Music of the Netherlands
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The Netherlands has multiple musical traditions, mostly related to nearby German and Belgian forms. Immigrants from Africa and the Middle East have also had a profound effect. Much more so than most non-English speaking European countries, the Netherlands has remained closely in tune with American and British trends.
In the early 19th century, rural Dutch folk began moving to cities, like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, bringing with them folk traditions. Many of these songs and dances, however, began to dwindle in popularity. In the early part of the 20th century, however, a number of urban intellectuals travelled to the countrysides recording local musicians, a process paralleled in many other European countries, Spain, for instance.
In the 1970s, the Netherlands underwent a roots revival, led by artists like Gerard van Maasakkers, Jos Koning, Dommelvolk and RK Veulpoepers BV, Fungus and Wolverloi. Many of the folk songs performed by this musicians were collected by Cobi Schreijer or Ate Doornbosch, the latter of whom broadcast them on his radio program Onder de groene linde (Under the green lime).
It was in about 1974 that the Dutch folk revival peaked, a year marked by the first recording of Fungus and the birth of Wargaren from the band Pitchwheel.
The mainstream popularity of the Dutch roots revival was short-lived, but a major pocket continued in Friesland, where a handful of groups, starting with Irolt in the mid-1970s, sang in Frisian. Frisian folk music has survived thusly, aided in part by the Aaipop Festival in Nylân and annual festival in Joure. At Joure's festival, established in 1955, participants dress in 19th century-style clothes and perform revival traditional music and dance like the skotsploech ensembles.
Modern revivalists include the Groningen band Törf, Folkcorn, Pekel and Twee Violen en een Bas, Lirio, Dubius, Mus, Matzko en Wè-nun Henk.
Moluccan-Dutch musicians like Tala Mena Siwa and the Moluccan Moods Orchestra have had some success with pop-based Moluccan music, while kaseko, a style from the former Dutch colony of Surinam, has also seen mainstream popularity, primarily due to musicians like William Souvenir and Carlo Jones.
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Rock
In 1964 (see 1964 in music), The Outsiders became the first and most successful Dutch psychedelic rock band. Other famous Dutch rock groups are Shocking Blue, who topped the US charts in 1970 with Venus, Focus and the Golden Earring. Group 1850 and Ahora Mazda were also influential. In addition, indigenous forms of pop-rock include Nederpop and Indo-rock, created by Indonesian immigrants.
The Netherlands has a vibrant scene of Dutch-language pop and rock music, called Nederpop. Important groups in this genre are De Dijk, Van Dik Hout, Tröckener Kecks, Acda & De Munnik, De Poema's, Marco Borsato, De Kast, Abel, Amazing Stroopwafels, Bløf, Frank Boeijen Groep, Toontje Lager and The Scene. Furthermore, the Netherlands has an active underground scene. The most important Dutch underground bands are Green Lizard and de Heideroosjes.
Painter and singer Herman Brood was the most famous "rock'n'roll junkie" that lived in the Netherlands. André Manuel and his group Krang can be noted for their originality and very un-Dutch sound. Doe Maar is a famous Dutch-language reggae/ska group.
Rap
Several Dutch groups have played an important role in the development of rap and hiphop in the Netherlands. The Urban Dance Squad, led by Rude Boy (who later also played with Junkie XL), offered an original mix of rock and rap, laying the foundation for the nu-metal hype of the late 90's and early 00's. The Osdorp Posse were the founders of Dutch rap or nederhop. Their frontman, Def P (Pascal Griffioen), switched from English to Dutch in 1988, which made him the first to rap in Dutch. That year, Def P, IJsblok, King and Seda formed the Osdorp Posse. Over the years, they explored all sides of hiphop, from poetic hiphop to gangsta rap to politically engaged hiphop. They introduced several Anglicisms in the Dutch language, such as moederneuker ("motherfucker"). Other important Dutch rappers are Extince (Peter Kops), Brainpower (Gert-Jan Mulder), Opgezwolle, Spookrijders, Moordgasten, D-Men, Polderkartel, Ali B (Ali Bouali) and Def Rhymz (Dennis Bouman).
Punk
The Ex is an Amsterdam group of musicians making something that could be called punk. De Heideroosjes is also a well-known Dutch punk rock group.
Jazz
Out of all the European countries, the Netherlands has one of only a handful of distinct jazz sounds, alongside Italy and France. Famous Dutch jazz musicians include Misha Mengelberg, Han Bennink, Willem Breuker, Hans Dulfer and his daughter Candy Dulfer.
The North Sea Jazz Festival attracts artists from international acclaim.
Dance
In the early 90's, Dutch dj's developed a techno style called gabber. The style was developed out of anger over the commercialization of house music. The dj's stripped the music of all excess sounds and brought the music back to its basics, which is a high-speed monotonous beat, of sometimes over 260 beats per minute. Gabber is related to house music. One of the tracks often cited as the first gabber track is "Where the Fuck Is Amsterdam" by the Euromasters. Important gabber groups and dj's are the Rotterdam Terror Corpse, the Dark Raver and Neophyte. Gabbers distinguish themselves through hair (bald heads) and clothes (Australian and Cavello). Many gabbers (but certainly not all) have far-right political tendencies. Nowadays, gabber is usually called hardcore. Gabber also spawned happy hardcore, a commercial offshoot of gabber. Important groups and dj's in happy hardcore include Charly Lownoise and Mental Theo, Party Animals and Flamman & Abraxas. The Netherlands has also spawned many commercial Eurodance acts, such as 2 Unlimited, Alice Deejay, the Venga Boys, the Two Brothers on the 4th Floor, Twenty Four Seven and many others. Nowadays, the Netherlands is seen as the capital of dance music, particularly of trance. Many of the world's top dj's are Dutch, such DJ Tiësto, Ferry Corsten and Armin van Buuren. Many foreign DJ's live in and operate from the Netherlands.
See also
References
- Bloemendaal, Wim. "Tilting at Windmills". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East, pp 207-210. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN 1-85828-636-0nl:Nederlandse muziek