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Willy Alberti - At the foot of the Western Tower
Dutch songs with English translation, translated in English
Willy Alberti - At the foot of the Western Tower
Lyrics: Jaap Sjouwerman / Music: Tom Erich and Harry de Groot
(1957)
Willy Alberti - Aan de voet van die oude Wester
Tekst: Jaap Sjouwerman / Muziek: Tom Erich en Harry de Groot
(1957)
© copyright translation
Dutch song Willy Alberti - Aan de voet van die oude Wester
with lyrics, music, video and English translation songtext
english translation
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english translation
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and can't be shown
publicly for now
dutch lyrics
cannot be shown
listen to the song
in the video
english translation
is archived
and can't be shown
publicly for now
dutch lyrics
cannot be shown
listen to the song
in the video
© copyright translation
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Willy Alberti (1926-1985), stage name of Carel Verbrugge, was a famous Amsterdam singer of the Dutch 'life songs' ('levenslied'). These are songs about the common people and the problems, misery and hardship of daily life. They are usually sung lamenting with whines and whimpers, with an Amsterdam accent, often accompanied by accordions. Other Amsterdam singers of this genre are e.g.: Johnny Jordaan, Tante Leen and André Hazes.
As a young child, Willy Alberti sang on markets and street corners of the Amsterdam district the Jordaan and he participated in a singing contest in the Amsterdam Edison theatre, where he came in second. In the 1940's and 1950's he mostly sang in Italian (which explains his Italian stage name). He was a cast member of the radio programme The colourful tuesday evening train/De bonte dinsdagavondtrein (1948-1957) and formed the duo The street singers/De straatzangers (in the 1950's) with Max van Praag (singing in Dutch).
From 1958 onward Willy Alberti sang several duets with his oldest daughter, Willeke Alberti (like 'No one wants to leave his child alone', 1983). Some well-known songs of Willy Alberti are: 'Marina' (1959); 'Buona notte bambino'/'Good night child' (1963); 'That corny sentence'/'Dat afgezaagde zinnetje' (1967); and 'To see a smiling child'/'De glimlach van een kind' (1968). Alberti won an Edison Music Award (1960) and a Golden Harp (1973).
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In the 1970's Willy Alberti started a record shop with his son Tonny. He died suddenly in 1985, because of liver cancer, only 59 years old. In 1997 his widow Ria founded the Willy Alberti-museum in the inner city of Amsterdam. In 2008 a compilation album was released with the title The 100 most beautiful songs of Willy & Willeke Alberti/De 100 mooiste liedjes van Willy & Willeke Alberti (2008).
The above song 'At the foot of the Western Tower'/'Aan de voet van die oude Wester' (1957) praises the Amsterdam district Jordaan and the tower of the Western Church in Amsterdam (between the ring of canals and the district Jordaan), built in 1620-1630. The tower is called the 'Old Western'/'Oude Wester' or 'Long John'/'Lange Jan'. It's a famous church tower, mentioned in renowned literature, like the play Gijsbrecht van Aemstel (1637) by Joost van den Vondel; The Diary of Anne Frank (1943-44); and in several poems and songs.
Above song was recorded by many artists, like Johnny Jordaan & Willy Alberti, Max van Praag & Willy Alberti, Frans van Schaik and Manke Nelis. In 1986 a commemorative plaque was placed in the Western Tower in honour of Willy Alberti. It says: "Oh, beautiful Western Tower, high in the blue sky / Willy Alberti 1926-1985 / our Italian tenor from Amsterdam".
Other 'life-songs' ('levensliederen') from the Jordaan in Amsterdam, translated on this website, are: 'In the Jordaan'/'In de Jordaan' (1917); 'In our own Jordaan'/'Bij ons in de Jordaan' (1955); and 'My choice is Amsterdam'/'Geef mij maar Amsterdam' (1955).
 More translated Dutch songs in the genre 'life song' ('levenslied') and more with the theme 'songs about Amsterdam'. See also the list of Dutch singers with all their songs on this website.
 Lyrics 'Aan de voet van die mooie Wester' on Dutch website: Nederlandse songteksten.
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© copyright translation
(2017)
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