Pianist Cor Bakker recently held a concert on the 20th of August in Amsterdam. The venue was Het Concertgebouw, in none other than the Grand Concert Hall. The musician wanted to offer the public something special and that he did by calling on none other than bubbly Edsilia Rombley.
Cor Bakker held a concert at the same venue back in 2009 and the event was such a success that he was invited back to play again. The choice of music for the evening fitted very much in with a summery theme, with Motown being the main theme for the night. And who better to lend a hand with vocals than twice Eurovision entrant Edsilia Rombley? According to Bakker, he chose Edsilia because, as far as he’s concerned "There’s only one singer in the Netherlands that makes the grade. She’s a fantastically versatile singer. She’s also great to work with, and Motown suits her voice perfectly."
The programme featured a plethora of huge Motown hits as well as some more obscure numbers, included because Bakker wanted the audience to get a feel for how music is built up. Accompanying the duo was a 14 strong big band. This won’t be the last time Dutch audiences will get to see Rombley and Bakker perform together. Edislia’s schedule for the autumn is filling up fast too, with theatre performances planned. She tells Nu.nl: "So much has happened in recent years. I became a mother, after my summer vacation I’ve got my theatre tour and in september-october I’ll hopefully release my new album." Busy times ahead for the songstress with the silky smooth soul voice, as she has other projects lined up simultaneously: "At the same time, we’ll be working on an english language project. I’ve asked Leo Blokhuis to assist me in selecting a repertoire, mainly old soul from the 70s. He’s given me so much material to choose from, which is great. We’ve listened to an awful lot of music together."
When asked about her recording work, Rombley claims that commercial success is not a key motivator in her choices: "I don’t record an album just to do well commercially. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve already achieved my goal in being succesfull, because I really enjoy what I do. If the album is a success, then that’s a bonus. I’m thrilled if my album becomes a hit, but that’s not my main aim."
