Laetitia van Krieken

During the time I played as a keyboardist for Nits, and we were often on tour together, we frequently exchanged our favorite music. Band members Henk, Rob, and Arwen were all interested in various styles of music, art, and literature. Henk Hofstede, a big fan of Cohen, was the one who consciously introduced me to the lyrics and music of Leonard Cohen.

In 1999, we were asked as Nits to participate in the Marlboro Flashback Concerts. The choice of artist/band by Nits was made quickly: a successful concert featuring the repertoire of Leonard Cohen took place on December 29 at Paradiso, Amsterdam. Violinist Herman van Haaren was one of the guest musicians. The live recording was broadcast on radio and television.

Since that time, I have not lost sight of Cohen's music. In early April 2018, the Leonard Cohen Tribute Band had just returned from a tour through Ireland. Keyboardist Rinus van den Boomen was unavailable for a period due to health reasons, including for the sold-out concert on April 15 at the Effenaar. The band approached me then; I was already familiar with the Cohen repertoire. Right away, we had a musical connection together, and I have continued playing with them since that time. It’s wonderful to dive back into the Cohen repertoire and to contribute to arrangements and playing together with keyboards, accordion, and backing vocals.