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.
Santo Domingo
Anneke Grönloh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fernando alfredo en jose
Een trio dat nog nimmer een cent bezat
Fernando alfredo en jose
De eerste speelde fluit de tweede sjouwde graan
De derde zag je elke dag als schoenenpoetser staan
Ze zaten zonder geld
Dat was hun niet verteld
En in die avond droomden zij
Van santo domingo
Van santo domingo
Daar kwamen zij vandaan
Van de zon en het plezier
In santo domingo
En sprookjes die daar nog bestaan
Ze kregen de wind in de zeilen mee
Fernando alfredo en jose
Het trio werd wel rijker maar niet tevree
Fernando alfredo en jose
De rollen draaiden om
Nu sjouwden ze geen graan
Men zag ze nbiet als muzikant of schoenenpoetser staan
Hun heimwee en verdriet
Vergeten ze maar niet
Fernando alfresdo en jose
The lyrics of Anneke Grönloh's song Santo Domingo describe the story of three friends, Fernando, Alfredo, and Jose, who left their homeland to find their fortune in the big city. The trio had struggled all their lives with poverty and had never owned a single penny. Fernando played the flute, Alfredo worked in the fields, and Jose earned his living as a shoeshiner. Despite the hardships they faced, they kept dreaming of their homeland, Santo Domingo, where they were born and raised. They dreamed of the sun, the fun, and the fairy tales that still existed in their homeland.
Their dreams brought them courage and hope, and soon they found success in the city. They became richer but remained dissatisfied with their fate. Their roles had changed, and they no longer worked in the fields or shined shoes. They were no longer seen as musicians or shoeshiners. However, they never forgot their homesickness and sorrow, and their longing for their homeland became even stronger.
The song portrays the bittersweet reality of the lives of immigrants who leave their homeland, pursue their dreams, and find success in a foreign land but find themselves longing for their roots and the memories of their past.
Line by Line Meaning
Ze zochten hun geluk in de grote stad
Three men named Fernando, Alfredo, and Jose believed that they could turn their fortunes around by seeking their luck in the big city.
Een trio dat nog nimmer een cent bezat Fernando alfredo en jose
Fernando, Alfredo, and Jose were three individuals who had been living in poverty and had not held any wealth.
De eerste speelde fluit de tweede sjouwde graan De derde zag je elke dag als schoenenpoetser staan
Fernando played the flute, Alfredo carried sacks of grain, and Jose was seen every day shining people's shoes.
Ze zaten zonder geld Dat was hun niet verteld Fernando alfredo en jose
The trio had no money and were not prepared for the financial struggles that came with pursuing their dreams.
En in die avond droomden zij Van santo domingo Van santo domingo Daar kwamen zij vandaan Van de zon en het plezier In santo domingo En sprookjes die daar nog bestaan
Despite their current situation, the trio would dream of their hometown Santo Domingo and reminisce about the sun, fun, and fairy tales that exist in that place.
Ze kregen de wind in de zeilen mee Fernando alfredo en jose Het trio werd wel rijker maar niet tevree Fernando alfredo en jose
The trio finally caught a break and started to experience some success. They were able to accumulate wealth but remained unsatisfied and unfulfilled.
De rollen draaiden om Nu sjouwden ze geen graan Men zag ze niet als muzikant of schoenenpoetser staan
Their fortunes changed, they no longer had to carry sacks of grain or shine shoes. They were perceived differently, not only as musicians or shoemakers.
Hun heimwee en verdriet Vergeten ze maar niet Fernando alfresdo en jose
Even though they were able to improve their financial status, the memories of their past struggles, homesickness, and sadness stayed with them.
Contributed by London L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@willygerrits4027
mooi, lang geleden leuke vrouw zal ik nooit vergeten.
@yolandocijntje7990
Ik heb altijd genoten van jouw nummers .R.I.P.
@muzikant56
Blijft een mooi lied klinkt prachtig
@hvdmeer5866
een laaste groet voor jouw, we hebben genoten van je muziek.
@danmarkguy
heel mooi, merci Anneke
@theohoogeveen4658
Henri Lanka het blijft gewoon een heerlijk nummer,lekker tijdloos .dank je Anneke
@erikvdberg5618
Fantastisch zangers wat laat jij veel goede muziek in ons achter.
R.I.P.
@pamwirken
she is a nice and a good singer and i loves her songs all for along time
@henkdiny
Anneke je bent echt een geweldige zangeres. Ook dit nummer is Top
@wimfleuren5984
Geweldig mooi