Ernst Jansz

Biography

Ernst Gideon Jansz (born 24 May 1948 in Amsterdam) is one of the founding members and frontmen of Doe Maar. Doe Maar is a Dutch 1980s ska/reggae band, and is considered one of the most successful bands in Dutch pop history.
His father, born in Semarang on Java, is an Indo (Dutch-Indonesian), who went to the Netherlands in 1932 after finishing his study at the Batavia HBS to continue his higher education there. Once Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands, his father was involved in the Dutch resistance movement, until he was captured and interned in a German concentration camp. After the war he became one of the few Indo advocates for an independent Indonesia. In his view the principle of liberty and independence applied to both situations: Dutch independence from Nazi Germany and Indonesian independence from the colonial Netherlands.
Much of the literary work of the author Jansz is based on his Indo identity and his fathers' heritage.
In 1997 Jansz married actress Jaloe Maat, the mother of his two youngest children. He has a (step)daughter from a previous marriage. He lives with his family in Neerkant, the Netherlands.
He is a well-known celebrity who was openly critical of Covid policies.

Music

Together with Henny Vrienten, Jansz wrote the majority of the Doe Maar-songs and alternated as lead vocalists. He was originally asked to be the band's keyboardist, and played synthesizer on many songs. His Indo background has influenced much of his work (for Doe Maar), particularly "Rumah Saya" (My House or My Home), which he wrote and recorded in 1980 for Skunk, one of the best-sold albums in Dutch pop history. In the song he describes that he fits in with neither Dutch nor Indonesian culture fully.

No mountains at the horizon, in this land of my birth. [...] And then I long for the land of my father. But also there I will be a stranger. [...] Rumah saya dimana? (Wheres my home?) Song lyrics by Ernst Jansz, 1981.
Doe Maar broke into superstardom in 1982, making both Jansz and Vrienten the perfect pop-idols in their mid-thirties. Overexposure caused them to break up two years later. Ernst Jansz returned to folk band CCC Inc and did other projects as a sideman and a solo-artist. In 1995 he rejoined singer-/songwriter Boudewijn de Groot's backing band.
In 2000 Doe Maar released one last album and continued to play occasional reunion-shows.

Books and albums

Ernst Jansz has written three semi-autobiographical books: Gideons droom (Gideon's Dream, 1983) De Overkant (The Other Side, 1985), and Molenbeekstraat (Een liefdeslied 1948 – 1970) (Molenbeekstraat: a lovesong 1948–1970), 2006). The latter two share their titles with Jansz' solo-albums. Gideons droom is about a second-generation Indo (Indo-European) Dutchman like himself; De Overkant is a three-part book dealing with letters between Jansz and his family (especially his father), the life of his mother, and an account of his trip to Indonesia. Molenbeekstraat covers his early life and mixes in songtext from the Molenbeekstraat album.

Solo albums

1999 – De Overkant
2006 – Molenbeekstraat
2010 – Dromen van Johanna - Ernst Jansz sings Bob Dylan, translated
2013 – Gideons Droom
2017 – De Neerkant
2021 – Live In Tijden Van Corona
2021 – Chopin en andere stukken
2024 – Een liefdeslied

CCC inc.

1970 – To Our Grandchildren
1971 – Watching The Evening Sun
1973 – Castle in Spain
1975 – CCC Forever
1984 – Van Beusekom
1990 – Speed & Intensity
2000 – Jan
2007 – 1967–2007 (Box)

Studioalbums

1979 – Doe Maar
1981 – Skunk
1982 – Doris Day & Andere Stukken
1983 – 4us
2000 – Klaar

Dub-album

1982 – Doe de Dub (Dub-version of 'Doris Day')

Live-albums

1983 – Lijf aan Lijf
1995 – Het Afscheidsconcert (incl. video)
2000 – Hees van Ahoy (incl. DVD)

De Gevestigde Orde

One off project by the Dutch Pop music foundation: Ernst Jansz, Joost Belinfante, Doe Maar members (without Henny Vrienten) and Bram Vermeulen & his band.

1983 – De Gevestigde Orde (live-lp)

Rienne Va Plus

Trio: Ernst Jansz, Jan Hendriks and singer Rieany (Rienne) Janssen.

1990 – Rienne Va Plus
1992 – Money Makes Millionaires

Producer

1984 – Drie Heren – Ik Zag Drie Heren...
1985 – Blue Murder – La La Love
1985 – Claw Boys Claw – Indian Wallpaper
1986 – Blue Murder – Talk Talk Talk
1986 – Blue Murder – Stalking The Deerpark
1991 – Bram Vermeulen – Vriend En Vijand
1994 – Bram Vermeulen – Achter Mijn Ogen
1995 – Bram Vermeulen – Tijd/Vrije Tijd
1997 – Bram Vermeulen – Polonaise
1997 – Boudewijn de Groot – Een hele tour: Gent
1998 – Bram Vermeulen – Allemaal
2004 – Boudewijn de Groot – Eiland In De Verte
2005 – Boudewijn de Groot – Een Avond in Brussel, cd/DVD
2007 – Boudewijn de Groot – Lage Landen Tour, cd/DVD