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Rowwen Hèze

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

Rowwen Hèze is a Dutch band from America, a village in northern Limburg, which sings mainly in the dialect of that region. The band emerged in 1985 from The Legendary Texas Four, which was looking for a new singer. Jack Poels, who had previously sung in the band Bad Edge, took the place on condition that he could do one song in dialect. The name refers to Christiaan Hesen, a wilful village character from America nicknamed Rowwen Hèze, loosely translated as rough Hesen. In the early years the group mainly played English-language covers, but more and more songs came in the dialect.

Music and breakthrough

National fame came through a carnival song, Niks stront niks, from 1987. A 1988 demo with Bestel mar became a big hit a few years later. In 1990 the band signed with a record company, and in 1992 it played Pinkpop for the first time. In 1993 it was the first Dutch band at the Roskilde Festival. Albums such as Boem, Station America and Zondag in 't zuiden followed. Since 1991 the core has consisted of Poels, William van Enckevort, Jan Philipsen, Theo Joosten, Jack Haegens and Martîn Rongen. The traditional annual tent tour ends with the Slotconcert in America.

Influence

The music blends folk, brass band and Tex-Mex, with influences from The Pogues and Los Lobos. The lyrics are about ordinary things: a hangover, the local brass band, fatherhood or a village character. Rowwen Hèze also reaches people who do not fully understand the dialect and shows that a local language can touch a large audience in Dutch pop music.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Bestel mar and notice the instruments you would not expect in an ordinary rock band, such as accordion and wind instruments. Hear how the voice sounds in Limburgish and how cheerfully the music trots along.

Discography

Studio albums

Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: ArtistsDialect pop and rock