Raymond van het Groenewoud

4+ (group) performers

Indoor and outdoor

Singer (male) , Well known artists

2 hours

3x4

NL

Raymond van het Groenewoud is an iconic Belgian singer-songwriter and musician known for his versatile repertoire and deep, poetic lyrics.

With a career spanning more than five decades, Raymond van het Groenewoud has left a lasting mark on Dutch-language music. Raymond van het Groenewoud began his musical career in the 1960s and 1970s, initially as a guitarist with various bands. His solo career took off in the 1970s with the hit song "Maria, Maria, ik hou van jou," with which he managed to reach a large audience. He is known for his ability to combine different musical styles, ranging from rock and pop to jazz and chanson.

The singer was born to Amsterdam parents. His father, Josef van het Groenewoud, fled to Brussels in 1947 to escape military service and specifically participation in the police actions in the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. In Belgium, he gained fame as a guitarist and orchestra leader mainly under the stage name Nico Gomez and also Nicolas Ooms,[1][2] initially living in Hoogstraat, the family later moved to Schaarbeek.

Van het Groenewoud made his debut in the early 1970s as a guitarist with Johan Verminnen. In 1972, he formed the group Louisette with Erik Van Neygen, Johnny Dierick and Eddy Verdonck; as well as contributing to Jan De Wilde's album Vogelenzang, 5. Under the pseudonym Raymond Lolandson, Van Het Groenewoud wrote the title track Ritual, found on the 1971 album of the same name by Nico Gomez And His Afro Percussion Inc. released on Omega International.

1973 saw the release of his debut album Je moest eens weten hoe gelukkig ik was with guitarist Jean-Marie Aerts, among others. Maria, Maria, I Love You was heavily influenced by the British rock music of that period. Other songs were Bleke Lena and Mijnheer de postbode. His second album Ik doe niet mee (1975) included songs like Ik wil de grootste zijn (I want to be the greatest) and the poetic Gelukkig zijn (Being Happy). In 1977, his album Nooit meer drinken was released, with Jean Blaute as producer and Stoy Stoffelen on drums. Girls is still one of the most popular Flemish rock songs. From 1978 to 1981, Van het Groenewoud worked with his backing group De Centimeters. In 1978 he created the song Vlaanderen boven, which would be voted the official Flemish party song in 2002.[3] More hits followed: Don't pull it on yourself, Je veux de l'amour and Chachacha. Meanwhile, he was building a solid live reputation. He was on stage at Torhout-Werchter in 1978 and 1979 and NEKKA in 1978. In 1980 he moved to Bruges and also broke through in the Netherlands, performing at the Pinkpop festival. That year he also played a guest role as a conductor in the film De Witte van Sichem.

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