Sooner or later, when you live in the Netherlands as a foreigner, you’ll get in contact with “Het Levenslied”: a sentimental Dutch-language subgenre of popular music, with its own sub-genres like the “smartlap”. This evening, you’ll be treated to a lecture about this cultural phenomenon plus a free concert by the new queen of ‘het Levenslied’ Sophie Straat, who gives a new dimension to the genre.
Hold on to your seat because this evening you’ll get two for the price of one: Femke Vandenberg giving a lecture about “het levenslied” and singer/artist Sophie Straat performing a mini-concert. Sophie Straat is one of the rising stars in Dutch pop culture. She wrote a thesis about the cargo bike for the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague and wrote a song for this graduation project, which was a big success, and so she started making an album with her producer and musician Wieger Hoogendorp. She grew up in De Pijp, a neighborhood in Amsterdam, and her songs evolve amongst themes such as the effects of gentrification. In 2021, she released the song ‘Tweede Kamer’ together with Goldband, and the song became the feminist anthem of the year. Her songs may come across as funny, but they’re not gimmicks: the songs are full of social engagement and are deadly serious!
Femke Vandenberg is a PhD and lecturer at the Arts and Culture Studies Department at the Erasmus University Rotterdam and, amongst other topics, she has done research on the Dutch music genre “levenslied”. The last few decades have seen a surge in the consumption of locally produced popular music in the West. Domestic music – music made by national artists and sung in the national language – has gained increasing popularity, specifically within the lower to middle-class segments of the native population. Vandenberg explored this trend from a sociological perspective which assumes the presence of a shared intensified mood drawn from collective assembly. But how does this work? What bonds Levenslied-concert goers, and what symbolic ties exist? ‘Wearing clogs and just acting normal?’
Interview after the performance
After the lecture and mini-concert, an interview with both Straat and Vandenberg will offer a chance to dive in a bit deeper into the subject. The lecture and interview will be in English, the concert of course will be in Dutch.
On campus: ticket reservation recommended
This program will take place on campus. Making a reservation via the website (black "order" button) is recommended to ensure you have a seat.
SG & USE Registration
Bachelor students can register for SG&USE by scanning their student ID card before the program begins.
More information about the SG & USE regulations can be found here.