Trijntje Oosterhuis

Trijntje Oosterhuis

Trijntje Oosterhuis in 2007
Background information
Birth name Judith Katrijntje Oosterhuis
Also known as Trijntje
Born 5 February 1973
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Genres Pop, jazz
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1990–present
Labels EMI, Blue Note Records
Associated acts Total Touch
Website trijntje.nl

Judith Katrijntje "Trijntje" Oosterhuis (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈjydɪt kaːˈtrɛincə ˈtrɛincə ˈoːstərˌɦœys]; born 5 February 1973) is a Dutch pop and jazz singer. She formed the band Total Touch (1990–2001) with her brother Tjeerd Oosterhuis before she started as a solo artist. She will be representing the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song "Walk Along".

Early life

Judith Katrijntje Oosterhuis was born on 5 February 1973 in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. She is the daughter of theologian and former Catholic priest Huub Oosterhuis and violinist Jozefien Melief of the Amsterdam Promenade Orchestra. Her older brother is Tjeerd Oosterhuis (born 1971).

Total Touch

In 1990, she formed the band Total Touch with her brother Tjeerd and, in 1991, they participated in the Grote Prijs van Nederland, the most important amateur musician contest in the Netherlands.[1] Trijntje got the opportunity to tour with Candy Dulfer in 1994 after collaborating with her on the album Big Girl. Originally the tour was supposed to last six weeks; however, it became a two-year tour around the world.

Total Touch was offered a record deal in 1995 and their debut album Total Touch was released in 1996. The first single, "Touch Me There", became a summer hit and went Platinum, selling over 100,000 copies in its first month[2] - despite only peaking the Dutch charts at number 14. The next album This Way became their first number-one album and was equally successful, although the album was not well known internationally. In 1999, they took a small break, and Trijntje Oosterhuis released a live album with covers of Stevie Wonder.

Solo career

Oosterhuis performing in c. 2008

In 2001, Total Touch decided to go their separate ways, with Tjeerd wanting to focus on production and songwriting and Trijntje wanting to launch her solo career.

In March 2003, Oosterhuis's debut solo album, Trijntje Oosterhuis, was released and met with moderate success. The album consisted mainly of ballads and presented her as a diva. Trijntje personally has a fondness for Jazz instead of pop ballads, and, in 2004, she therefore signed a record deal with Blue Note and released the live album Strange Fruit, consisting of Billie Holiday and George Gershwin covers.[3] The album received critical acclaim, and Trijntje finally managed to achieve fame beyond her home country.

In September 2004, Trijntje gave birth to her son Jonas. On 31 July 2006, she gave birth to a second son, Marijn Benjamin van den Eeden. Her second jazz album called The Look Of Love (Burt Bacharach Songbook) was recorded with Burt Bacharach, who plays the piano on two tracks[4] and was released on 20 November 2006. The new album was certified Platinum on the day of release, for having shipped more than 70,000 copies.[5] In December 2006 Trijntje toured with the Metropole Orchestra performing covers of Burt Bacharach and Christmas songs.[3]

In 2007, she released a second volume of her collaboration with Burt Bacharach entitled Who'll Speak For Love, with Bacharach again playing piano on three tracks. In 2008, she released a CD and DVD of an acoustic concert performance with guitarist Leonardo Amuedo, entitled Ken Je Mij.

In September 2008, she was one of the special guests at the Symphonica in Rosso concert in Arnhem, starring Lionel Richie. During this concert she sang the duet "Face in the Crowd" with Richie, which performance is included in Richie's album Just Go.

In 2009 and 2010, her song "What the World Needs Now" was the theme for Brazilian soap opera Viver a Vida made by Rede Globo.

Oosterhuis performing in 2012

In early 2011, Oosterhuis released the album Sundays in New York. The CD was given away free to lucky readers of the Saturday 15 January 2011 edition of the Dutch newspaper AD.

A year later, in January 2012, Dutch singer Anouk made two videos of her and Trijntje working together in a studio, available through Twitter and Facebook.[6][7] Initial assumptions were made that Anouk and Trijntje were recording a duet for Trijntje's next album. Soon after, it was announced that Anouk was writing songs for the album and producing it.[8] The new album, named Wrecks We Adore, was officially released on 13 April 2012. In 2012, Oosterhuis replaced Angela Groothuizen as a coach on the third season of The Voice of Holland alongside Nick & Simon, Roel van Velzen and Marco Borsato. Her final contestant, Leona Philippo, reached the final and won.

Trijntje Oosterhuis will represent the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song "Walk Along".[9][10]

Discography

Albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
NL
[11]
With Total Touch
Total Touch 2
This Way
  • Released: 1 June 1998
  • Label: BMG Nederland BV
  • Format: Digital download, CD
1
The Best Of Total Touch &
Trijntje Oosterhuis
  • Released: 2003
  • Label: Sony BMG
  • Format: Digital download, CD
13
As a solo artist
For Once in My Life 25
Trijntje Oosterhuis 3
Strange Fruit 2
See You As I Do
  • Released: 9 October 2005
  • Label: EMI
  • Format: Digital download, CD
5
The Look Of Love 1
Sundays in New York
  • Released: 11 March 2011
  • Label: EMI
  • Format: Digital download, CD
22
We've Only Just Begun
  • Released: 2011
  • Label: EMI
  • Format: Digital download, CD
19
Wrecks We Adore
  • Released: 12 April 2012
  • Label: EMI
  • Format: Digital download, CD
1
Collected
  • Released: 24 April 2015
  • Label: Universal Music
  • Format: Digital download, CD
Walk Along

Singles

Year Title Peak chart positions Album
NL
[11]
With Total Touch
1996 "Touch Me There" 13 Total Touch
1998 "Doo Be La Dee"
"I'll Say Goodbye" 5 This Way
"Love Me In Slow Motion" 24
1999 "Forgive - Won't Forget" 70
As a solo artist
1996 "Wereld zonder jou"
(with Marco Borsato)
3 N/A
1998 "Vlieg met me mee (het avontuur)" 16
2003 "Free" 42
"Nu dat jij er bent"
(Carel Kraayenhof, Trijntje Oosterhuis & Janine Janse)
4
2004 "Merry Christmas Baby"
(featuring Candy Dulfer)
4
2005 "See You As I Do" 40 See You As I Do
2006 "Where Is The Love?"
(with Raul Midón)
57
"Do You Know The Way To San José?"
(with Metropole Orchestra)
38 The Look Of Love
2007 "That's What Friends Are For"
(with Metropole Orchestra)
90
2008 "Face In The Crowd"
(with Lionel Richie)
3 N/A
2011 "Everything Has Changed (Imaani's Song)"
(featuring The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra)
Sundays in New York
"Sundays In New York"
(featuring The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra)
2012 "Knocked Out" 15 Wrecks We Adore
2014 "I'll Carry You" N/A
"Walk Along" 7 Walk Along
"—" denotes a single that did not chart or was not released.

References

  1. Stand By Productions (booking agency) Biography Trijntje Oosterhuis. (Dutch) Retrieved: September 15, 2006
  2. PopInstituut.nl Biography Trijntje Oosterhuis. Retrieved: September 15, 2006
  3. 3.0 3.1 PopInstituut.nl Biography Trijntje Oosterhuis. Retrieved: 15 September 2006
  4. Polyhymnia Recording Studio New Trijntje Oosterhuis CD mastered at Polyhymnia Retrieved: 25 October 2006
  5. 5.0 5.1 EMImusic.nl Trijntje Oosterhuis page, "20-11-2006 - Trijntje ontvangt Platina Award tijdens The Look of Love première" Retrieved: 23 November 2006
  6. Facebook.com Video of Anouk and Trijntje in studio. Retrieved: April 12, 2012
  7. Facebook.com Second video of Anouk and Trijntje in studio. Retrieved: April 12, 2012
  8. Facebook.com Anouk announces her cooperation with Trijntje Oosterhuis. Retrieved: 12 April 2012.
  9. Trijntje Oosterhuis to represent Netherlands
  10. "Trijntje naar Songfestival"
  11. 11.0 11.1 Peak chart positions in the Netherlands:
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 NVPI.nl Dutch certification database Accessed 4 November 2006
  13. Bluenote.nl Trijntje Oosterhuis page (Dutch). Retrieved: 23 November 2006
  14. "Album Trijntje Oosterhuis goud". De Telegraaf. Retrieved 2012-11-30.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Trijntje Oosterhuis.
Achievements
Preceded by
The Common Linnets
with "Calm After the Storm"
Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest
with "Walk Along"

2015
Incumbent