Bouke and Jannes, the pride of the caravan camp in Emmen. ‘Don’t forget Joseph Oosting, eh? He’s also doing great’

No, they didn’t hear it from Bouke and Jannes themselves. They kept their mouths shut until the mayor of Emmen announced the program. “I was having something to eat with my wife Mini in Harry’s Lunchroom when someone told me that both boys can sing for the king,” says Hinke Wolters (75). “What did I think then? Awesome! If you are asked to do something like that, that’s very special, isn’t it? It is perhaps the highest you can achieve in our country.”

Karel Scholten (54) was especially surprised. “I never thought that there would be live music on such a day. Anyway, if there is, then it is of course not surprising that they also ask Bouke and Jannes. These are artists from Emmen who are nationally known and have a lot of success.”

Hinke Wolters and Karel Scholten know the singers well. Hinke is an uncle of Jannes, Karel an uncle of Bouke. The two men live close to each other in the trailer park, the place where their two uncles grew up and played for the WKE football club. “Jannes has been living right behind me for several years. Before that, he lived in Noordscheschut for years, which is where his girlfriend Truitje comes from,” says Hinke.

Bouke lives across the street, in the working-class district of Emmermeer. This is the neighborhood with by far the most residents with roots in the camp. Many people who would have liked to live at the camp but could not find a place there, went to ‘normal’ houses in Emmermeer, preferably in the part as close as possible to the camp. New places will be added to the caravan camp in the foreseeable future and Bouke has registered for them, he announced last year.

Nationally in the news

Karel Scholten lives in the former car of his mother Annie Emmerink, Bouke’s grandmother, who died in 2019. You don’t just drive past it, because on the street side there is a chapel with a cross on top. Annie had a special bond with Maria. As a 15-year-old she had seen her with her own eyes, when the family was in the car in Dinxperlo, Gelderland.

Annie was sent by her mother to fetch water from a farmer. On the way back she looked back and saw Maria standing on a hill. And as suddenly as she appeared, she was gone again. When she told the story at home, her mother sent her to a priest. She said that Maria had a thing for Annie and from that day on she felt that she could face all difficulties in life.

In 2002, Annie was given her own chapel near her caravan, which was blessed by Bishop Eijk shortly afterwards. Several television crews then traveled to Emmen to portray Annie van ‘t Kappeltje, as she was called from then on. “Now Bouke is our most famous family member, but previously it was his grandmother who made the national news,” smiles Karel Scholten.

From his house, Hinke Wolters can see the chapel in the distance, where everyone is still welcome to light a candle. Unlike Karel Scholten, he did not have a mother, but a father who attracted publicity: Grote Geert. He co-founded WKE in 1966 and during his long period as chairman the club progressed from the lowest level to the top of amateur football. Big Geert, who died in 2013, was the figurehead, the undisputed captain. He was, as he said himself, known throughout the world, even in Amsterdam.

Extra special

That was then. Nowadays, the Emmer caravan camp has musical figureheads who are more famous nationally than Grote Geert ever was: Jannes and Bouke. Jannes performed his own shows in a full Ahoy in Rotterdam and a full Gelredome in Arnhem and has acquired the nickname King of the Pirates with his Dutch-language music.

Bouke won several talent shows on national television with his renditions of Elvis Presley songs and after winning the SBS6 program The Tribute – Battle of the Bands last year all the rage these days. Earlier this month he performed his own shows twice in the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. Hinke Wolters: “And then for Bouke, the performance in Emmen for the king and his family comes after that this month. How great do you want it to be? Isn’t this unbelievably beautiful?”

Like many other residents of the camp, Hinke Wolters attended one of Bouke’s concerts in the Ziggo Dome this month. “Of course, you don’t want to miss something like that. I also go to his performances in the Atlas theater in Emmen every year, but not the last time. I was too late, everything was sold out. Due to his successes with the last TV shows, he became a lot more popular and the tickets sold out very quickly. I fished behind the net. I’m still sorry now.”

Karel Scholten was also supposed to go to the Ziggo Dome for Bouke this month, but had to cancel at the last minute due to private circumstances. “I was present at all the TV recordings The Tribute – Battle of the Bands in the stands. Bouke is doing great and I am truly proud of that. But I am also proud of Jannes. When he gave a concert in the Gelredome a few years ago, I was there too. Was also great, wasn’t it, Hinke?” Hinke Wolters: “Absolutely!”

If Bouke and Jannes had not been born and raised at the Emmer caravan camp, Karel Scholten and Hinke Wolters would also have loved the music of the two singers, they assure us. “But the fact that we know them very well makes it all extra special for us,” says Hinke Wolters. “Jannes is a son of my eldest brother Joop. He and my son Hendrik used to work for Joop and me for a while when we had a company together in the metal trade. Joop later left the company and started trading in CDs. He also had his own shop in Klazienaveen, Jopie CDs.”

Pleasure

It was the period in which Jannes started his musical adventure. At a party, friends and relatives asked if Jannes would like to sing something. He did that and he moved the audience. Father Joop ensured that his son could make a maxi single. It wasn’t an immediate success, but all five hundred copies were sold. Not long after, the first album hit the shelves: Bella Bianca . Within a month, all thousand CDs had been sold.

The breakthrough came in 2002 with the second album, produced by Martin Sterken From Casablanca to Napoli . “Why does my music catch on? I think people realize that I’m not just singing for myself. I also want to give others pleasure,” Jannes, then 29, told the newspaper.

Jannes also indicated that he was 100 percent sure that he would not miss out. “I am Jannes and I will remain Jannes. It’s that simple.” Did he keep his word? Hinke Wolters: “Absolutely. He’s acting as normal as I don’t know what, wherever he is.

‘Bouke played as a right winger in the second’

But that also applies to Bouke. I see them regularly, including along the line at WKE. A son of Jannes and a son of Bouke are currently part of the first selection. Jan, a son of Jannes, is a goalkeeper. Just like his father, grandfather and great-grandfather used to.” Jochem, a son of Bouke, is a field player. Karel Scholten: “That was Bouke too. Jannes made the first selection of WKE as a reserve goalkeeper, Bouke did not. He played as a right winger in the second team.” Hinke Wolters: “Not bad at all, the second team also needs players. Bouke sings great, you can’t be top at everything.”

It was clear from a very early age that Bouke loved music. Karel Scholten still remembers that Bouke sat on his grandfather’s knee and that he sang the song for his grandfather I built this castle van Heintje sang. As a 4-year-old boy, Bouke performed for the first time during an annual party at the caravan park. Bouke mimed the song, face paint and all Reet petite by Jackie Wilson.

Young Bouke also participated in subsequent editions of the festival. At the age of 17 he sang live at a WKE party. A board member had asked Bouke if he would like to sing something if the club became champion. Bouke agreed, but did not dare to watch the match because of the nerves before that performance. When the club won, he wanted to escape, but his father held him to his end of the bargain. A promise is a promise, he told his son. Bouke sang a song by Tom Jones: Sex bomb . Hinke Wolters: “That went well, the entire canteen was impressed.”

Joseph

From almost not daring to sing in front of your own people in a football canteen to a full Ziggo Dome and performing for the king. These are enormous steps that Bouke has made.

Hinke Wolters: “Jannes and Bouke, both very successful. Awesome. But also look at football, at FC Twente. Joseph Oosting is the trainer there, also from the caravan camp in Emmen. Also related to me by the way, a cousin just like Jannes. He and his club are currently in third place in the Premier League. If that remains the case, they will go to the preliminary rounds of the Champions League. Because Joseph is a trainer there, I have four season tickets at FC Twente since this season. It’s great to go there, what an atmosphere! And do you know what song they play in the stadium immediately after the match? Eleonara from Jannes! And the entire stadium then sings along. Goosebumps!”

Nothing has yet been revealed about what Jannes and Bouke will sing when the king comes. Uncles Karel Scholten and Hinke Wolters also know nothing about it. ,,We’ll see. Nothing to worry about. Everything will turn out fine, you can confidently leave that to both boys and the people around them.”