Born in a Japanese concentration camp in the former Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) during World War II, Grönloh and her family moved to the Eindhoven area in The Netherlands after the war. Anneke's career soon started to take off. She sang jazz material, American standards, Indonesian folk songs and rock 'n roll with Peter Koelewijn & Zijn Rockets. Koelewijn attended the same Eindhoven high school as Grönloh.
Her début solo single, 'Asmara', failed to chart in The Netherlands, but was a hit in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, where Grönloh toured succesfully as early as 1960. Her Dutch big break followed in the summer of 1962 with the Dutch smash hit, 'Brandend Zand' ('Burning Sand'), which hit #1 in the Dutch Top 40. It was the first of four consecutive #1 hit singles for Grönloh in some eleven months' time. 'Paradiso', 'Soerabaja' and 'Cimeroni' also hit the top spot. Versions of these hit singles in other languages charted in no less than 48 countries. In total, Anneke Grönloh has 'claimed sales' of over 30 million records, primarily singles.
Anneke Grönloh never had a Dutch chart hit again after 1964, but she continued to perform succesfully until 2017, in The Netherlands and the Far East. Her anniversary concert in Singapore in 1994, celebrating her career of 35 years, was attended by 30,000 people. Some of her albums are hardly known in The Netherlands, but sold over 100,000 copies in Indonesia and Malaysia, notably 2002's Nina Bobo.
Having suffered severe pulmonary embolism in 2016, Grönloh's health deteriorated. She stopped performing in the summer of 2017, aged 75, and passed away on 14 September 2018 at her home in France, where she spent the final years of her life. She was 76 years old.
Brandend zand
Anneke Grönloh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
En een leven vol gevaar
Brandend Zand berooft je bijna van 't verstand
En dat alles komt door haar.
Zwarte Dino, jij wou Nina
die met Rocco was verloofd.
En toen Rocco werd gevonden
Brandend Zand en een verloren land
En een leven vol gevaar
Brandend Zand berooft je bijna van 't verstand
En dat alles komt door haar.
In de haven van Marseille
Danst jouw Nina nu voor geld
Slechts de golven zingen zachtjes
Wat van Dino wordt verteld.
Brandend Zand en een verloren land
En een leven vol gevaar
Brandend Zand berooft je bijna van 't verstand
En dat alles komt door haar.
Brandend Zand en een verloren land
En een leven vol gevaar
Brandend Zand berooft je bijna van 't verstand
En dat alles komt door haar
The song "Brandend Zand" by Anneke Grönloh talks about a man named Zwarte Dino who fell in love with a woman named Nina who was already engaged to Rocco. Dino's love for Nina made him commit a crime where Rocco was found dead, and he was looked upon as a suspect, but later he was cleared. However, the pain and regret of his actions haunted him forever, and he was left with nothing but a life full of danger and a lost land, which represents his lost love and the life he could have had. The burning sand can be seen as a metaphor for the torment and guilt Dino feels, which almost drives him insane, and it's all because of his actions towards Nina.
The lyrics also talk about Nina, who is now forced to work as a dancer in the port of Marseille to earn a living. The lyricist depicts her situation as a sad one where she is left with nothing but the memories of her past and the waves of the port, which is a reminder of her lost love, Dino. Overall, the song is about the consequences of one's actions and the pain and regret that come with it. It's a story of love, betrayal, and tragedy that warns us to think before we act, as the consequences of our actions can be dire.
Line by Line Meaning
Brandend Zand en een verloren land
The scorching desert and the lost land represent the difficult and hopeless situation the singer is in.
En een leven vol gevaar
The dangerous circumstances surrounding the singer's life add to the sense of fear and uncertainty.
Brandend Zand berooft je bijna van 't verstand
The unbearable heat and harsh conditions of the desert are taking a toll on the singer's mental state.
En dat alles komt door haar.
The cause of the artist's troubles is a woman who has betrayed him in some way.
Zwarte Dino, jij wou Nina
The artist's name is Dino and he was interested in a woman named Nina.
die met Rocco was verloofd.
Unfortunately, Nina was already engaged to a man named Rocco.
En toen Rocco werd gevonden
At some point, Rocco disappeared or was murdered.
Werd jouw onschuld niet geloofd.
Despite being innocent, Dino was suspected of causing Rocco's disappearance or death.
In de haven van Marseille
Now in Marseille, France, where the artist has followed Nina.
Danst jouw Nina nu voor geld
Nina is now working as a dancer, perhaps at a nightclub or on the street, to earn money.
Slechts de golven zingen zachtjes
The only sound Dino can hear are the waves of the sea, which seem to be mocking him.
Wat van Dino wordt verteld.
The sea and those who observe Dino may be spreading rumors or lies about him, making it harder for him to clear his name.
Contributed by Joshua H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.