De Dijk receives award in jubilee year
The Amsterdam band De Dijk was honorably awarded on Saturday 25 September. Mayor Femke Halsema handed the band members of the mountains Andreaspenning. They receive the coin with the 3 Andrew’s Crosses because of their influence on Dutch pop music and their contribution to the image of Amsterdam as a cultural capital. It is a special year for De Dijk. The band has been around for 40 years.
Amsterdam is the home base of De Dijk. The name of the band is a reference to the Amsterdam Zeedijk. With their Mokumse soul and Amsterdam blues they celebrate life in the city, and they also sing about life at night. Classics are ‘This City’, ‘Nobody in the City’ and the rendition of Jacques Brel’s ‘Amsterdam’.
Generations of party
The band has performed all over the world, a single band has performed more often in Paradiso than them: almost 80 times. They were there for the first time in 1981. De Dijk’s live concerts guarantee a party where several generations dance and sing along loudly.
Productive
De Dijk’s oeuvre consists of more than 25 albums and dozens of singles. Of these, ‘Bleeding heart’, ‘May the lights go out’, ‘Good for nothing’, ‘When she’s not there’, ‘Dancing on the volcano’ and ‘Nobody in the city’ became big hits.
Andreas token
The Andreas Medal is requested from people who have made great achievements for Amsterdam in the social, cultural, societal or economic field. And to people who have volunteered for a social cause for at least 10 years.
Photo credit: Bob Bronshoff