a normal life
Generated in the late 1980s, Vaya con Dios helped reshape the European music scene with a blend that mixed gypsy inflections, bluesy groove, and a hint of Afro-American roots. The Belgian group, led by Dani Klein who became the enduring core member, explored a multilingual repertoire while stepping away from prevailing trends. Although the band said goodbye in 2014, a pause brought by the pandemic revived their spirit, and they now perform with an energy that mirrors the era they helped define. Klein has lived for two decades in Osuna, a southern Spanish town in Seville, where he enjoys a home life amid a rapidly changing music world that he criticizes and embraces in equal measure.
Vaya con Dios stood out in its era by resisting current fashions and mining a mix that drew on African American musical forms with a gypsy flair. The band released a self titled debut in 1987 and followed with Night Owls in 1990, a record that became their most successful commercially. Klein explains that the group always kept a wide net, with Dirks Schoufs playing rockabilly and Willy Lambregt leaning toward hard rock as Klein absorbed Aretha Franklin and tsigane music. The result was a freewheeling blend built from interests the members truly loved, with Klein as the only constant presence in the lineup.
a normal life
The name Vaya con Dios emerged after a viewing of a documentary about Miami and its Cuban community. The phrase Go with God appeared on a wall, and Klein told his fellow bassist Dirks Schoufs that the phrase resonated. In classic Western cinema, the saying God willing often accompanies a farewell, and the band embraced that spirit. Early reactions in Spain included some laughs at the name, but the decision stood and the phrase was pronounced in Belgium with a distinctive twist, placing a playful stress on the final letters and a hint of Italian flair in the word God.
In the early 1990s the group toured extensively across Europe, with heavy shows in Finland and the Spanish Pyrenean regions near venues like Zeleste, which later became Razzmatazz. The cycle eventually quieted. A decade prior to the present, Klein found travel exhausting and yearned for a settled life at home with his dogs. He speaks of a balance he will now pursue with a renewed Vaya con Dios, reforming the trio with musicians who carried the original spirit forward. The founders, Schoufs and Lambregt, left the band in the early 1990s. They were replaced by François Garny and Thierry Plas. The band began writing again during the pandemic and produced a full album as a result.
That album is Shades of Joy, a title that promises a bright spectrum of sound. It marks the first collection of new songs since the French language album Comme on est venu released in 2009. The music blends string ballads with pop elements, a touch of funk and soul, and jazz influences. A standout track titled Una mujer draws on the poetry of Mexican shaman María Sabina to evoke a Spanish mood that threads through the record.
Klein also shared the Catalan debut on television, performing a version of What is a Woman for the charity program La Marató. The track was not included on the album and is known for its message about the value of respect in any relationship. The Brussels native grew up in a bilingual home where French framed schooling while Dutch was spoken at home. He notes an affinity with both sides of the cultural divide, saying he feels connected to aspects of Flemish and Walloon identities alike. The personal voice behind Vaya con Dios remains clearly present, guiding a career that continues to evolve while honoring its roots. This is not a retreat but a continuation of a conversation about music, language, and the people who listen to it, past and present. For fans and newcomers in Canada and the United States, the story remains a compelling reminder that influence travels across borders and generations, carried by songs that persist beyond trends. The narrative of Vaya con Dios offers a direct line to a time when musical choices felt bold and unafraid, a testament to the enduring power of a band that chose to follow its own rhythm. Attribution: originally from interviews with Dani Klein and participants in the group in the late 1980s and 1990s, and later discussions in the 2020s.