Dutch musician Herman van Veen returns to South Africa next year

This will be Herman’s fifth visit to South Africa and master guitarist Edith Leerkes, singer/violinist Jannemien Cnossen and bassist Kees Dijkstra will accompany him. The artist is expected to perform songs such as ‘Sketches’ and ‘Mime’.

Not only is Van Veen a multi-talented performer, singer, musician, and composer, he is also a painter and committed activist for the Rights of the Child.

Veen will start his 2017 SA Tour at the Artscape Opera House with a concert on Saturday, 14 January at 8pm. Thereafter, van Veen will be on stage at the Oude Libertas Amphitheatre in Stellenbosch, on Friday, 21 January and Saturday 22 January. Both concerts will begin at 8:15pm.

Van Veen first performed in South Africa in 1995, the second year of the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival in Oudtshoorn. SA Promoter, Charl van Heyningen brought van Veen to SA in 2008 and then again in 2010 and 2013.

Born in Utrecht, the Netherlands, van Veen grew up as the only boy in a working-class family. He studied violin, voice and music pedagogy at the Utrecht Conservatory. In 1965, he made his theatrical debut with the musical, clownish, solo program, Harlequin. Since then, he has traveled the globe, performing in four languages. He is the creator of Alfred Jodocus Kwak, a courageous little duck from Waterland who became world-famous thanks to a 52-episode television series. To date, he has recorded 175 CDs, 21 DVDs, some seventy-odd books, and scenarios for several feature-length films.

Since he was 17 years old, he has filled several roles, from volunteer to governing board member and goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. He established several organizations among which are The Colombine Foundation, The Roses for Children Foundation and The Herman van Veen Foundation. All of these organizations are committed to and ask attention for the Rights of the Child through knowledge sharing and small-scale projects in developing countries as well as in Europe.

Herman is holder many prestigious awards and accolades of the highest order. In 1993, he was decorated by the Dutch Queen and made Knight in the Order of Orange Nassau. In 1999, because of his special contributions to German-Dutch relations, he received, on behalf of the President of the German Republic, a Cross of Merit. In 2008, by royal decree, Herman was promoted to Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion. Other awards include: a Golden Camera (for Alfred Jodocus Kwak); a Silver Bear (Berlin Film Festival); nine Edisons (the Dutch equivalent of the Grammy) and several awards at The International TV and Film Festival in New York plus the Edison Collected Work Award for his vast body of work and outstanding contributions to Dutch music.

Tickets on sale at Computicket. For more information please visit www.cvhenterprises.com