Petrus Antonius Laurentius Kartner (11 April 1935 – 8 November 2022) was a Dutch musician, singer-songwriter and record producer who performed under the stage name Vader Abraham (''Father Abraham''). He wrote around 1600 songs.
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Early life and songwriting
Kartner was born on 11 April 1935.[ He lived with his family in Amsterdam and worked in a chocolate factory.][
Kartner worked as a promoter and producer at record label ]Dureco
Dureco is a Dutch independent record label based in the Netherlands. Over the years many artists and groups such as the Amboina Serenaders, Judy Cheeks, Jules de Corte, De Dijk, Jef Elbers, Gotcha!, Samantha Jones, Ming Luhulima, the Mena Moeri ...
with Annie de Reuver, with whom he formed Duo X.[ He was a member of the band Corry & de Rekels, which sold over one million records in the 1960s.
Kartner wrote the music for the opening and closing credits on the Japanese cartoon adaption of the 1990 TV series '']Moomin
The Moomins ( sv, Mumintroll) are the central characters in a series of novels, short stories, and a comic strip by Finns, Finnish writer and illustrator Tove Jansson, originally published in Swedish language, Swedish by Schildts in Finland. The ...
'' and " Ik ben verliefd (Shalalie)", the Dutch entry for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 was the 55th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Oslo, Norway, following the country's victory at the with the song "Fairytale" by Alexander Rybak. Organised by the European Broadcasting U ...
.
Father Abraham
In 1971, Kartner created his well-known alter ego, Father Abraham, after writing a Dutch carnival
Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...
song, "Father Abraham had seven sons". Initially he wore a fake beard, but subsequently grew a real beard which, along with a bowler hat
The bowler hat, also known as a billycock, bob hat, bombín (Spanish) or derby (United States), is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown, originally created by the London hat-makers Thomas and William Bowler in 1849. It has traditionally been worn ...
, became his trademark. Also in 1971, his duet with Wilma Landkroon
Wilma Landkroon (born 28 April 1957, Enschede) is a Dutch people, Dutch pop singer. At eleven years old, her first top chart success in the Netherlands and Germany was in 1968 the song “Heintje, bau ein Schloss für mich”.
Career
Her bigge ...
, ''"Zou het erg zijn, lieve opa"'' (Would it be bad, dear grandfather?), reached number one in the Dutch pop music charts.
In 1981 Kartner recorded a song about Weepul
The weepul (also known as a weeple, wuppie, or ) is a small, spherical, fluffy toy, with large, plastic googly eyes, and no limbs. come in various colors. Usually possess antennae and also large paper feet, with an adhesive layer on the bottom, ...
s, ''"Wij zijn de wuppies"'' (We are the Weepuls).
The Little Café by the Harbour, 1975
In 1975, Kartner scored his second biggest hit, ''"Het kleine café aan de haven"'' (The little café by the harbour). This song has since been covered over 250 times in various languages.
English cover versions include "The Little Cafe by the Harbour" by Engelbert Humperdinck, "My Favourite Cafe on the Harbour" by Audrey Landers
Audrey Landers (born Audrey Hamburg; July 18, 1956) is an American actress and singer, best known for her role as Afton Cooper on the television series ''Dallas'' and her role as Val Clarke in the film version of ''A Chorus Line'' (1985).
Early ...
and " The Red Rose Café" by Demis Roussos
Artemios "Demis" Ventouris-Roussos ( ; el, Αρτέμιος "Ντέμης" Βεντούρης-Ρούσσος, ; 15 June 1946 – 25 January 2015) was a Greek singer, songwriter and musician. As a band member he is best remembered for his work in ...
and, separately, The Fureys
The Fureys are an Irish folk band originally formed in 1974. The group consisted initially of four brothers who grew up in Ballyfermot, Dublin.
Brothers Eddie, Finbar, Paul and George Furey are of Irish Traveller heritage. Two of the band's s ...
. In French the song was recorded as ''"Le café de la Rue d'Amérique"'' by Mireille Mathieu
Mireille Mathieu (; born 22 July 1946) is a French singer. She has recorded over 1200 songs in eleven languages, with more than 122 million records sold worldwide.
Biography and career
Early years
Mireille Mathieu was born on 22 July 1946 in A ...
and ''"Le café des trois Colombes"'' by Joe Dassin
Joseph Ira Dassin (; 5 November 1938 – 20 August 1980) was an American–French singer-songwriter and actor. He was the son of film director Jules Dassin.
Early life
Dassin was born in New York City to American film director Jules Dassin (1911 ...
, and in German as ''"Die kleine Kneipe"'' by Peter Alexander Peter Alexander may refer to:
* Pete Alexander (born Grover Cleveland Alexander; 1887–1950), American baseball player
* Peter Alexander (Shakespearean scholar) (1893–1969), professor of English language and literature at the University of Glasgo ...
. In Dutch it was rerecorded by André Rieu
André Léon Marie Nicolas Rieu (; is a Dutch violinist and conductor best known for creating the waltz-playing Johann Strauss Orchestra.
Rieu and his orchestra have turned classical and waltz music into a worldwide concert touring act. He r ...
conducting the Maastricht Salon Orchestra.
The Smurfs, 1977–2005
In May 1977, Kartner was asked to make a promotional song about The Smurfs
''The Smurfs'' (french: Les Schtroumpfs; nl, De Smurfen) is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. ''The Smurfs'' was first created and in ...
. The record company initially only pressed 1,000 copies of the single, called "The Smurf Song", since they were unsure about the single's potential. However, they were all sold within one day at a Schlager festival. After a repress, 400,000 singles were quickly sold. A full Smurfs album was then created, which sold 500,000 copies. The album was released in several dozen countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, and Sweden, and in various different languages. The album scored a number one hit in 16 countries. Subsequently, Kartner released other Smurf-themed albums, again in various countries and languages, such as ''Ga je mee naar Smurfenland'' (Dutch) and ''Vater Abraham im Land der Schlümpfe'' (German). In all, Kartner's Smurf works have sold around 17 million copies.
In 2005 Vader Abraham recorded The Smurf Song together with the dance act Dynamite.
Political songs, 1973–2016
As a reaction to the 1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis or first oil crisis began in October 1973 when the members of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), led by Saudi Arabia, proclaimed an oil embargo. The embargo was targeted at nations that had supp ...
, Kartner and the right-wing
Right-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position on the basis of natural law, economics, authorit ...
politician Hendrik Koekoek recorded the duet ''"Den Uyl is in den olie"'' (Den Uyl is in the oil), blaming the social democratic
Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote soci ...
prime minister Joop den Uyl
Johannes Marten den Uijl, better known as Joop den Uyl (; 9 August 1919 – 24 December 1987) was a Dutch politician and economist who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1973 to 1977. He was a member of the Labour Party (PvdA).
...
and Arabs for the crisis. In the carnival season of 1975, he published ''"Wat doen we met die Arabieren hier"'' (What do we do with the Arabs here?), containing the lines "What shall we do with the Arabs here? They can't be trusted with our pretty women here." The record company has subsequently deleted the song. His 1976 song, ''"Het leger der werklozen"'' (The army of unemployed) portrays the jobless as people who spend the day sitting in pubs, drinking alcohol.
In 2002 Kartner recorded ''"Wimmetje gaat, Pimmetje komt"'' (Wim goes, Pim comes) with rising politician Pim Fortuyn
Wilhelmus Simon Petrus Fortuijn, known as Pim Fortuyn (; 19 February 1948 – 6 May 2002), was a Dutch politician, author, civil servant, businessman, sociologist and academic who founded the party Pim Fortuyn List (Lijst Pim Fortuyn or LPF) ...
, predicting that Fortuyn may replace Wim Kok
Willem "Wim" Kok (; 29 September 1938 – 20 October 2018) was a Dutch politician and trade union leader who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 August 1994 until 22 July 2002.[guilder
Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch and German ''gulden'', originally shortened from Middle High German ''guldin pfenninc'' "gold penny". This was the term that became current in the southern and western parts of the Holy Roman Empir ...]
back).
Honors and awards
* Buma Export Award The Buma Export Award (initially known as Conamus Export Award) was a prize given to the Dutch artists who sold the most records abroad between 1972 and 2011. In 2013, this prize was replaced by the Buma ROCKS! Export Award that focused on rock arti ...
(1978)
* Buma Lifetime Achievement Award (2015)
Personal life and death
Kartner lived in Breda
Breda () is a city and municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Brabant. The name derived from ''brede Aa'' ('wide Aa' or 'broad Aa') and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. Breda has ...
with his wife Annie.[ They had a son, Walter.
Kartner died in Breda of bone cancer on 8 November 2022, at the age of 87.]
Discography
Studio albums
* Een lach en een traan, 1972
* Vader Abraham Show, 1972, with others
* Veel liefs van... Vader Abraham en zijn goede zonen, 1972, with "zijn goede zonen"
* Vader Abraham en zijn goede zonen, 1973, with "zijn goede zonen"
* Samen jong, samen oud, 1974
** Samen jong, samen oud Geven voor Leven, 1974
* Kerst show, 1974
* Mooi Griekenland, 1976
* Bedankt lieve ouders, 1976
* In Smurfenland, 1977, with the Smurfs
** En el país de Los Pitufos, 1977
** Au pays des Schtroumpfs, 1978
** Im Land der Schlümpfe, 1978
** In Smurfland, 1978
* Smurfenbier, 1978, with the Smurfs
** El Padre Abraham y sus Pitufos, 1979
** Smurfing Sing Song, 1979
** Veo veo, 1980
** Hitparade der Schlümpfe, 1980
* Kerstfeest, 1979
* Die glücklichen Jahre, 1979
** De beste jaren van zijn leven, 1981
* Jij en ik blijven bestaan, 1981
* De wonderlijke Wuppie wereld, 1981, with the Wuppies
** El Padre Abraham y los Wuppies, 1983
** El maravilloso mundo de los Wuppies, 1983
** Los Wuppies del Padre Abraham, 1983
** Vader Abraham und die Wuppies, 1985
* Dierenmanieren, 1985
* Vader Abraham zingt over apen en andere mensen, 1987
* Als je wilt weten wie ik ben, 1987
* Vader Abraham 2, 1988
* Waarom huil je nou, 1988
* Together forever (Dutch), 1990, with the Smurfs
** Together forever (English), 1990
** Schlumpfenland Wunderland, 1990
* Die Lieder der Mumins, 1992
* Lach naar de wolken, 1994, as Pierre Kartner
Collections
* De beste van Vader Abraham, 1976
* De beste van Vader Abraham, 1977
* Bedankt Vader Abraham, 1979 (live)
* 14 Feestsuksessen, 1981
* 15 Jaar Karnaval, 1985
* Vader ziet Abraham, 1985
* 14 Beste, 1987
* De 20 best, 1988
* Het beste van Vader Abraham, 1990
* 15 Successen, 1990
* Op de deksel van de jampot, 1990
* Totaal, 1993
* 25 Jaar: Zijn 36 grootste successen, 1995
* 30 jaar Vader Abraham, 2000
* Gefeliciteerd Vader Abraham! – 80 jaar, 2015
References
External links
Official home page
Official home page
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kartner, Pierre
1935 births
2022 deaths
People from Overbetuwe
Dutch male singers
Dutch folk singers
Dutch singer-songwriters
Dutch songwriters
Dutch composers
Dutch record producers
The Smurfs music
Dureco artists