   parochiezaal meerhout-gestel www.raakmeerhout.be.

P  R  O  J  E  C  T  S

UNDER SUN, MOON & STARS

SUN TOUR 2023

Kristalheldere ballads, gedreven popsongs, diepere ziel-songs en poëtische groove-nummers onderlijnen de veelzijdigheid van deze Belgisch-Rwandese zanger.

Ondersteund door zijn band, Steven Mintjens/keys, Peter Verhaegen/bass, Paul Zegers/drums en Dave Wyns/guitar.

Nieuw en oud werk, naast een doorleefd concert tevens een collectieve, verbindende beleving, onder zon, maan en sterren.

In 2022 is er terug nieuwe muziek: “SUN” is het eerste album uit een trilogie die  “Under Sun, Moon and Stars” waarvan de volgende

twee albums de komende jaren zullen verschijnen. De singles uit “Sun” halen de playlists van o.m. Radio 2 en de nieuwe songs

vloeien weer als vanouds uit de pen van de oude meester.

Heel apart is ook de door JB getekende "illustrated songbook” die bij het album verkrijgbaar is.

ENKELE REIS BELGIË

Een mama uit Rwanda wordt verplicht haar zesjarig zoontje Jean ter adoptie aan te bieden. Men belooft haar dat het jongetje in het buitenland mag gaan studeren en dat hij na zijn studies mag terugkeren naar Rwanda. Maar niets is wat het lijkt...

Dit is het verhaal van Jean, de zoon van een Tutsi Mama en een blanke mijningenieur, waarin hij vertelt hoe zijn leven in één vingerknip een totaal andere wending aannam.

Het verhaal, waar muziek het decor vormt, wordt met een respectvolle luchtigheid op een pakkende manier neergezet door Jean Bosco Safari en zijn pianist Steven Mintjens in... ENKELE REIS BELGIË!

IMAGINE NO LENNON ​

December 2015 werd Imagine No Lennon gestart in De Roma als een éénmalige tribute ter 35 ste herdenking van de moord

op John Lennon. Maar al snel groeide dit uit tot een niet aflatend succesproject dat zijn 8ste jaar ingaat.

Een strijdproject met en rond Lennon. De Opper-Beatle. De Superster. De Relschopper. De Vredesapostel. De Twijfelaar.

De Wereldverbeteraar. Het Genie. De Liefdesprofeet. The Walrus. De Revolutionair. De Dromer.

Uit een gemeenschappelijke passie vloeide “Imagine No Lennon” voort en brengen zij de mooiste Lennon

hits vanuit zowel The Beatles periode als zijn carrière nadien. Jean Bosco Safari/Lead & guitar, Ben Crabbé/Drums & backings, David Piedfort/Guitar & backings, Marc Van Puyenbroeck/Bass en Steven Mintjens/Keyboard.

PRIVATE REVOLUTION

Hierin vertelt Jean Bosco zijn verhaal over ontwrichting, ontdekking, verwondering en doorzetten. Een universeel en warm verhaal.

De muziek vertelt mee, beschrijft en zet het verhaal kracht bij.

Het levensverhaal van een muzikant van Rwanda over The Beatles tot Jean Bosco Safari.

Als eerste op de hoogte zijn van nieuwe muziek en concerten? Schrijf je dan nu in op Jean z'n nieuwsbrief! 

We hebben je inschrijving goed ontvangen!

Hou je mailbox in de gaten voor meer nieuws van Jean.

C O N T A C T ​

BOOKINGS   -   Mintjens Music Productions

Steven Mintjens - + 32 495 38 05 31 - [email protected]

© 2022 by IMAGENATION. Powered by Well Well Well 

Jean Bosco Safari was forcibly surrendered by his Rwandan mother: “My low self-esteem cost me my marriage”

“Am I not worth staying?” The fact that Jean Bosco Safari (69) was given up at the age of six had an unforeseeable impact on his life. But his mother had no choice, he now realizes. In Dag Allemaal, the singer testifies about his disconcerting history. “The search for my self-esteem left me in a tenfold knot with myself.”

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Honorary Member

Jean bosco safari.

Jean Bosco Safari, born in Rubago, Rwanda, on May 10, 1954, is a remarkable Flemish-Rwandan singer and musician. His life story is a tapestry of cultures, a testament to the power of music, and a commitment to giving back to the world that has embraced him.

At the tender age of six, Safari embarked on a life-altering journey when he was adopted by a Flemish family and relocated to Merksem. Although his adoptive name was Johan Vijdt, he was affectionately known as ‘Jean.’

Safari’s artistic journey unfolded in diverse ways. From 1976 to 1983, he lent his talents to Studio Vandersteen, where he contributed significantly to the creation of the iconic comic strip, Bessy.

In 1989, under the pseudonym “Kid Safari,” he released his debut album, “Wow.” Yet, it was in 1995 that he reclaimed his Rwandese name, Jean Bosco Safari, a symbolic gesture of his rich heritage and identity. 

Safari’s humanitarian spirit shines brightly. In 1999, he was honored as an honorary citizen of Ruiselede for his unwavering commitment to various benefit concerts that supported the projects of Ruiseledenaar brother Guido Icket in Kinshasa.

Musical Journey and Fusion of Cultures

Jean Bosco Safari is a gifted performer, songwriter, and storyteller who artfully blends his African roots with the Anglo-Saxon rock, soul, and pop influences that shaped his European upbringing.

Passionate and deeply committed, he embarks on tours and creates albums that resonate with a diverse audience. Safari’s music isn’t just about melodies; it’s a bridge that connects him to the world around him.

A Vision for 2023

As 2023 unfolds, Jean Bosco Safari is poised for a remarkable comeback. Surrounding himself with an ambitious team, he is ready to make a powerful musical statement that will captivate hearts and souls once again.

A Man with a Heart of Gold

Jean Bosco Safari is not just an extraordinary musician; he is a man with a heart of gold. His purity of heart is reflected in his dedication to giving back. Inspiring others and surprising his audience are core elements of his artistic journey.

In a world where authenticity and a commitment to making a positive impact matter, Jean Bosco Safari shines as a beacon of hope and inspiration.

Sociis 2023: A Journey with Jean Bosco Safari

Join us on this extraordinary musical journey with Jean Bosco Safari in 2023. The magic is about to happen, and it’s an experience you won’t want to miss.

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Jean bosco safari.

Jean Bosco Safari is a Belgian-Rwandese pop singer, better known as Kid Safari, who has released several albums since 1989. Between 1976 and 1983 he was one of the pencil artists at Willy Vandersteen 's Bessy Studio in Antwerp, where he worked for the weekly 'Bessy' production for the German Bastei Verlag.

Early life Bosco Safari was born in 1954 in Rubago, Rwanda, as the son of a black mother and white father. Since at the time this was considered shameful, Safari's father fled back to Belgium. Safari never knew his father. Until he was six, he lived in a typical rural community. By 1959, the cry for independence caused huge riots in Rwanda and Congo. Safari's family was brought to a refugee camp. Afterwards, all half-blood children (Safari himself prefers the term "double blood") were sent to adoption families in Belgium. As she was illiterate, his mother had no say in this matter, and signed the papers with a simple thumbprint. On 1 July 1960, around the time that Congo and Rwanda became independent, Safari was adopted by the Flemish Vijdt-Vandamme family in Merksem. His adoptive name was Johan Vijdt, but everyone called him Jean. It wasn't until 1995 when he learned about his full background and officially returned to his original Rwandese name.

Interviewed by Frederick Vandromme and Katia Vlerick in Humo issue #4201 (9 March 2021), Safari said that the Belgian government and Catholic authorities made it extraordinarily difficult to trace back information about these white Belgian men who had conceived children with black Rwandese and Congolese wives, especially regarding inheritance: "It's really all a cover-up." It took until 2019 before the classified files of his adoption were finally made public. Only then he found out the names of his biological parents. His mother had long ago passed away. His father too, presumably, but this was said about all white Belgian fathers in the files, so there was no certainty on that part. Safari also noticed a lot of contradictions and unreliable claims. The authorities had asked his mother how many times she had sex with his father. Since she couldn't calculate, they simply wrote down a number of their own choice. Most of the information in the files deliberately tried to paint Congolese women in a bad light, justifying the separation and forcing the adoption of their offspring. 

Early comics career As a young man, Jean Bosco Safari showed a talent for both music and drawing. At age 12, he already went to art school, where one of his teachers was Frank-Ivo Vandamme . At age 16 he however decided he wanted to become a musician, and played the guitar with a local band in Brasschaat. Living in Antwerp from the age of 21 on, Safari noticed it was difficult to make a living as a musician. He returned to drawing and through his friend Robert Wuyts he got a job at Frank Sels ' studio, where the 'Silberpfeil' stories for the German market were produced.

Studio Bessy Together with Robert Wuyts, Safari later joined Studio Bessy at Gretrystraat 15 in Antwerp in 1976. Ever since 1967, the team there was fully devoted to the story production of Willy Vandersteen's western series 'Bessy' for the German market. Safari was hired as a penciller, and remained with the studio until 1983, first under supervision of Jeff Broeckx , then of Ron van Riet . Every week, the team cranked out a complete adventure of Andy and his Scotch Collie Bessy for the publishing house Bastei Verlag. With such a high production schedule, quantity became more important than quality. To keep up with the workload, the studio hired several scriptwriters, pencillers, inkers and general handymen throughout its existence. It is difficult to identify who did exactly what, although some pages of the 790th(!) story 'Im Bann des Silberlöwen' (Bessy #769 at Bastei) were up for auction at Catawiki.com in 2018 and credited to Bosco Safari. Around the same period, Bobbedoes.nl had pages for auction from the 1978 story 'Het Rijdende Fort' (Flemish working title), also attributed to him.

Musical career When the 'Bessy' production for Germany slowed down, Bosco Safari left the studio and completely focused on his musical career. In the early 1980s, he formed the ska/pop group Heartbreak with guitar player Fred Bekky (a former member of The Pebbles) and drummer Patrick Deweert, with whom he released one album, 'Heartbreak Motel' (1982), and a handful of singles. Thijs van Leer (of the famous Dutch band Focus), played the keyboards. John Vijdt, as he was credited at the time, also penned a couple of synth pop songs for some obscure artists, but overall it didn't exactly made him a fortune. His luck changed in 1989 when he met Tina Turner's piano player Kenny Moore. Moore produced his debut album 'Wow' (1989), released under the artist's name Kid Safari. The song 'My Eyes' even became a number 1 hit in South Africa. His second album, 'The Romantic Heroes', followed in 1993, and produced by British songwriter and arranger Robyn Smith. With his third album, 'Little Boy Blue', Kid Safari turned to more dark and introspective songwriting. This path was continued in his next albums 'Visions of Home' (1997), 'NOMAD' (2003 and 'Private Revolution' (2008), all more personal records with more ethnical influences.

A committed musician, Jean Bosco Safari has regularly given charity concerts for various humanitarian projects and organizations in development countries.

www.jeanboscosafari.be

Entry by Bas Schuddeboom

Last updated: 2024-01-02

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