The original idea of Olla Vogala came into being at a playful rehearsal/interlude of OKO FON BIO (a collective from Ghent with a budding reputation of scoring live silent movies). The name itself, Olla Vogala, was borrowed from one of the oldest sentences that came down to us in Dutch. The first concert took place at Cocteau's in Ghent, may '97. Paul Cassiers recited Middle Dutch love stories, cooking recipes and other texts. This was alternated with early European and Indian music. Wouter Vandenabeele played the viol, Tom Theuns the sitar and Dirk Moelants the viola da gamba. The music performed was mainly an improvisation on old Flemish and Italian themes (e.g. "Lamento di Tristano"). Wouter soon introduced a diverse cast of musicians. He also started composing several new pieces and arranging both classical and traditional material, maintaining a modal quality in most of the music. With the arrival of folk-singer Ludo Van Deau and the Algerian rai-vocalist Djamel Berezeg the group now counted 14 musicians and was ready to fully explore all its possibilities. A try-out followed at the "Gentse Feesten" of '97. Soon after, the group was joined by a third vocalist, a trumpet player and a second percussionist. Searching for the most adequate forms of expression (musicians and styles) became the leitmotiv of Olla Vogala. The whole concept is not a solo performance by one of the musicians. It's more the blend of all the different instruments highlighted at different intervals that makes the sound of Olla Vogala. When the orchestra (if you dare call it that) played its premiere at the Muziekconservatorium in Ghent on february 26 in '98, there were twenty musicians on stage. This concert was released on CD in '98 (MAP Records) as "Olla Vogala - Live". In march of '98 the group was selected by Trappelend Talent, enabling them to tour different cultural centres. Soon managers of festivals took an interest (main stage at the Gentse Feesten '98 and Dranouter Folkfestival '98). Both the audience and the press loved what they heard, and the "big band" was hailed as one of thé revelations of the festival. Dranouter immediately invited Olla Vogala to play at the '99 edition.

In May '99 a special concert was organized by the "Gele Zaal" which featured two special guests, Gabriel Yacoub and Cathereine Delasalle. This fruitful combination ended in a series of concerts together, as well as contributions to the first studio effort. "Gnanomo" was released end '99 by the new label ZOKU (EMI) and was praised and cherished by the media. Jo Van Driessche invited the group to play at Brugges Festival 2000. This concert was recorded by the VRT and broadcast March 25 on national television (Canvas).