 |
|
UNITED BY MUSIC - BIO's
|
Michel Drenthe his parents moved in 1948 from Suriname and Curacao to the Netherlands. Michel was born and raised in a small village called Schagen in the north of the Netherlands. In 1991 Michel got his degree in film and television production at the Dutch Academy for Film and Television. For more than 15 years Michel worked as a location- and production manager for feature films, documentaries television series and commercials. In 2002 Michel moved to Curacao to help out a friend with his restaurant at one of Curacao's beaches. In 2004 Michel started the company Caribbean Filmcom.
Caribbean Filmcom services is directed to foreign film and TV producers who want to shoot and shoots in the Netherlands Antilles, other Caribbean islands and Suriname. Because of the lack of an industry Michel was forced to produce his own films. Over the years Caribbean Fimcom produces corporate films and commercials for clients like the Royal Police Force, Curacao Police Force, Coastguard NA & A and AirFrance/KLM. For the Dutch public network Michel developed the TV-show RAYMIGREREN. UNITED BY MUSIC is Michel’s first feature documentary.
Michel about UNITED BY MUSIC: One week before the tour would take off, Freek van Beetz from the Curacao Art Society asked me to record all the concerts of the Ricciotti ensemble and Izaline. Yes, Izaline I knew but the Ricciotti ensemble I had never heard of. I also didn't know what kind of music they would play and how they usually perform. I think because of the fact that I only had time to make the necessary technical preparations gives the film its power. I was as much surprised and overwhelmed by the concerts as the Curacao public. That surprise and the positive energy of the ensemble towards their audience I tried to visualize.
|
|
|
Frederik P. van Beetz, born in 1946, studied Political Sciences and Fysical Planning at the University of Amsterdam and worked at several departments of the government in The Hague, the Netherlands. In 2001 he was asked to become the advisor to the prime minister of the Netherlands Antilles and since that moment he has worked with three successive prime ministers in Fort Amsterdam, the seat of the Dutch Antillean government in Willemstad, Curaçao.
He is an art-lover, an amateur painter and musician and was since 2005 secretary of the Curacao Art Council. In 2007 the Curacao Art Council was asked if they could assist at the organization of the so called Barbulete Tour of the Dutch Ricciotti Ensemble to Curacao (and Aruba) together with the popular Curaçao jazzsinger Izaline Calister. The Ricciotti Ensemble is a symphonic orchestra of young musicians, students at the various Dutch conservatoriester. The classically trained young musicians of the Ricciotti Ensemble do give concerts at the most unusual places: streets and squares, hospitals, homes for the aging people, institutions for disabled and prisons.
Frederik van Beetz thought the tour could become a major, unforgettable event: the last time a real symphonic orchestra visited Curacao was already many years ago. The combination of two music styles, the tradition of Ricciotti to go to the people on the places where they really are, that could and would create an unusual warm and happy atmosphere. That was the reason he wanted the whole event on film and finally to make a documentary. With the help of other enthusiastic people he succeeded to raise money for doing what he dreamt of: to make a movie that could show and let feel what really happened those wonderful 18 concerts in four days.
|
|
|
Izaline Calister is an accomplished singer and songwriter with a unique musical style. She infuses folk and Afro-Caribbean elements into the traditional music of her native island of Curaçao, and has been winning the hearts of audiences all over the world with her Papiamentu-language songs. It’s no wonder she’s been referred to as “Queen Izaline” by Cosmopolitan and “The Queen of Antillean Music” by PZC. Her performances are unforgettable; a charismatic performer, she can be at times warm and intimate, then again expressive and extroverted.
On her native island Curaçao Calister becomes quite a Star : in the year 2000 she is elected ‘Tumba Queen’ and scored through the years 3 number 1 hits in the local charts. Soon Izaline is to be recognized worldwide for weaving together masterfully the traditional rythms and creole language of her native island, Curaçao (Dutch Caribbean) with her own compositions. Izaline Calister studies singing at the Conservatory of Music in Groningen. During her studies, she gained professional experience by performing with various ensembles such as the Dissidenten at festivals Roskilde and Glastonbury.
Speransa is the titlesong of Izaline latest Album. This song is a direct result of the cooperation with the Riciotti Ensemble. Speransa means hope in Papiammentu and hope is what the Ricciotti ensemble gives.
|
Foto: Johannes Ode |
|
After getting his Masters degree in Dutch Literature and Literary Theory in 2006, Derk van der Kamp went straight to the position of managing director of the Ricciotti ensemble. The fact that he had worked as a street artist during holidays in Rome, Berlin, Barcelona en Paris, among others, might have been an advantage, as the Ricciotti is determined to perform at the strangest locations. It’s characteristic for the ensemble to offer young people great opportunities, not only in the orchestra, but also in its management.
Since 2007, Derk has helped organize about 340 concerts in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Romania, Bulgaria, and, most notably, on the islands of Curacao and Aruba. His proudest achievement is having kept the Ricciotti ensemble on the map, since the orchestra's survival depends mostly on private donations and government funds.
Derk about United by music: I’ll never forget the phone call I got from Freek, just days before we were to fly to the Caribbean, telling me that a film crew would await us on Hato Airport, Curacao. I remember thinking ‘well, they obviously won’t have any time to prepare anything, but that might just be a good thing.’ It must have been torture for the crew to have to run after an orchestra that never does the same thing twice! To make things even better, the Ricciotti was in the highest of spirits, rampaging over the island, playing, tasting, enjoying. We’ve never felt more welcome and never came in closer contact with our audience. UNITED BY MUSIC easily provides that and the Ricciotti ensemble is very grateful for it.
|
Foto: Wout Nooitgedagt
|
|
Dolph van Stapele, has been working in the field of audiovisual productions for the last 12 years. He has been working as a light & cameraman, editor and made his way to become owner of his own production company, Fisheye Media Productions, working as Director of photography.
Dolph can be considered the creative force behind the production process. Fisheye Media Productions mainly produces documentaries, short film and (items for) television programmes. Dolph recently finished the documentairy "Run Churandy, run" about the Olympic Athlete Churandy Martina. This documentairy premiered last month and was very well received. He is currently working on the preparations of an international full feature movie.
|
|
|
Juergen Podzkiewitz has been working as cameraman, editor, scriptwriter and director for the last 30 years and was responsible for more than 1500 hours of TV programm in Germany. With his own company he also produces corporate films, shorts, Dvds and documentaries. He had films at international festivals like Berlinale ( Berlin - in competition ), London and United States Sundance festival. In 1992 he was awarded by the International League for Human rights and was a lecturer for cameraman at a German filmschool. He just finished two documentaries for ZDF ( Germany ) and is editing a new DVD Fascinating Caribbean introducing 12 islands.
|
|
|
|
|
|
