Vaya Con Dios (band)
| Company type | Musical project |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1986 |
| Founder | Dani Klein, Dirk Schoufs, Willy Lambregt |
| Headquarters | Brussels , Belgium |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
| Website | www |
Vaya Con Dios (a phrase in Spanish meaning "Go with God!") is a Belgian musical project recognized for its fusion of various genres and the unique vocal style of lead singer Dani Klein. It stands as one of Belgium's most commercially successful acts, having sold upwards of 10 million albums and over 3 million singles worldwide.
Established in 1986, Vaya Con Dios evolved after 1991 into essentially a solo endeavor led by singer, songwriter, and producer Dani Klein, supported by a rotating lineup of musicians. Klein completed her final international tour under the Vaya Con Dios name in 2014. The group officially ceased activity following their concluding performance on 25 October 2014 at Forest National. In 2022, the band made a comeback with a new album release.
Biography
The inception of Vaya Con Dios dates back to 1986 when Dirk Schoufs (double bass), Dani Klein (lead vocals and lyricist), and Willy Lambregt (guitar) joined forces. Prior to this collaboration, Schoufs and Lambregt performed as an acoustic duo, while Klein and Lambregt had been involved together in the electronic group Arbeid Adelt !. Their mutual passion for gypsy music, jazz, and opera—genres not widely embraced in Brussels at that time—motivated them to create Vaya Con Dios.
Their debut single, "Just a Friend of Mine" (1987), broke into Belgium’s top 20 and reached the top 10 in France, marking a significant milestone for Klein. Before completing their first album Vaya Con Dios (1988), Lambregt departed and was succeeded by Jean-Michel Gielen. The album, co-produced by Schoufs and Klein, received varied critical responses due to its diverse musical approach but enjoyed commercial success throughout Europe with several singles.
The follow-up record in 1990, Night Owls, again produced by Klein and Schoufs, featured three singles including "Nah Neh Nah", which received extensive rotation on MTV Europe. The soulful ballad "What's a Woman?" achieved number one positions in both the Netherlands and Belgium.
In 1991, after disputes with Klein, Schoufs exited the band and tragically passed away months later at age 29 from combined effects of medication, alcohol, and drugs.
Klein maintained Vaya Con Dios alongside Gielen and various session players. Their 1992 album Time Flies, predominantly produced by Klein, contained the hit "Heading For a Fall." This album topped Swiss charts and was certified platinum in four countries, becoming their most commercially successful release. The acclaim from this record enabled them to embark on their first world tour in 1993.
Though feeling overwhelmed by workload pressures in 1995, Klein recorded Roots and Wings, blending soul with influences from Arabic and Indian music traditions. The album was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama and found chart success across Europe.
Due to exhaustion, Klein briefly withdrew from the music scene in 1996 but re-emerged in 1999 with the band Purple Prose. Vaya Con Dios returned to activity in 2004 with the release of The Promise.
In 2006, the compilation The Ultimate Collection included a new version of "What's a Woman?" featuring Aaron Neville. Their 2009 album Comme on est venu was notable for being their first entirely French-language project. A remix of "Nah Neh Nah" by German DJ duo Milk & Sugar in 2010 reached the Top 10 charts in Germany.
Klein embarked on a farewell tour in 2013 culminating with a final show on 25 October 2014 at Forest National. After an eight-year break, Vaya Con Dios reappeared in 2022 with the album 'What's a Woman'. In March 2023, Klein disclosed she had recorded one last Vaya Con Dios album during the COVID-19 pandemic featuring original tracks that stay true to the band's signature sound.
Honours and awards
- Nominated for MTV Video Music Award in the International Viewer's Choice category: 1989 (track Don't Cry for Louie)
- Edison Award recipient: 1991 (album Night Owls)
- Awarded World Music Award as the Best Selling Belgian Artist worldwide: 1993
- IFPI Europe Certification granted: 1999 (album The Best of Vaya Con Dios)
- Honoured with Zamu Lifetime Achievement Award: 2006
- Inducted into Radio 2 Hall of Fame: 2009 (song What's a Woman)
- Received Music Industry Lifetime Achievement Award: 2022
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Highest chart rankings | Certifications | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEL (FL) | BEL (WA) | NLD | GER | AUT | CH | SWE | NOR | FIN | ||||||||||||||
| 1988 | Vaya Con Dios
|
— | — | 75 | 49 | 10 | 23 | 9 | — | — |
| |||||||||||
| 1990 | Night Owls
|
— | — | 5 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 8 | — | — |
| |||||||||||
| 1992 | Time Flies
|
— | — | 1 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 11 | — |
| |||||||||||
| 1995 | Roots and Wings
|
1 | 2 | 10 | 33 | 11 | 3 | 16 | 5 | 32 |
| |||||||||||
| 2004 | The Promise
|
12 | 73 | 96 | — | — | 67 | — | — |
- |
2009 | "Comme on est venu..."
|
7 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
*Platinum in BEL; Gold in POL |
| 2022 | What's a Woman?
*Issued October 2022 |
8 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | Shades of Joy
*Issued November 2023 |
6 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||||||
Compilation albums
| Year | Album | Highest chart rankings | Certifications (List of music recording sales certifications#Sales thresholds sales levels) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEL (FL) |
BEL (WA) |
NLD |
GER |
AUT |
CH |
SWE |
NOR |
FIN |
GRC |
PRT | |||
- Gold BEL; Platinum IFPI; Gold NOR; Platinum POL; Double Platinum SWE; Gold SWI
- Platinum BEL
- Platinum BEL
| Year | Album | BEL (FL) | BEL (WA) | NLD | GER | AUT | CH | SWE | NOR | FIN | GRC | PRT | Certifications |
|---|
Singles
| Year | Single | Highest chart rankings | Sales | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEL (FL) |
BEL (WA) |
GER |
NED |
FRA |
AUT |
CH | |||||
| 1987 | "Just a Friend of Mine" | 17 | — | — | — | 7 | — | — |
|
Vaya Con Dios | |
| "Puerto Rico" | 15 | — | — | — | 46 | 7 | — |
| |||
| 1988 | "Don't Cry for Louie" | 27 | — | — | 54 | — | 16 | — | |||
| 1989 | "Johnny" (released only in France) | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1990 | "Nah Neh Nah" | 7 | — | 16 | 4 | — | 25 | 21 | Night Owls | ||
| "What's a Woman?" | 1 | — | 11 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
|
|||
| "Night Owls" | "42" | "—" | "53" | "51" | "—" | "—" | "—" | ||||
| 1992 | "Heading for a Fall" | "1" | "—" | "29" | "3" | "—" | "10" | "5" | Time Flies | ||
| "Time Flies" | 8 | — | 79 | 51 | — | 29 | 30 | ||||
| 1993 | "So Long Ago" | 33 | — | 67 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1995 | "Don't Break My Heart" | 6 | 8 | — | 28 | — | — | — | Roots and Wings | ||
| 1996 | "Stay with Me" | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Lonely Feeling" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2004 | "No One Can Make You Stay" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Promise | ||
| 2005 | "La Vida Es Como Una Rosa/Take Heed" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | |||
| 2006 | "Pauvre Diable" | "—" | "67" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | |||
| "What's a Woman" (feat. Aaron Neville) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | rowspan="2"|The Ultimate Collection | |||
| 2009 | "Les voiliers sauvages de nos vies" | "62" | "34" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | "—" | Comme on est venu | ||
| 2010 | "Hey (Nah Neh Nah)" vs.Milk & Sugar | "10" | "46" | "7" | "5" | "—" | "6" | "4" |
|
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Note
The phrase translates to "May God accompany you," commonly understood as "Godspeed."
External links
- Belgian pop music groups
- English-language musical acts from Belgium
- French-language musical acts from Belgium
- Musical ensembles based in Brussels
- Musical groups formed in 1986
- Musical groups disbanded in 1996
- Musical groups reformed in 2004
- Musical groups dissolved in 2014
- Ariola Records artists
- World Music Awards recipients
- Musical groups disestablished in 1996