The original venue for the Collectif du Lion was the jazz club «Le Lion S’envoile» in Roture, Liege (Belgium), an outlet for the artistic, creative and rebellious lungs of Liege which was the Cirque Divers for almost 22 years, created by M. Antaki, J. Jaminon, B. Kaquet, J. Lizene and J-M Lemaire.

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From 1980 to 1982, drummer and percussionnist Michel Debrulle was entrusted with the artistic management of the Jazz club. Everything started from there: «rhythmic Wednesday» with a guest soloist, the Orchestre du Lion (directed by Garrett List), the first album «Sequences» (1984), containing improvised music with a cinema theme and D. Pousseur, P. Vaiana, M. Debrulle, F. Danloy for the Igloo Label under the name «Collectif du Lion».

The first rehearsals of Trio Bravo (F. Cassol, M. Massot, M. Debrulle), Music Conservatoire Improvisation classes, La Grande Formation (10 musicians)… It could be called a «Liege School» (that the Collectif du Lion represents through its productions), initiated by Henri Pousseur, at the time head of the Conservatoire Royal de Liege, who opened up this «temple» to Jazz, Improvisation, Electronic music and Composition.

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