Kinderen voor Kinderen

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Kinderen voor Kinderen logo
Kinderen voor Kinderen logo

Kinderen voor Kinderen is the name of a children's chorus maintained by public broadcaster VARA in the Netherlands. The name means "children for children" in Dutch.

The chorus has issued one album of new children's songs every year since 1980. The ideas for the songs generally come from children who write in. Well-known Dutch lyrics writers then turn a submitted idea into a finished song.

The songs of each year's album are presented in a special yearly TV broadcast, staged and recorded in advance (in the group's early years, these shows were broadcast live). Various Dutch celebrities often appear as cast members in these shows. In 2006, for the first time Kinderen voor Kinderen held a live pop concert as the basis of its yearly broadcast. VARA has announced an intention to use this concert format again in 2007.

Kinderen voor Kinderen also holds a yearly "Song Festival", in which children from any of the Netherlands' provinces may participate and compete in regional events for positions as song festival finalists.

Contents

[edit] History

In 1980 program director Flory Anstadt decided to found a children's chorus as part of a VARA fund-raising campaign to provide toys to children in developing countries. The chorus released an album of songs sung by children from 8 to 12 years old. VARA subsequently broadcast performances of the songs on television. The chorus was a success and a decision was made to release an album each year from then on. The toy donation campaign ended in 1991. Only the name of the chorus now remains as a reminder of its original function.

Yet benefiting a good cause is still one of Kinderen voor Kinderen's main purposes. Some examples are:

  • the 2001 single Morgen is een droom ("tomorrow is a dream")
  • in early 2005, to benefit tsunami victims in Asia, a single of its anthem with lyrics changed to include De zee is onberekenbaar ("the sea is capricious")
  • in the summer of 2005, to benefit the Dutch development NGO Novib, a single named Het begin van het einde ("the beginning of the end").

Since 2005 the ensemble's choral director has been Babette Labeij. She succeeded Majel Lustenhouwer, who had directed the group for 25 years since its founding. In recognition of Kinderen voor Kinderen's contribution to Dutch culture under Lustenhouwer, in 2006 he was made a knight of the Order of Orange Nassau.

Prior to album 22, the first selection was always the Kinderen voor Kinderen anthem. Starting with album 22 the custom changed to make it the closing selection instead. The melody has remained the same since 1980, though after album 3 the verse with lyrics about children starving and sleeping in the street was scrapped. The tune's refrain survives, with lyrics altered over the years to be more celebratory and inclusive. A few of the most recent albums omit the anthem entirely.

[edit] At present

The chorus currently consists of around 30 children between 8 and 12 years of age. Originally the goal was to have participants from throughout the Netherlands. Over time, however, practical considerations intervened and the children recruited as singers are now required to live within close distance of the TV recording studios in Amsterdam. As a consequence the songs are sung pronouncing the letter r in the manner typical of Het Gooi region. This Gooise r, as it is known in Dutch, is never rolled before consonants or at the end of a word.

The ensemble operates on a yearly production cycle starting with auditions for new members in January. Songs are composed based on ideas from children's letters and go through a judging process, ultimately leaving 12 song choices for the year's CD. The first singing rehearsals begin in March and dance rehearsals in September following summer recess. The year's TV program is usually recorded during the autumn school recess. A viewing is held for the children and their families one week before the program is broadcast in November.

Kinderen voor Kinderen's 2006 album, its 27th, is named De coolste DJ ("the coolest DJ") after one of its songs.

[edit] Notable songs

Besides the alphabet-blocks logo, motifs of a boy (left) or girl (right) wearing a microphone headset are also frequently used in the Kinderen voor Kinderen world. The Club is a service children can sign up for to receive news and discounts.
Besides the alphabet-blocks logo, motifs of a boy (left) or girl (right) wearing a microphone headset are also frequently used in the Kinderen voor Kinderen world. The Club is a service children can sign up for to receive news and discounts.

Songs well-known in the Netherlands or otherwise notable include:

  • Ik heb zo waanzinnig gedroomd (1980)    "I had such a crazy dream"
  • Op een onbewoond eiland (1981)    "on a desert island"
  • Meidengroep (1983)    "girl group"
  • Als de lichtjes doven (1984)    "as the lights go out"
  • Als ik de baas zou zijn van het journaal (1984)    "if I were the boss of the TV news"
  • Ik ben toch zeker Sinterklaas niet (1986)    "Santa Claus I'm surely not"
  • Moeders wil is wet (1987)    "Mother's will is law"
  • Ik wil een krokodil als huisdier (1988)    "I want a crocodile as pet"
  • Miepie (1988) (sung by Daniël Samkalden)    "[my cat] Miepie"
  • Stuntelkampioen (1989)    "champion of blunders"
  • De Kerstezel (sung by Jannes Drop) (1990)    "the Christmas donkey"
  • Wakker met een wijsje (1991)    "awake with a melody"
  • Vuur en vlam (1992)    "fire and flame"
  • Rauw en primitief (1993)    "rough and primitive"
  • Het tietenlied (1996) (sung by Elize van der Horst)    "the tits song"
  • Het leven duurt een leven lang (1997)    "life lasts a whole life long"
  • Sandwichkind (1998)    "sandwich [= middle] child"
  • Wij zijn vriendinnen (2000)    "we [two girls] are friends"
  • Morgen is een droom (2001)    "tomorrow is a dream"
  • Ik wil een huisdier (2003)    "I want a pet"
  • Een gouden koets (2003)    "a golden coach"
  • Doodgewone jongen (met ADHD) (2004)    "boy like any other (with ADHD)"
  • Mijn mobiel (2004)    "my mobile / my cell phone"
  • Twee vaders (2005)    "two fathers"

In late December 1984 Kinderen voor Kinderen scored the most successful Dutch-language Christmas hit ever with Eeuwige Kerst ("forever Christmas").

[edit] Topics addressed in songs

Kinderen voor Kinderen's songs deal with many different subjects. Some frequently recurring themes are:

  • Injustice (Als de lichtjes doven, Schuilplaats, Als ik de baas zou zijn van het journaal)
  • Death (of a person) (De Lek, Anders dan je denkt, Mijn vader is een ster, Het leven duurt een leven lang, Mijn laatste oma)
  • Death (of an animal) (Miepie, Alleen)
  • Loneliness (Mijn boom, Kom je strakjes bij me spelen, Annemiek)
  • Being in love (Rikkie, Smoorverliefd, Dikke vrienden, Strooi kruimels, Verliefdheid is rampzalig, Frisse knul, Ik ben verliefd, Verliefd op de meester, Roosmarijn)
  • Boredom (Zondagmiddag, Sleutelkind, Verkleden)
  • Taunting (De pest aan pesten, LOM-kind, Rik, De kerstezel, Ha ha ha je vader, Jongen op ballet, Bruin, Bang voor de bal)
  • Divorce (Foto-album, Hij, Vier ouders, Mijlenver, Mama is morgen van mij)
  • Generational conflict (Zeuren, Naar bed, Trammelant, Daar ben jij veel te jong voor, Vakantie in Italië)
  • Animals (Met een beesie, Miepie, Sluit je aan, Honden, Alles van paarden, Een tweedehands jas, Ik wil een krokodil als huisdier)
  • Advertising (Snoepverslaving, Hallekiedallekie, De wereld van de STER)
  • Growing up (Puberteitsballade, Heb jij 't al, Brugsmurf-blues, Ze hebben het mis, Tietenlied)
  • Eating (Eet je bi ba boe bord nou leeg, Dieet, Moeders wil is wet, Kip patat en appelmoes, Het hete eten)
  • Home (Verhuizen, Mijn oude kamer, Hier ben ik dan, Dozen)
  • Money (Geld is overbodig, Ik ben toch zeker sinterklaas niet, Ouders te koop, Zakgeld (KvK 11), Alles is te koop, Mijn eerste miljoen, Kinderbijslag, Zakgeld (KvK 18))
  • Discrimination (LOM-kind, Gastarbeider, Twee Vaders)
  • Disability (En ik, Mijn broertje, LOM-kind, Ik st st stotter, Nare dingen allergie, Nep, Dyslectisch, Een doodgewone jongen (met ADHD))
  • Tobacco smoking (Roken, De Lek, Stoppen)

Most of the songs named as examples above are from the ensemble's early years. There are many who say they like the songs from the early years better than the songs from the more recent past. However, as the group's website declares:

"… children today are different from their counterparts 25 years ago and the times they live in are completely different. For example, in those days there was no Internet and there were very few children’s programs on TV and no music channels at all specifically for young people.
"The themes the songs used in those days are in any case timeless. For example, today too it happens that children are taunted at school, and a theme like disappointment in love will always be relevant. Yet there are also some new themes involving situations that earlier did not happen very often or were subject to taboos so that people preferred not to talk about them. One example of this is the song Twee Vaders ('two fathers') on the 2005 CD.
"Kinderen voor Kinderen will be staying in step with the times." Source (DOC file) (Dutch)

[edit] Former members with notable solo careers

[edit] External links

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