Today at 7:55 PM • Updated today at 10:35 PM
The sounds of Dutch music will reverberate throughout almost all of Tilburg this weekend. The 34th edition of the free Festival of Life Song will take place at the City Forum. With free flowing beer, well-known folk singers on stage and an audience singing along loudly: sometimes pure, sometimes less so.
The speakers boomed loudly in several places in Central Brabant on Sunday afternoon. But in Tilburg you mainly hear Dutch singing, unlike a little further away in Oisterwijk, at the Intents festival. The festival has been a fixture in the city festival season for years. Artists such as Corry Konings, Danny de Munk, Gerard Joling and Django Wagner stormed the stage again this weekend.
And what is this year’s summer hit according to the real life song connoisseurs present? “Yes, that has to be Cheerio,” says a young man with wavy hair. He makes a noble attempt to sing along to a chorus. “Oh, Cheerioooo…”, it sounds, slightly out of tune.
Summer hit
A few other young festival goers bet on a different number. “I’m guessing that’s a must,” says a girl resolutely. Her friends look questioningly, until one boy decides: “No, I think Cheerio is the best.”
His friend, with gel in his hair and trendy sunglasses, comes mainly for one artist: “Django Wagner! We saw him.” According to them, the power of Dutch music lies in its passion. “That is much more than with English-language music. That is just beautiful.”
Beer lovers are also not making themselves known on Sunday afternoon. “Two in the hand, one behind the tooth,” a young man shouts. He deftly tips back one of his two beers. His friend follows. “Tastes great. But Grolsch is not Brabant, that’s the problem,” he laughs.
34 editions
88-year-old Martinus is also enjoying the festival to the fullest. “Yes, I’m still young, right,” he laughs. “I’m always there, every year.” The music lover saw all 34 editions of the festival come and go. “I like Dutch music. I don’t understand English.”
An older man, dressed neatly in a smart suit and on a mobility scooter, adds: “It’s really nice. I was there yesterday too, and I earned fifty euros.” There are plastic cups and empty cans in his basket. “They throw them all in. But that’s allowed!”
“We are here for Justen de Wildt. We want to hear Cheerio,” is often heard at the festival. The song by the only 21-year-old singer turned out to be a bomb at the festival. The song, co-written by Ossenaar Jeffrey Heesen, turns out to be a golden move. De Wildt’s career has now taken off considerably.
‘Lives among the youth’
In the wings behind the stage, De Wildt is preparing to command the stage in Tilburg. “I’m really looking forward to it. This is the most beautiful stage in Brabant,” he says. The singer did not expect to be here this year. “It’s really cool what you experience, this is what we dreamed of.”
“The Dutch song is very popular among young people,” he sees. “You can sing along from the age of three until you are old. It will all happen here in Tilburg soon,” laughs the 21-year-old folk singer.
When De Wildt enters the stage a little later, the voices of hundreds of Tilburg residents sound towards him. The Stadsforum echoes en masse: “Oh, Cheerio!”
Can’t get enough of the song of life? On Brabant+ watch and listen to all episodes for free Heart for Music since 2022.
