Fuego de Lunar came to life when Louise, pianist and main vocalist, joined her musical skills and stage experience of many years with those of her husband, Athenian guitarist Christos Koulouridis, to form a live music group which has since blossomed in Greece and around the world. After a successful Concert Season in 2016, with more than 200 performances scheduled over a period of seven months, they are currently in the midst of their Summer Concert Season of 2017. Like last year, young musician, Stamatis Seraphim, will join them again as their guest artist, and their season will last until November 2107.
Fuego de Lunar has given more than 4500 performances during the past years to audiences from all walks of life, including princes and presidents; holiday seekers and happy families; well-known stage personalities, actors, musicians, singers, writers and poets; scientists, romantic grooms and brides, dancing teenagers and warm circles of close friends. Their repertoire forms a wide array of cultures and countries, stretches over many decades and is sung in more than 12 languages. Their own compositions are romantic and ethereal, positively supporting peace and unity in the world and aiming to capture their love for life and all that it offers. The band also gives regular unplugged performances, with the piano and acoustic guitar as the sole accompaniment to their vocals.
In her song, "Desire", for which she created the following video, Louise has combined her voice with the sound of her piano only.
Louise was the founder and main vocalist of a ten-member swing band, titled "The Sha-Sha Sisters and the Dukes", with which she performed at many venues during 2014 and 2015. She was also the female lead singer of a new dancing band, titled "Granadilla Groove", and of the "Porta Reale Band", the latter which consisted of 7 musicians with which she performed for almost eight years. She regularly gives seasonal concerts with symphonic orchestras of Greece. Additionally, she presents special concerts with a repertoire in several traditional South African languages, including Zulu and Xhosa, representing her homeland of South Africa in her current country of residence, the latter which is Greece.
Louise du Toit was born and raised in different breath-taking parts of South Africa as the youngest child of musical, artistic parents. She decribes her childhood memories as "beautiful and vibrant, brimming with color, sprinkled with millions of music notes, layered with warm rays of sun, overflowing with joy and full of laughter."
All throughout her school years she studied classical piano and violin at Unisa, as well as at the Royal College of London, with the added joy of ballet and martial art classes woven in between. She performed in numerous solo recitals, musicals and concerts with youth orchestras and choirs.
At the University of the Free State in South Africa, she took a four year course in Theater and Performance Arts, which also included stage, scenic and costume design. She studied opera with the acclaimed vocal teacher, Gudrun Barella, and continued her violin lessons with Abrie de Wet at the Music Department of the UOFS.
In Johannesburg, Louise performed as a freelance actress, singer and musician. She collaborated with gifted artists like guitar virtuoso Mauritz Lotz, the late drummer Lulu Gontsana and bassists Denny Lalouette and Glen Mafoko; with pianist Surendran Reddy; with Karin Hougaardt, Louis van Rensburg, Laurika Rauch, Rina Hugo, Carike Keuzenkamp, Lochner de Kock and Richard van der Westhuizen, the latter with whom she recorded the beautiful theme song of the famous Afrikaans television series, "Ballade vir 'n Enkeling". She did radio and television work and recorded several of her own compositions with the orchestras of the South African Broadcasting Corporation, including the theme song for the first "Ithuba" campaign. She also wrote, illustrated and published her first songbook in her native language of Afrikaans, titled "Lawwe Liedjies vir Lekker Luimpies".
Louise travelled through Europe before settling in Athens, where she worked as a singer, pianist and violinist at lots of different venues, including the beautiful Residence of the South African Ambassador in Greece.
MC RYDEL - REVIEW FOR LOUISE DU TOIT - FEATURED ARTIST SHOWCASE/IMRADIO: "One of the most beautiful voices in Europe comes from Athens and belongs to Louise du Toit. Completely original and interesting, Louise composes “smooth rhythms, strong melodies, subtle sounds and meaningful lyrics”. Her songs “Just Love” “Crime” “Inside” won a South African songwriting competition...She performs nightly in Athens. Watch for the release of her new CD and music video, and listen for Louise on IMRadio."