Persbericht.

Amerikaanse Award voor de CD HOMELAND van Ben & Carmen Steneker.

Recensie in het Amerikaanse magazin TRADITION NTCMA - IOWA USA

HOMELAND - Ben & Carmen Steneker

I can't wait to get to the Dick van Altena songs on this wonderfully produced Dutch CD. Ben Steneker is widely known as the "King " of
Country Music in Holland and his daughter Carmen is quickly taking up the space allocated to "Queen " .
Van Altena's first song is "Viva la Vida " and it's up tempo and fun !
Dick is a great writer, and has composed some of the best country music to ever come out of Holland. He has several up tempo tunes here, all of them quite fun, but his 'winner' here is " No Winners In War " .
Music gives us that great opportunity to make a point to say something meaningful, and Dick van Altena does that in this song.
On a scale of 1 to 10, this rates 15 !! Both Ben and Carmen turn in a stellar performance in this very beautiful song.

I sure enjoyed the banjo and up-tempo "Till the answer comes " , and the harmony between Dad and Daughter is absolutely precious.
Some outstanding musicians on this project, who I could name but you would not recognize them, but you should know there is a fiddle,
steel, accordion, Dobro, lead guitar, acoustic guitar, and bass proficiently displayed.
What a wonderful listening experience by Holland's "King" and his beautiful daughter.
"INTERNATIONAL COUNTRY CD OF THE YEAR " is waiting Ben when he gets to LeMars this year.
The Rural Roots Music Commission is constantly looking for works like this that contains America's elements of true and authentic country music.
Thanks very much Ben and Carmen for the treat for the ears !

Rural Roots Music Commission/NTCMA
Robert Everhart.
Anita - Iowa


Ingekomen Email van: Elaine Vander Broek
To: b.p.steneker@home.nl
Subject: The Country Music Festival at LeMars, Iowa

Dear Ben and Carmen Steneker

My husband and I were sorry that you were ill and couldn't travel to the United States last year. We sincerely hope that you are fully recovered and will be able to attend and also sing at the LeMars Country Music Festival sometime during the last two days of August and the first week of September. You and your daughter were the highlight of the event of 2008. The Netherlands are lucky to have you. You and your daughter are truly entertainers.

Sincerely,

Franklin and Elaine Vander Broek



February 2010.
Hello dear fans and friends. First of all a word of thanks from Ben to all of you who sent mail, cards an email for his birthday February 10th. It's heartwarming to see how many fans remembered. There were beautiful cards with sometimes the the funniest texts. A word from me too. I had surgery on February 4th an i'd like to thank everyone for their cards and letters. As i said it was heartwarming and a great support for us. We already told you that we would like to close our "medical diary", so let's hope it's closed for now!

We are heppy to announce that Theatre De Kappen in Haaksbergen booked Dick van Altena and Ben & Carmen for a singer/songwritershow on Oktober 2nd 2010. They are officially part of the theatre's  season planning 2010-2011.

Then there was the lady from Enschede who found Ben's lost camera. Ben paid her a visit and brought her a copy of the CD Homeland and two tickets to an upcoming performance. That being good to others doesn't always mean that good things are coming your way became clear when the said lady drove to see Ben and Carmen the day she got the tickets for. Due to the snow and ice on the road her car got out of control and skidded into a parked truck leaving her with 3000.00 Euro's worth of damage. Luckily her insurance covered the costs and there were no personal injuries, but it's hard to believe that those things can happen.

In conclusion we hope like you that Spring isn't far away and we're looking forward to see you soon at one of our shows.

Greetings, also from Ben, Carmen en Elly.
Irene Steneker.


Nu in de winkels!
De CD en DVD Homeland.









Just an incoming email..

Are you performing at the Lemars, Iowa 2009 Country Music Festival? If you are, and I really hope so, when? I don't want to miss your show. My husband and I saw you last year, and we loved listening to you and your daughter sing.

Sincerely,
Frank and Elaine Vander Broek
Iowa

 

Dear Elaine.

Carmen and I will be present this year at the National Traditional Country Music Festival. For times and dates please check the schedule of the National Traditional Country Music Festival. We hope to see you and many others there again this year!

Greetings, Ben Steneker.


Ben & Carmen's CD en DVD Presentation of "HOMELAND" .



During the unique Farm & Country Fair in Aalten, The Netherlands, Ben and Carmen Steneker will present their new CD and DVD "Homeland".
This time not during a Country event, but on the beautiful and international famous Farm & Country Fair!!
We would like to thank Joke en Erik Ruesink for the possibility to present our new album and DVD during their 3 day event.
For more information please visit: www.countryfair.nl

De presentation of "Homeland" will be on June 27, 3:00 p.m. in the Music tent, a second performance will follow at 5:00 p.m. On June 28 the first set of Ben and Carmen is at 2.30 p.m. and the second set at 4:30 p.m., Both also in the Music tent.

We would like to thank Ronald Visch of Rood-Hit-Blauw for his faith in us, the fantastic cooperation and the possibility to release another album. Not forgetting JustinTime, our producer, he helped with a lot of patience and knowledge to make our new product the best it can be. Justin, thanks!! With Marcel and Jos of Wipe-media (www.wipemedia.nl) we had a great shooting of the DVD with a lot of laughs, especially at Het Rutbeek!! Guys it was great and thanks for everything. Marijke and the dancers of Studio de Vos fromt Haaksbergen (www.studiodevos.nl). You helped make songs like "Viva la Vida" en "Sally" stick out. Last but not least thanks to all extra's and musicians for your effort, tou were great!

We hope to see you on June 27 and/or 28 in Aalten.

Ben, Irene and Carmen Steneker.

053-5696878.
b.p.steneker@home.nl


December 2008

September 2008.



OOSTERHOUT
A lot has happened since the last newsletter. On august 8 we saw Pat and Johnny Marks from England again. Some people will always have a warm place in your heart and this certainly goes for Pat and Johnny! Ben met Johnny for the first time in the eighties when they performed together on Mallorca. Ben invited Johnny to do some shows in Holland and he made a successful debut at the Floralia Festival in Oosterhout (N-Br.). They always kept in touch and Pat organized many tours for Johnny and Ben in England. Up until now Johnny still performs almost daily somewhere in England on a sold out show. The show in Oosterhout august 8 was so successful that the owner of Hotel Het Zonneke immediately booked them again for next year. The active fanclub of Johnny, run by the Wanrooij family, does a lot of good work, gaining more and more fans each year.

FLORALIA FESTIVAL
On augst 10 we were at the Floralia Festival. We left home worried, because it rained cats and dogs when we left early that morning. Later that day the weather changed for the best and even the sun came out eventually and Ben and Carmen performed in the last set of the day which was compiled by Dick van Altena. All the artists that had performed on Ben's Anniversary Party joined Ben and Carmen on stage for this set, sadly enough Savannah couldn't make it due to a gig elsewhere. Luckily Jacqueline v.d. Griend could join in this time, having problems with her voice at the time of the anniversary. We had a lot of reactions on the song "The Sweetest Gift" Carmen sang with Sandra Vanreys. Both ladies decided they would work together some more during singer/songwriter sessions in future. All in all it was a nice mini rerun of Ben's anniversary, thanks to Dick van Altena, Ruud Hermans and Theo van Gorp.


For Ben, Frans and Carmen, we wish you all the best and hope to see you somewhere during a show.

Editors Hello Again,
Elly en Irene.

 

January 2008

Hi all,

We would like wish you all a happy, and most of all, healthy 2008! A year goes by before you know it and 2007 has been a very special year for us. Fifty years in country music brought a lot of beautiful things our way. On April 7 the new CD and DVD: COUNTRY CAFÉ was launched during a great party. Tiresome for Ben, suffering from an undiscovered pneumonia, everything turned out for the best.

Then there was lots of attention from both local and nationwide TV and radio to promote the new CD and DVD, as well as some specials from TV-Oost and RTV-Sternet, featuring Ben in light of his 50th anniversary as a country singer and an impression of the anniversary itself.

TV-Oost had about the most programs where Ben (and Carmen) appeared. In the 1st week of January they held a "Ben Steneker Week", in which people could request songs from Ben, there was a rerun of the TV-Special Uitgetapt of Willie Oosterhuis with Ben en Carmen, TV-performances in the weekly show Regio Tap, in the last of which Ben was the main guest of the show, Irene was a guest in Harm oet Riessen's country radioshow filled with a lot of Ben's songs and on new years day 2008 the TV Portrait of Ben (about 40 minutes). Marthijn Kroeze made a beautiful documentary about Ben's life containing footage of the anniversary on November 3 2007, a 1980's Polish TV-special, Ben on the ice-skating range in Haaksbergen. A bit of a struggle for Ben, but then again, who would try to skate on wooden shoes with tied under wooden skates! Later he did better when he had put on some racing skates. But being a born Fries he had to try and see if he still was in good shape to skate. A nice touch of the officials of the ring was that Ben was allowed to make a lap on the ring before the marathon started. They also showed Ben with his Jack Russell Misty on the ice of the Buurser Lake. Great footage of a winter impression in this unique piece of nature near Haaksbergen. They also showed Ben's hobby's carpentry and ironwork fence making. They filmed a lot more, but in the 40 minutes the special lasted, you can't hardly show it all. Judging by the many enthusiastic reactions by mail and telephone from viewers and fans, Marthijn did a great job on his portrait of Ben. So we would like to thank Marthijn and TV-Oost for the special and all the attention you gave us in 2007.

on December 28 Ben and Carmen performed in Theater "De Kappen" in Haaksbergen for a sold-out house. All the money received for this concert (€ 2250.-) were donated to 'Sailing Kids', an organization that makes sailing vacations for chronically sick kids possible. Ben and Carmen's act was interrupted by the mayor of Haaksbergen who, much to his surprise, presented Ben with the Golden Star of Haaksbergen. Ben couldn't have wished for a better thing to finalize his anniversary-year!

So again in name of Carmen & Frans and Ben & Irene, a happy 2008 with lots of love peace and health.

See you all soon.
Ben's Fanclub Hello Again.
Editorial Staff
Haaksbergen.