Stef Ekkel

Stef Ekkel made his first stage appearances at age four during the early 1980s inside the family-run café in Kampen, although his entry into professional music did not occur until 2001. That year brought the release of his debut single, “Op ’n Terrasje,” which earned widespread praise and remained inside the Dutch Top 20 for eight weeks. Its 2002 successor, “Die Griekse Melodie,” further entrenched Ekkel as a staple on Dutch radio playlists. Through the closing years of the decade he issued several full-length projects, among them Samen Uit, Samen Thuis in 2007 and Lekker Gezellig in 2009, the latter featuring a collaboration with folk singer Johnny Hoes. A retrospective collection appeared in 2010, after which Ekkel delivered his fifth studio album, Gezelligheid Kent Geen Tijd, in 2011; the record contained the Top Ten single “Waarheen, Waarvoor.” Additional singles followed, notably “Marina” in 2012 and “Die Ene Nacht Met Jou” in 2013.