April 2025 Theme Mix Tape (Side A)
The Fijne Koningsdag! April 2025 Theme Mix Tape (Side A) can be found on Spotify. Listen in-blog below for a more rich experience, or on Spotify for uninterrupted music. Please note below each song is a link to song lyrics for accessibility. Check out more details on how to best enjoy mix tapes.
Good day and fijne Koningsdag!
U luistert naar KMTJ-DB – Jouw Mix Tape Reis – Denver, Colorado.
You’re listening to KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
I am your host, DJ Ponyboy welcoming you to April 2025’s theme mix tape celebrating Koningsdag!
What is Koningsdag, you may ask? Well, dear listener, Koningsdag (King’s Day) is a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, presently celebrated on April 27th (or April 26th if the 27th falls on a Sunday), that date marking the birth of King Willem-Alexander, king of the Netherlands since 2013.
Fijne means fine, so fijne Koningsdag is wishing someone a fine King’s Day!
We will continue to explore the holiday in more depth across both sides of this month’s mix tape, but you’re here for the music, so let’s jump right in!
As always, for the best experience I recommend following the links below each song to view the lyrics (presented here in both Dutch and English).
Kicking off today’s mix tape is Dutch duo Lucas & Gea discussing marital struggles in “Steeds Weer Huil Je (Remix)”.
I’m DJ Ponyboy; Dutch is a beautiful language, and I apologize to my Dutch listeners for my inevitable mispronunciations. 🥺 Please be kind. 🥰
I have been listening to Dutch-language music for years and Koningsdag is the perfect excuse to share some of my favourites with you! ❤️
When the kingdom of the Netherlands has a queen as their monarch, the holiday is known as Koninginnedag (Queen’s Day). Queen Beatrix (who ruled from 1980-2013) celebrated Koninginnedag on April 30th, continuing the tradition of her mother, Queen Juliana, whose birthday fell on that date.
Queen Beatrix’ own birthday was on January 31st, and it was considered too cold to celebrate then. Plus, April is when the tulips bloom; what could be a better time for a party?! 🥰
While she retained the date, Queen Beatrix did alter her mother’s custom of receiving a floral parade at Soestdijk Palace, opting instead to visit different Dutch towns each year to join in the festivities with her children.
The protagonist in our next song describes how he often acts a fool around members of the opposite sex, leading him to be labelled an “Idioot“.
Mooi Wark on KMTJ-DB – Denver, Colorado.
You might think the culture of the Netherlands is well removed from that of the United States, but our next tune makes the point that they are not as different as they may seem!
Comparing the state of Texas in America to the town of Oude Pekela in the Netherlands, here is the Dutch Boys with “Amerika En Olde Pekela”.
I’m DJ Ponyboy, coming to you on KMTJ-DB, Denver – having more fun than a human being should be allowed to have – and I am so excited you have decided to join me today for this unique mix tape!
Our next artist had a long and venerated career in the Netherlands. Believe it or not, he wrote a song I grew up singing in Sunday school (if you were raised in the church, you likely did too)!
Dutch musical artist Pierre Kartner began using the stage name Vader Abraham after the success of his first hit song, “Father Abraham”. You know the one – “Father Abraham had seven (or many) sons, Many (seven) sons had Father Abraham”.
Were you today years old when you learned a children’s song you grew up singing in church was a Dutch carnival song from 1971?!
Sharing the tale of a quaint little Cheers-style pub on the harbor where tired workers share evenings with friends, here is Vader Abraham and “‘t Kleine Café Aan De Haven”.
‘t Kleine Café Aan De Haven Lyrics
That song utilizes one of my favourite time signatures (prevalent in music from this part of the world), that of the waltz, which comes from the German verb walzen, meaning to roll – which you can hear in the constant, rollicking motion of the music.
A waltz may be defined as dance music in triple meter, often written in 3/4 time (though I would personally count our last tune – and our next – in 6/8).
We will kindly keep it walzen with our next tune, Stef Ekkel’s “De Woonboot” on KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado!
Don’t worry vrienden, I haven’t forgotten about Koningsdag!
The holiday was originally observed on August 31st, 1885, as Prinsessedag (Princess’ Day), the fifth birthday of Princess Wilhelmina, the presumptive heir to the Dutch throne. On her accession to the throne in November 1890 the holiday acquired the name Koninginnedag, first celebrated on August 31st, 1891.
In September 1948, when her daughter Juliana ascended to the throne, the holiday was moved to her birthday, April 30th, and was celebrated on this date for more than sixty years (from 1949 to 2013).
While our last few songs were a bit more “traditional”, our next track, like our second one (“Idioot”) has a bit more “modern” feel.
The Netherlands is known for having a fairly lax approach toward drug usage.
Singing of the joys of “nose powder”, musing that, “If it doesn’t help, it won’t hurt”, here is the band Bökkers and “Baat Het Niet Dan Schaadt Het Niet”!
Baat Het Niet Dan Schaadt Het Niet Lyrics
Bökkers pumping up the party with “Baat Het Niet Dan Schaadt Het Niet” on KMTJ-DB – Denver.
Dimitri Van Toren asks us to, “Come on, don’t stop”, urging us to keep the party going – turn up for “Hé Kom Aan!”.
Koningsdag is known for its nationwide vrijmarkt (meaning ‘free market’) – like a nationwide yard sale, where folks sell their used items.
It is also an opportunity for oranjegekte (meaning “orange craze”), or oranjekoorts (meaning “orange fever”). Wikipedia describes this as “a phenomenon in the Netherlands that occurs during major sporting events, … and during Koningsdag…. It manifests itself in the wearing of orange clothing such as T-shirts, caps and scarfs; lavish attention for sports and sports fans in the media; and the decoration of cars, rooms, houses, shops, and even entire streets in orange, the traditional colour of the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange-Nassau”.
Make sure to wear something orange when joining me in two weeks on Saturday, April 26th to celebrate Koningsdag 2025 with Side B of this month’s theme mix tape: Prettige Koningsdag!
But first, some music a bit closer to home, featuring some of the very first Dutch-language music I discovered: covers of popular American songs. The Dutch fascination with American (and British) popular music (especially from the 1950’s and 1960’s) has roots in several cultural and historical factors, including the post-WWII English and American influences felt by many parts of Western Europe (driven partly by accessibility to United States armed forces radio networks); this trend continued well into later decades, with Dutch artists still frequently covering classic American songs, reflecting both nostalgia and the historical cultural exchange between the Netherlands and the U.S.
Make sure to join me next week as I share a surprising fact about Dutch popular music!
I expect you will recognize both our next tunes, even if you don’t understand all the words.
I am your host, DJ Ponyboy, and guess what?! I got a koorts, and the only prescription is more Dutch-language music!
Here is Marco Kanters with his cover of a track originally recorded by the Tremoloes in 1968 – “My Little Lady” on KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
Fijne Koningsdag!
Rocky Vosse with his cover of a 1969 track originally recorded by English-German singer-songwriter Chris Andrews, “Pretty Belinda”.
Marco Kanters before that with “My Little Lady”.
You’re listening to KMTJ-DB, Denver.
I’m DJ Ponyboy, and if you have enjoyed today’s journey, please consider supporting me and the mission of Mix Tape Journey by signing up for my email newsletter, purchasing a product, supporting me on Patreon, or simply sharing your favourite mix tape with someone special.
I hope you have found a new song, a new artist, or several of each through today’s music. As always, I encourage you to explore what piques your interest – go down the rabbit hole! If you’re unsure how, check out Chasing Sunshine: My Guide to Educating Yourself on Popular Music, which provides tips, tricks, and strategies for finding new music you love!
Don’t forget we are celebrating one year of weekly mix tapes all month long! Have you listened to them all? 🤔 Which is your favourite? Share yours on the Mix Tape Journeyers Facebook Group!
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Thank you for your contribution; I appreciate you!
Closing out today’s mix tape is Dutch rock band Normaal, with a rousing tribute to motocross! I suppose the meaning of Ohio has pejorated over the years, as currently in America Gen Z references it as a bad thing, but in this song it seems to have a positive connotation. 😅
Rock band Normaal with 1980’s “De Motocross is O.H.I.O.”.
Ohio, wo-ho-ho indeed!
You could be forgiven for thinking all popular music from the Netherlands sounds like the tunes on today’s tape, but that’s simply not true! Join me next week for my monthly Connections Mix Tape, as we explore the diversity of Dutch music and reveal a surprising truth about popular music in the Netherlands!
You have been listening to KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
I’m your host, DJ Ponyboy.
Until next time, stay gold!