Unlike many cabaret duos, Richard Kemper and Remco Veldhuis did not attend the Kleinkunstacademie. They know each other from the advertising world, in which they both had good jobs. As a joke, they took part in the Camerettenfestival in 1999, where they were promptly second behind Marc-Marie Huijbrechts. Their first theater program Half Zo Echt soon followed, which received rave reviews. What was
… particularly striking about Half Zo Echt were the strong songs, as a result of which Veldhuis and Kemper were often compared with fellow countrymen Acda and de Munnik. This was reinforced when the song Ik Wou Dat Ik Jou Was was released as a single. One half of the Netherlands listening to the radio shouted that it was shameless stealing, while another part thought it was intended as a parody of Acda en de Munnik. Despite these mixed reactions, the song reached the top three of the Dutch charts and now there is the first full CD. The album is also made according to the same successful (Acda and de Munnik) formula. In other words: beautiful piano songs with original lyrics and polyphonic vocals. This makes Half Zo Echt a must for anyone who likes cabaret and / or Dutch-language pop. (MvP)more
