Billie, Aretha, Norah, Amy en Karin
Karin Bloemen |
Billie, Aretha, Norah, Amy… Karin!
After thirty years the renowned Dutch slogan ‘Bloemen houden van mensen’ [Flowers love people] disappeared. And rightly so, because grammatically speaking it is nonsense: Bloemen houdt van mensen. [Flowers loves people.] (her last name in Dutch = plural of flower, you see?) Something she proved in her grand, extravagant shows and roles in musicals and movies. But singing is her first and biggest love. In her concert Billie, Aretha, Norah, Amy … Karin! she goes all the way & back to the old school!
Bloemen’s sources of inspiration are Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin. Additionally Norah Jones and Amy Winehouse are on her list of idiosyncratic women who had the guts to openly sing about love, booze and drugs. Karin Bloemen extensively draws from their touching repertoire, and her Old School Band adds extra declarations of love for funk, jazz and soul.
Billie, Aretha, Norah, Amy… Karin! takes place in Boulevard Open Air Theatre at the Citadel: a defensive stronghold for 350 years, but thanks to La Bloemen a place that disarms on 27 August.
P.S. In 2005 a new national promotional slogan was introduced: ‘Gek op bloemen’ [Crazy about flowers]. Entirely true, even though it’s still a bit sloppy, that missing capital letter.
