Dutch vocalist Trijntje Oosterhuis, also recognized under the stage name Traincha, commands an international following through a body of work that blends jazz, classic standards and modern pop-rock sensibilities. Born in Amsterdam on February 5, 1973, she is the child of theologian Huub Oosterhuis and flutist Jozefien Melief, who performed with the Amsterdam Promenada Orchestra. Raised in an environment rich in cultural stimulation and encouragement, Oosterhuis formed the group Total Touch at age seventeen alongside her brother Tjeerd; the siblings soon became regulars on the local circuit and competed in the prestigious Grote Prijs van Nederland.
Her growing regional profile opened doors to partnerships with prominent musicians, beginning with saxophonist Candy Dulfer. Their first joint recording, Big Girl, appeared in 1995 and was followed by a two-year worldwide tour. Total Touch’s self-titled debut arrived the next year, and the 1998 successor This Way ascended to number one on the Dutch album chart before achieving quadruple-platinum status. When the siblings eventually pursued separate paths, Oosterhuis launched her solo career with the 1999 gold-certified release For Once in My Life.
Her 2003 self-titled album cemented her standing among the Netherlands’ leading jazz vocalists. After signing with Blue Note in 2004, she issued Strange Fruit in 2005, an exploration of material associated with George Gershwin and Billie Holiday. That same year saw the appearance of See You as I Do, a collection of original songs steeped in classic pop and soul. In 2006 she teamed with legendary pianist and songwriter Burt Bacharach for The Look of Love, a collaboration renewed the following year on Who’ll Speak For Love.
Guitarist Leonardo Amuedo joined her for two further projects: the 2008 Bacharach-focused concert recording Ken Je Mij and the 2009 Michael Jackson-themed album Never Can Say Goodbye. A holiday collection, This Is the Season, followed in 2010. In 2011 Oosterhuis recorded Sundays In New York with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, which also featured a guest spot from Dulfer.
She partnered with fellow Dutch singer-songwriter Anouk on the 2012 album Wrecks We Adore and joined the third season of The Voice of Holland as a coach that same year. Walk Along, released in 2015, contained the title-track single co-written by Anouk and Sweden’s Tobias Karlsson; the song was selected as the Netherlands’ entry for the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest.
