South Africa Roadsoap

South Africa Roadsoap Eight episodes, 2010.

On Friday April 23rd, the Dutch TROS broadcast company will start a new six part road soap "André Rieu on his way to South Africa".

Episode 1. as broadcast on Friday April 23, 2010. In this first episode we will see Kimmy Skota, a South African soprano who will join André and the JSO in SA. Furthermore his first promotional tour to South Africa and what is he doing with the most sexy girl of SA on top of the Table Mountain in Cape town? Bela is in love with a Hungarian woman, André desperately tries to find out who it is. A dress in the color of dead salmon embarrasses Nelly Custers, the lady who designs and makes all the dresses for the ladies... Statement of this episode: "Is that the father of Pierre Rieu?" Many thanks to John for doing the translation for this episode.

Episode 2. as broadcast on Friday April 30, 2010. The title "André on his way to South Africa" does not really fit to this second episode. This episode was broadcast on April 30th, 2010, the day we celebrate the birthday of Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands. Therefore this episode is called "Two Queens and a King (of waltz)" and shows the preparations and some highlights of the concerts André and the JSO gave for Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain (December 2009, click here) and Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands (May 2010, click here). Both André and the JSO members were honored to play for the Queens. Thanks again to John for assisting in the translation.

Episode 3. as broadcast on Friday May 7, 2010. We will see André on a promotional tour to South America and how the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano prevented Andre from flying to South Africa. With a private charter and two stop-overs they finally reached Johannesburg just in time for the first concert. But... Will they have to perform in their Adam and Eve costumes? Again thanks to John for assisting us in the translation.

Episode 4. as broadcast on Friday May 14, 2010. In this episode we see André rehearsing the "Earth Song" with the "Bloemfontein Children's Choir". Emotions run high during the sessions. Furthermore André visits the Hout Baai Music Project. A local initiative to bring music to the underprivileged youth. After visiting the concert, André treats them to (big) hamburgers and personally serves french fries in his own way. The dinner ends in a spontaneous concert for André. And he has a big big surprise for them...

Episode 5. as broadcast on Friday May 21, 2010. In the fifth episode, André visits the clipper "Stad Amsterdam" (City of Amsterdam). This ship sails around the world and follows the original trip, which Charles Darwin did on the "Beagle". The clipper happened to be in Cape Town when André and the JSO played there. Of course, André invited the scientists to attend the concert. The orchestra has some time to spare and visits the "Cape of Good Hope". Enjoying the view and buying souvenirs. Bela liked to buy a belt made of crocodile hide, but for the price André is convinced that it is made of a cheaper material. Success for Kimmy singing "African Dreams" and a big surprise for a South African radio announcer, never seen someone look that flabbergasted.

Episode 6, part 1. as broadcast on Friday May 28, 2010. This time not the usual 24 minutes program, but 1 hour 20 minutes. We see parts of the Sun City concert interlaced with comments of André and Pierre. Rivalry between the lady soloists on stage? See how Kimi is greeted backstage after her first song. And what is that annoying buzzing sound? A helicopter in a hotel room? André's latest toy? Flying is okay, but landing requires a bit more practice. And the tears... Many of them. The makers of the program have listened to all of your comments. In this episode André does not think of or eat food! Due to the length of the program, I have split-up the program in three separate videos. Each between 24 and 28 minutes in length. Again many thanks to John for assisting in the translation of this road soap.

Episode 6, part 2.

Episode 6, part 3.

Episode 7. André in Cape Town. L1mbourgeois, interview with André in Cape Town. On May 9th, 2010 the local Limburg TV station L1 broadcast an episode of the program “L1mbourgeois”. In this program Jo Cortenraedt interviews André Rieu in Cape Town about the success of his concerts in South Africa and the challenge of having Kimmy Skota, a South African soprano, in his program. In the last few minutes we see how André receives the “Charlemagne” medal in the town hall of Aachen in Germany. During the Cologne 2010 concert, André announced that Lara Meuleman (violin) was expecting a baby. The baby was born just before the SA tour. Leon van Wijk (trombone and accordion), the proud father, will reveal us the name of the new born.

Episode 8. André back home. On the morning of Wednesday May 5th, 2010 Andre and the JSO returned home from an emotional trip to South Africa. See the video below from RTL Boulevard of May 5th, 2010 with a phone interview and some highlights of this trip.