Sounds of Andreas Hellingh

Amsterdam, Nederland

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About

Born and raised in Amsterdam, Andreas began to discover soul music in the mid-70’s, while listening to seminal soul groups like The Temptations, Earth, Wind & Fire and Parliament-Funkadelic on Dutch pirate radio. In 1982, he joined FMAK (his first radio experience) and in a team of 14 they literally pioneered Soul/Funk/R&B music and managed to create huge awareness across the country! Since the early 80’s, he has DJ’d extensively in clubs all over Europe and as recently as 2004, was a prominent member of the 40-plus team of DJs that brought the world quality Soul music 24/7 on the pioneering station soul24-7.com. His freelance A&R activities began in the mid-90s initially out of frustration towards the music industry and as a result of artists’ continuous battle for recognition and airplay. He now works extensively with international artists and record labels worldwide.

Andreas explains: "I love to track down unknown talent as well as the heroes of the past to breathe new life into them. It's inconceivable that true artists are dropped by record companies, knowing that most of them can easily out-sing the majority of the current younger generation of “artists” dominating the airwaves. I'm aware that the music industry is a multi-million dollar business. However, there is a market for any artist no matter what their age or type of music. We consumers are entitled to make a choice and get the best – the music should come first and that is something most major labels seem to forget!"

From the early eighties to the present, he has interviewed and worked with the likes of Barry White, Leon Ware, Temika Moore, Jean Carne, Phyllis Hyman, Indira Khan (daughter of Chaka), Sy Smith, Slave, Janita, Gwen McCrea, Zapp, Nathan Heathman, Ledisi, Frank McComb, Res, Robert Brookins, Mary J Blige, Peggi Blu, Kloud 9, Leroy Burgess, Charles & Gwen Scales, Shabazz, Lalah Hathaway, Alyson Williams and N'Dambi to name a few!

Other notable achievements include the successful label signings of Ali Ollie Woodson (formerly of The Temptations), Shabazz, Ian Martin, husband & wife duo ÄJ, Felicia Adams, Vaneese Thomas (sister to Irma and daughter to the late Rufus Thomas), Bob Baldwin, Charles & Gwen Scales, Sandra St. Victor (formerly of The Family Stand), Karen Bernod, Byron Woods and many more! He is constantly active within the industry, working on a variety of musical projects and taking every opportunity to promote the work of quality artists and labels.

Possessing impeccable musical taste and a musical knowledge to match, he has come a long way from being a listener to the person he is today, making huge financial sacrifices and personal commitments along the way, in order to make his dreams come true. He is an avid record collector of over 25 years’ standing and rumour has it that he has accumulated no less than 35,000 vinyl albums and over 15,000 CDs and counting.

He firmly believes that in addition to everyday activities, it is the role of a good artist manager to develop a natural, detailed interest in the lives of the artists he manages, as this makes him a better manager. On the state of the music industry, he says: “Unlike what a lot of people think, most artists don’t make that much money in return for the amount of time, energy and commitment they put into the recording process. It is this sorry state of affairs that provides me with the motivation to do what I do”.

After several years of hosting shows far and wide in countries like Holland, Sweden and The UK (with a combined listenership in the region of over 6 million), Andreas currently presents shows on Holland’s Laser FM (www.laserfm.nl) and the UK’s Starpoint Radio (www.starpointradio.com). Join him on his shows presenting "The Soul of Amsterdam", where the focus is on a wide variety of music including R&B, Soul, Funk, Jazz, Adult Contemporary and Gospel from the 70s, to the present date. He will refresh your soulful memory with seldom played album tracks and exclusive demos sometimes unheard or masqueraded somewhere else. Be prepared to be taken by storm and swept away by the one and only Soul of Amsterdam eargasm!

Member since: 8 years