Marlene Bakker

sings about her native land in her mother tongue, in a way that is truly unlike anyone else. Her music flows like a river through the Groningen landscape, meandering through time. Following successful theatre tours surrounding her albums Raif and Oaventuren, she will return with a new tour in February 2027 titled MARLENE // MELDINE, together with the Noordpool Orkest, conducted by Reinout Douma.

Inspired by the remarkable folk tales of the northern Netherlands, Marlene became fascinated by Meldine, a 19th-century seer from the village of Zoutkamp. According to local lore, Meldine possessed the “twijde gezicht” (the “second sight”) and was able to see visions of the future. In this performance, the boundaries between past and present, reality and imagination begin to blur, as Marlene wonders: how would Meldine look at our time?

Let yourself be carried away by the magic of Groningen, where the witte wieven (mysterious white apparitions from local folklore) and hypnotic hiplichten (will-'o'-the-wisps) come to life in an enchanting blend of indie pop and cinematic orchestral arrangements. Melancholic, human, intimate and firmly rooted in the soil of Groningen, Marlene reaches out her hand and invites you to travel with her. Sometimes in the here and now, sometimes back in time, or towards a possible future. But preferably, in slow motion...

Bio

Marlene is a striking presence in the Dutch music scene. Her music has an entirely unique place within the music industry because she writes and sings in a dialect called Gronings. This dialect is spoken in the province of Groningen and is part of the Dutch Low Saxon language that covers the northeastern part of the Netherlands and northwest Germany. Even those who do not understand the language are moved by the cinematic atmosphere of her music - steeped in longing, melancholy and romance.

After releasing her debut album RAIF, Marlene's career took off rapidly. “The best album of the year so far, as far as I'm concerned,” said Frits Spits on NPO Radio 1's programme De Taalstaat. Alongside four- and five-star album reviews, she received the regional-language award for RAIF. She was support act on Daniël Lohues' Elektrisch club tour, performed at festivals including Grasnapolsky, Oerol, Festival der Aa and Eurosonic/Noorderslag, and embarked on a nationwide theatre tour with her production RAIF and Oaventuren.

In September 2023, Marlene Bakker released her long-awaited second album Oaventuren. While artists often approach the “difficult second album” with some trepidation, Marlene dispelled any doubts, both literally and figuratively. Once again, Oaventuren was met with an abundance of outstanding reviews. Eric Scipio van Domburg wrote:

While Raif was a big surprise five years ago, with Oaventuren Bakker proves that she is certainly not inferior to an album sung in Dutch or English, released by a major record company. (★★★★★ - Heaven Magazine)

Never before was the Groninger dialect connected to cinematic arrangements that sound so contemporary, in which the songs of a singer-songwriter are carefully draped in dreamy and broad sounds. Raif is a unique listening experience, a serene and melancholic spell which is lovingly crafted and captured into an indiepop sound. Somehow it's just incredibly romantic. (★★★★★ - (Peter van der Heide, Dagblad van het Noorden)

“Marlene Bakker is a captivating stage presence who effortlessly carries an entire performance with her beautiful, unbreakable voice. Her songs are characterised by a certain vulnerability, and that vulnerability is never compromised throughout the performance. There is no distracting chatter during the music, but rather attentive listening and a standing ovation.” — Harmen Boerwinkel, Meppeler Courant

This is unbelievably beautiful..! (Daniël Lohues)

Check this out! The way she sings Gronings is beautiful! (Nynke Laverman)

Live reviews

What a stunningly beautiful voice Bakker has. It has gained in strength since Raif. She nearly blew the spots off the stage, crystal clear and subtly assisted by her two musicians. Unpretentious class. (Eric Nederkoorn - Festival Noorderzon 2023)

Bakker's dialect is a completely different, almost mythical language. The audience tonight is absolutely silent from the first note. (Eindhoven Rockcity)

She enchants and manages to put on an intimate show with a language that is foreign to many. It is beautiful when you understand it, but actually just as beautiful if you can't make heads or tail of it. (OOR)

Oaventuren reviews

For many, the Low Saxon dialect is a language they do not master, but in the case of Oaventuren that does not bother the listener. The way its written and played makes it very clear what this album is about. The whole album is fantastically written, arranged and played. Bakker's voice may not be for everyone, but it fits perfectly in the Wilco-like atmosphere of this album. (Hidde Roorda, Musicmaker)

Bakker has her own idiom and uses a poetic, warm variant of the Low Saxon dialect. Feelings of comfort, melancholy and longing alternately emerge from the grooves. She is best in small, vulnerable songs such as Stain and Sloaplaidje. (★★★★ - Martin Groenewold, Dagblad van het Noorden)

Bakker once again proves that together with Bernard Gepken she can make an exemplary singer-songwriter record with one beautiful song after another. Songs that are not diminished for a second because they are sung in a regional language, perhaps even gaining extra impact. You just feel that this is where Bakker can express herself best. While Raif was a big surprise five years ago with Oaventuren, Bakker proves that she is certainly not inferior to an album sung in Dutch or English, released by a major record company. (★★★★★ - Eric Scipio van Domburg - Heaven Magazine)

Five years after her debut album Raif, the wait is amply rewarded with Oaventuren. Bakker writes beautifully melodic songs with Bernard Gepken that are easy to understand but never sound smooth or predictable. Oaventuren leads the listener from highlight to highlight, with a different surprising view each time. (★★★★★ - Harm Peter Smilde, ZING Magazine)

With Oaventuren, Marlene presents herself as a singer/songwriter to take seriously. No regional gimmick, but a beautiful voice full of poetry, which leaves the listener longing for Groningen. (Jurgen Vreugdenhil, Platomania)

Oaventuren is an invitation to experience life the way it is and make the most of it. Marlene could not have made a more emphatic invitation to enjoy her music. This has become a very beautiful album! Very very beautiful. (★★★★★ - Marcel Hartenberg, Written in Music)

Oaventuren has become a record that you want to play as often as possible. It is not without reason that Marlene Bakker has now been embraced by radiostation 'Pinguin Plush'. After RAIF she did it again with Oaventuren. A second piece of art. (Pieter Visscher, Pinguin Radio)

There are so many beautiful emotions put into this album that it cannot leave you untouched. In fact, she is our very own Natalie Merchant, although no comparison really fits. Marlene Bakker brings something of her own that fits the idiosyncratic character of the North. Groningen is once again firmly on the map thanks to this overwhelmingly beautiful album! (Jan Willem Broek, The Subjectivists)

Raif reviews

Raif is a masterful debut that gives an impuls to dialect with contemporary pop and can reach far beyond our borders. (★★★★★ review - Dagblad van het Noorden / Leeuwarder Courant)

This debut by Marlene Bakker is extraordinary. Generously produced, with a star role for Bernard Gepken as a guitarist and co-composer, Bakker turns out to be a pop / rock singer-songwriter to keep an eye on. (★★★★ review - Heaven Pop Magazine)

She proves to be an excellent songwriter, whether or not together with Bernard Gepken. A fresh debut that sounds very different from the rest in her genre. It should be highly valued nationwide. (Platomania)

With this debut album the singer/songwriter meets all the expectations. Bakker belongs to the best of the best in her genre (★★★★ review - MusicMakerNL)

Her warm and soulful voice conveys the poetic dialect lyrics in a very convincing way. Her storytelling is paramount. This combined with the Groninger dialect is a match made in heaven. (3voor12Groningen)