“The Crown” (De Kroon) is the Dutch feature film and television drama directed by Peter de Baan, centered upon preparations for a controversial marriage of the then heir to the throne Willem-Alexander and Máxima Zorreguieta from Argentine. The film was awarded by Golden Calf at the Dutch Film Festival (NFF) in 2005.
I happen to appear in the film in a sequence where a group of Romanis sing and dance in the office of a Minister (played by renowned actor Eric van der Donk) as a sign of gratitude for his help in resolving some problem that they had.
The leader of the group was played by Joost Spijkers, who invited me to sing with him in the scene. For that scene I have also made the singers’ costumes and set the musical arrangement for our voices.
This joint appearance of ours has marked the beginning of my long and warm friendship and collaboration with this outstanding performer and musician, who gained his international recognition as one of the famous “Ashton Brothers” and the head of the “Hotel Spijkers”.