Ode to Rob de Nijs (1942 – 2025)

Rob de Nijs has passed away at his home in Bennekom at the age of 82. Rob had been suffering from Parkinson's disease for some time. Rob was a Dutch singer and actor. In his career, which spanned more than six decades, he grew into an icon in Dutch music history. PostNL never issued a (personal) stamp. In this blog, a number of Rob's hits and the relationship between his songs and foreign stamps.

Can you tell me the way to Hamelin, sir?

Can you tell me the way to Hamelin, sir? was a popular KRO television series in the 1970s, written by Harrie Geelen. The series ran from 1972 to 1976 and was based on the German fairy tale The Pied Piper of Hamelin. This fairy tale is set in the town of Hamelin, located in the German state of Lower Saxony. In 45 episodes, more than 120 songs were sung, with lyrics by Harrie Geelen and music by Joop Stokkermans. The original music manuscripts of these songs are preserved in the broadcasting sheet music collection.

The city of Hamelin is plagued by rats. No one can drive them away, until a strange figure presents himself to Mayor Walg at Hamelin's town hall. He says he can drive the rats away if he receives a pot of gold as a reward. The so-called rat catcher blows the rats away with his magic flute. All of Hamelin is overjoyed, except for the mayor and his city council. They could use the pot of gold for something else. Master Spicht therefore persuades the mayor and wants to give the rat catcher something else. But the rat catcher is not satisfied and walks away angrily. In revenge, the following night he blows all the children out of the city, plus four adults:

• mayor's daughter Lidwientje Walg (Loeki Knol);
• the son of the cloth merchant, Bertram Bierenbroodspot (Rob de Nijs);
• town crier Hildebrandt Brom;
• gatekeeper Aernout Koffij.

They enter Mount Kei. The Pied Piper disappears, and the Hamelinites are on their own. The rest of the series follows the group's attempts to find Hamelin again. Video Can you tell me the way to Hamelin, sir?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eSNpDRiFrE   Folktale The Pied Piper of Hamelin is a legend or folk tale about a mass disappearance of children that is said to have taken place on June 26, 1284, in the German city of Hamelin. The story became particularly well-known thanks to the version recorded by the Brothers Grimm, who published it in their *Deutsche Sagen*. Although no 13th-century source actually mentions this event, most researchers believe that the children's disappearance has a historical basis. The oldest known source is a 15th-century note in a manuscript by the monk Heinrich von Herford. The last thing heard of them is that they walked to the Koppenberg. Later, writers added elements: in the sixteenth century, the main character became a rat catcher, rats appeared in the story, and the stingy city council made its appearance. In 1284, a man in colorful clothing visited the rat-infested city of Hamelin and promised to rid the city of the vermin in exchange for a certain sum of money. After this was assured to him, he lured all the rodents with a whistle and sank them into the Weser. But the citizens of Hamelin refused the promised reward, whereupon the flute player left angrily. He soon returned and played again, but this time children came running, followed the mysterious man into a mountain, and disappeared. 130 of them are lost forever. The best-known version of the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin comes from a collection by the brothers Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm. As “The Children of Hamelin,” it can be found in the “German Legends” (1816). The story has since been translated into more than 30 languages ​​and is still being adapted. Because of the variations that keep the legend alive, it was added to UNESCO’s national list of intangible cultural heritage in 2014.  

Malle Babbe

Malle Babbe is a song by Lennaert Nijgh (lyrics) and Boudewijn de Groot (music). The song was released as a single in December 1974. The song Malle Babbe was written in 1970. Lyricist Lennaert Nijgh had seen the painting *Zigeunermeisje* by Frans Hals, depicting a cheerful prostitute. [/ One_half] [one_half_last]               (Left: The painting *Zigeunermeisje* by Frans Hals, which Lennaert Nijgh mistakenly mistook for *Malle Babbe*. Right: The painting *Malle Babbe* by Frans Hals). He mistakenly assumed that this concerned the painting *Malle Babbe*. He based his text on the first painting. Frits Spits noted in his *Standaards* that Nijgh's and Hals' versions do not entirely correspond. Nijgh speaks of a blonde *Malle Babbe* (Hals painted her as a brunette in both paintings) and mentions a nice backside (Hals does not go further than her waist in both paintings). With his text, he denounced the hypocrisy of the believers: visiting prostitutes during the week and going to church on Sunday, putting a penny in the collection box to buy off sins. In 1973, Boudewijn de Groot worked as a music producer for Rob de Nijs. He recorded a revamped version of the song with him for the album *In de uren van de middag*. The song is then in the second person (“You lift your skirts,” etc.). However, it was not immediately released as a single, whereas *Jan Klaassen de Trompetter* and *Dag zuster Ursula* both did reach both the Dutch Top 40 and the National Hitparade. In December 1974, after several less successful singles, the song was finally released as a single. The single version differs from the album version: the lyrics were modified in a few places (“I have seen it often / when such a piece of sorrow / came out satisfied / and left you behind there,” instead of “How often have you not pressed such a head, / drunk, stupid and horny, / to your breast, / your body wet with his drool”). Moreover, a completely different arrangement was used. Both arrangements were by one man, Bert Paige, with whom De Groot himself also worked. The single version lasted 20 seconds longer than the original recording. The single version became quite rare; it has only been released sporadically on CD (for example, on 40 Jaar Hits from 2002). The most common version on CD, downloads, and streaming services is the album version from 1973. The single version was played frequently on national radio stations and became a major hit. In early 1975, the single reached position 8 in the Dutch Top 40 (broadcast at the time on the famous TROS Thursday with DJ Ferry Maat) and position 9 in the National Hitparade. Rob de Nijs would later release it as a single at least two more times; in 1982, the live version was hit by a boycott from the NCRV on Hilversum 1, Hilversum 2, and the national public pop station Hilversum 3. Since the very first edition in December 1999, the record has been continuously listed in the annual NPO Radio 2 Top 2000 of the Dutch public radio station NPO Radio 2. The B-side of the original single featured *Te lang van huis* by De Groot and Ruud Engelander. Video Malle Babbe (at Op Losse Groeven): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5lvgoy1Syo  

Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system in which nerve cells slowly die ("degenerate"). This primarily leads to motor disorders; Parkinson's is therefore considered a movement disorder. However, behavioral disorders resulting from Parkinson's are at least as significant as the physical consequences.

The symptoms develop slowly and become more severe as the disease progresses. In the early stages of the disease, the main symptoms consist of shaking, spasms, slowness of movement, and difficulty walking. In addition, behavioral and cognitive problems may occur. In later stages, there is an increased risk of dementia. More than one-third of Parkinson's patients suffer from depression. The characteristic symptoms together are referred to as parkinsonism. Officially, the term parkinsonism is an umbrella term for a number of conditions that resemble Parkinson's disease, yet they are different. Parkinsonism causes symptoms similar to Parkinson's. However, medications used to suppress the symptoms do not work, or work less effectively, in parkinsonism. The course of the disease is also different. Forms of Parkinsonism include Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), Vascular parkinsonism, Progressive supranuclear paralysis (PSP), and Multisystem atrophy Parkinson's. Michael J. Fox, stage name of Michael Andrew Fox (1961), is a Canadian-born actor who became primarily known for his role as Alex P. Keaton in Family Ties and as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy. He also played Mike Flaherty in the television series Spin City. In 1990, Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, although he did not disclose this until 1998. At that time, he played a leading role in the television series Spin City, of which he was also a co-producer. In 2000, he decided to retire as an actor and was succeeded in the aforementioned series by Charlie Sheen. Since then, Fox has been a fundraiser for stem cell research. He believes that this technology could help cure neurological disorders in the future. As a result of his illness, he had to give up acting in films and series and was primarily a voice actor in animated films. He made a guest appearance in two episodes of the series Scrubs in 2004. In 2006, he did have a guest role in several episodes of the series Boston Legal, which earned him an Emmy nomination. In 2011, he appeared 'as himself' in the series Curb Your Enthusiasm. For his advocacy for disease research, Fox was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Biden in January 2025, the highest honor an American citizen can receive. As a well-known Canadian, Michael J. Fox is praised for his dedication to Parkinson's disease research and his work as an actor in both television and film.  

<strong> More info: </strong>

Parkinson's Association: https://www.parkinson-vereniging.nl/ World Parkinson Day: https://worldparkinsonsday.com/