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Klein Orkest

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Klein Orkest was founded in The Hague in 1978 by singer and lyricist Harrie Jekkers and Koos Meinderts. The group came out of a failed cabaret programme, Het Groot Orkest, and at first played mainly at squat parties. Klein Orkest made kleinkunst (Dutch cabaret song) with a pop band: songs in which the lyrics are central, played with guitar, bass, drums and keyboards. In this way the group belongs to the line of Dutch chanson that later continues to Acda en de Munnik.

Music and breakthrough

The regular line-up consisted of Jekkers, drummer Niek Nieuwenhuijsen, bassist Chris Prins and keyboardist Léon Smit. The first album Het leed versierd (1982) contained Laat mij maar alleen, which reached the Top 40. After the success of Doe Maar, Dutch-language bands were given more room on the radio. Over de muur was released on 1 November 1983, three days after the big demonstration against cruise missiles in The Hague. The song compares East and West Berlin and shows that both sides have their own form of unfreedom. In the summer of 1984 it became a hit; the album Later is al lang begonnen (1984) reached number 4. Roltrap naar de maan (1985) won an Edison.

Influence

In September 1985 Klein Orkest gave its last concert. Jekkers went back to the theatre and made solo records. After the fall of the Wall in 1989, Over de muur was released again, and since the first edition in 1999 the song has appeared every year in the Top 2000 of NPO Radio 2. From 2017 to 2019 the group toured the theatres once more.

Listening

Listening tip. Over de muur is built like a travel report: the verses describe streets and people on both sides of the Wall. Listen to how the chorus keeps returning to the birds flying over the wall, the only image that stays the same on both sides.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

Mentioned in other articles

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (nl): Klein Orkest
  2. last.fm
  3. nos.nl
  4. Wikipedia (nl): Over de muur
Categories: ArtistsKleinkunst