Music of the Netherlands
- For Renaissance music from the Low Countries, see Franco-Flemish School.
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 these musicians was 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 thus, 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 and 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.
Rock
Pioneers of Dutch rock were the so called Indo-Rock bands from the late 1950s, like The Tielman Brothers. They played rocking guitar instrumentals when most of the Netherlands's youth had hardly heard of rock 'n' roll. They stemmed from the Indonesian community in The Hague and were pivotal in earning that city the title of Beatstad ('Beat city') in later years. With 60s bands like Golden Earring and Shocking Blue, and Kane and Anouk in the 90s, The Hague became synonymous for main stream rock.
More progressive music emerged in the 1960s in Amsterdam. In 1964 (see 1964 in music), The Outsiders were the first Dutch psychedelic rock band to become successful.
Other groups from this era are Cuby + Blizzards, Shocking Blue, who topped the US charts in 1970 with Venus, Focus and the Golden Earring.
From the late 1960s the post war generation gained political influence. Many state subsidised rock venues opened all over the country. These clubs, like Amsterdam's Paradiso and Melkweg, were stepping stones for many alternative rock bands on their first European tour and the Dutch crowd stayed well informed about new British and American acts. Dutch rock bands tended to follow these examples from overseas.
In the 1980s, owing to the success of Doe Maar, Dutch language pop music (Nederpop) boomed.
Urban Dance Squad's minor American success proved to be influential. Their crossover between rock, funk and rap (rapcore) influenced bands like Rage against the machine.
Meanwhile painter and singer Herman Brood, a former member of Cuby + Blizzards, became the epitome of the "rock'n'roll junkie", drawing constant media interest up until his death in 2001.
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
Ivy Green was among the first punk bands, originating from Hazerswoude.
Tedje en de flikkers, a group of homosexuals from Nijmegen, was without doubt the most infamous punk formation of the Netherlands. They sprang from the left wing and gay movements that thrived in Nijmegen during the 70's and 80's. Their provocative performances (politically more than musically) often literally resulted in orgies of sex, drugs and noise. They existed only for three years (1977-1980).
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.
Electronic music
In the early 90's, Dutch dj's developed a style of techno music called gabber. The style was developed in reaction to the commercialization of house music. The dj's stripped the music of what they perceived as excess sounds, Songs were reduced to a high-speed monotonous beat, of sometimes over 260 beats per minute. One of the tracks often cited as the first gabber track is "Amsterdam, waar lech dat dan?" ("Where the Fuck Is Amsterdam?") by the Rotterdam-based group Euromasters. Important gabber groups and dj's are the Rotterdam Terror Corps, 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 Eurodance acts, such as 2 Unlimited, Alice Deejay, the Venga Boys, the Two Brothers on the 4th Floor and Twenty Four Seven. 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. Drum and bass is also popular in the Netherlands, artists including Noisia and Black Sun Empire.
Metal
The Netherlands are also known for their famous (in Europe) symphonic metal bands like Within Temptation, The Gathering, After Forever and Epica. They've become succesful in the late 90's and in the beginning of the new millennium. Most of these bands do not like to be categorised, but mostly they are called gothic metal or simply metal or symphonic metal.
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 1-85828-636-0