Laïs is a Flemish group that creates folk, and world music consisting of polyphonic close harmony songs, occasionally a cappella, based on self-composed melodies with lyrics dating back to the Middle Ages.『Laïs』is a Celtic word, meaning "voice".
Laïs' career started in 1994, when Jorunn and Annelies, together with Soetkin Collier (who later became a vocalist with the Belgian folk music group Urban Trad), performed a song at a folk festival in Gooik, near Brussels. Nathalie joined the group somewhat later. They had their breakthrough after their appearance at Folk Dranouter, near Ypres, in 1996.[1]
During the summer of 2000 they performed at important festivals in Belgium and the Netherlands, such as Pinkpop and Rock Werchter. In 2001 they made a much acclaimed return to the festival at Dranouter.
In 2003 they made a mini tour along Flemish churches and chapels, singing a capella with the vocal support of Ludo Vandeau. This resulted in the CD "A la capella".
With their album The Ladies' Second Song, released in September 2007, the group changed their approach and tried to reach a broader public. They could no longer be characterized as folk. The album introduces the use of electric guitars, loops and electronic beats. Their lyrics have equally undergone a thorough overhaul. Instead of drawing their lyrics from old Flemish songbooks, they have turned to poetry from William Butler Yeats, Paul Verlaine and Pablo Neruda.
In 2009 they released the album Laïs Lenski together with the cellist Simon Lenski. In September 2020, after 25 years of singing together, the group announced the departure of Annelies Brosens. Since then, Nathalie Delcroix and Jorunn Bauweraerts continue to perform as Laïs, together with their musicians.
