It's a treat to go to a Raymond concert, truly. He no longer performs solo in the interior of the Netherlands. In the border region, especially in Zeeuws Vlaanderen, he still 'tours', and if you get the chance... Raymond has nice and moving lyrics and has been on stage since the early '70s. We'll be going again soon!
Raymond van het Groenewoud
Raymond van het Groenewoud (14 February 1950) is a Belgian singer, guitarist and pianist. He also calls himself a lyricist, philosopher and clown. His lyrics are sometimes cheerful, then sad or philosophical. Van het Groenewoud is mainly known for the hits Meisjes (1977), Vlaanderen boven (1978), Je veux de l'amour (1980), Chachacha (1981), Brussels by Night (1979), Liefde voor muziek (1991) and Twee meisjes (1995). The singer was born as the son of Amsterdam parents. Van het Groenewoud debuted in the early '70s as a guitarist with Johan Verminnen. In 1973, his debut album Je moest eens weten hoe gelukkig ik was was released, featuring guitarist Jean-Marie Aerts among others. Maria, Maria, ik hou van jou is strongly influenced by British rock music from that period. In the early '90s, he benefited from the revival of Dutch-language pop in the early days of Tien om te zien. Ik ben de man became a success, and the gospel-like Liefde voor muziek became a number 1 hit in Belgium and the Netherlands.
In 1996, he received a Golden Prosper from the Flemish weekly Panorama for his entire body of work. Boudewijn de Groot wrote the foreword to the book with the collected lyrics, which deeply moved Van het Groenewoud: "I take him seriously in his dignity and sobriety. To then read that he can let himself go so much in his appreciation for my work, that touched me. That means more to me than the fact that a colleague sings one of my songs." (Van het Groenewoud in Het Belang van Limburg).
Photo: Michiel Hendryckx
