“I really brought it to our area,” he says. For the production he worked with Frans Vollink from Weiteveen. “French understands that language perfectly. Many of the Veenkoloniaal, those colloquial songs, come from him. That’s why I consciously chose him.”
Filming started back in June. “That took some switching,” Koops laughs. “On the first day of recording I had to wear shorts, but a good Christmas song always works.”
Koops lives in Valthermond, speaks Veenkoloniaal, which borders on Groningen, but calls himself a real Drent. That sometimes leads to discussions. “The Drent says: you don’t sing Drenthe. And the Groningen doesn’t think it’s Gronings,” he says matter-of-factly. “But that is exactly the charm. It lies in between and is recognizable on both sides.”
Dutch was spoken at home. He learned the regional language on the street. “And especially when you sing in it, it comes closer. I often hear that people really listen to the lyrics.” For Koops, the dialect is the most beautiful thing there is. “When you hear ‘moi’ somewhere, you immediately feel at home.”
An important turning point for Koops is his vote. “I think my voice is better now than ever,” he says. For years he sang covers, unconsciously adapting to others. “If you do Bon Jovi, you sing rougher. If you do something soft, you shape your voice differently.”
Now he mainly sings in his own sound. “I have a heavy ballad voice and it comes into its own now.”
It’s Christmas again is now well received and played regularly. It will not make him rich, Koops emphasizes. “But that is not the goal. A Christmas song can come back every year, that is already a win,” he laughs. Next year he wants to go into the studio more often, with new solo work and more regional language projects. He has also recently started working a few hours a week as the manager of the Brughuus in Valthermond.
Performances are already planned, including in the Rensentheater and at a festival in Ter Apel. The interest in regional music is still there. “It may be a bit old-fashioned, but it’s still alive and people feel that.”
On Christmas Eve, Koops was still on stage in Valthermond, with a sing-along. “And now the Christmas issue will be shelved for the time being, until next year.”