Dirk Peeraer (1963) :
dobro
and vocals
Dirk joined Rawhide in1982 ! First as a guitar player.
Later he
switched to the banjo and from 1991 to the dobro. But he’s
also
very
able on bass and even on mandolin. Dirk sings most tenor parts with
Rawhide, but has no problem switching to baritone when a cold prevents
him to reach the high notes. He’s a real workhorse and can,
if
needed,
make you a new kitchen. |

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Bert Van Bortel (1961)
: guitar and vocals
Bert plays every stringed instrument except a tennis racket.
He’s
a
musical genius and has a nose for new material. He’s also
known
as the
“Bluegrass Casanova”, as women can’t
resist his
musical charms. He
wrote a song about this phenomenon logically entitled: “I
could
love a
million girls”. As Bert is the real man of the band he sings
bass
in
all the quartets. Bert has been playing the mandolin with Rawhide since
1985 but now mostly plays the guitar, with that same solid energy.
This guy for sure ain’t no sissy ! |
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Dirk Fonteyn (1963):
fiddle
and vocals
Dirk masters both Irish and bluegrass fiddle and joined Rawhide in
1991. He grew up next to the Palm brewery of Steenhuffel and we suspect
he was not only raised with milk. One indication is that he can
effortlessly write in mirror writing. Dirk is also a gifted graphic
designer and probably the nicest guy on this planet. |
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Jeff Cardey (1974) :
mandolin, guitar and vocals
Jeff, born in
Winnipeg (Canada), has been a member
of various musical groups in a broad range of styles from
classical to jazz and fusion and has played solo mandolin with the
Toronto Mandoilin Orchestra. Bluegrass slowly came into his life
through Irish and then old time music. He taught himself mandolin
after completing his studies in classical guitar at the Toronto
University. The love for his wife brought him to Europe and the love
for bluegrass to Rawhide !!! |
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Thierry Schoysman (1966) : banjo
and vocals
Thierry also joined Rawhide in 1991 after having spent many years
playing the banjo with several country bands as he couldn’t
find
people
to do the real stuff : playing bluegrass !
He can sing most harmony parts and is also the mandolin player with The
Sons of Navarone. Thierry is also actively involved with the European
Bluegrass Music Association and started up a site called Bluegrass in
Belgium. He’s also a fanatic disciple of his
banjo hero
and long time friend Bill Keith. |
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Dimi Laveren (1971) :
bass and vocals
Dimi decided at
age of 6 to become a singer. He
received his frst guitar at 10 and after a few boaring years
at
music school and violent electric noizes in obscure
underground
places the bass seemed to be his instrument of predilection. As a
bassist / singer he evolved from metal to rock to pop to folk to
country
and at last - his favourite style - bluegrass! The "metal of
country" as he calls it.
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