Arrangements

The past 40 years I wrote quite al lot of arrangements and compositions. Actually: the first song I ever wrote was assigned by my piano teacher, Miss Blok. I must have been about nine years old. Perhaps I’ve still got it somewhere.

A small selection of the material that is saved you’ll find below.

Together with Izaline Calister I wrote Salba Nan: a song in the language Papiamentu wherewithal we ask for attention for the coral reefs in the Caribbean. Salba Nan is about the Tortuga; the sea turtle. Izaline wrote the lyrics and I did the music. We recorded it with the band Cada Dia and it is available on iTunes.

For Ronnie Tober I arranged the show song I Am What I Am for big orchestra; horns, strings, percussion and rhythm section.

Primary we wrote this for the revue of Hollandse Signaal Apparaten (for short Signaal), but Harm Oet Riessen (Harm Agteresch) liked the song that much that he decided to use Ölie Oeleu Oe Wa In in the repertoire of his own. Hij wrote the lyrics and I the music. It became one of the greatest hits in the East past of The Netherlands. Later the band The Spitfires recorded the song again as a tribute to Harm.

For Cada Dia I wrote many original compositions. A great part of them texts as well as music. Although Helen Ostafew wrote an few beautiful lyrics too during the period she sang with Cada Dia. And of course the contribution of Izaline Calister.