André Rieu Raises The Roof!

Even Natural Disasters Can't Keep Waltz King André Rieu From Taking His Music To The World

André Rieu used to be unstoppable but the volcano that shut down the world also froze Rieu a tireless recording artist and touring machine in his tracks. "I hate that volcano Rieu 60 says from Cape Town it caused me so much trouble". A bus trip from his home in Maastricht The Netherlands, to Barcelona Spain - the only airport open during the ash crisis - was planned then aborted. In desperation Rieu chartered a jet to fly him and orchestra from Maastricht to South Africa. "It was extremely expensive" he says "but you need to do these things. I am about finding solutions". Walt King Rieu has found a global audience for feel good classical music. Rieu's shows have broken box office records world wide. He is one of the biggest selling artists in Australia. He and wife Marjorie run the Rieu Empire. She often has the deciding vote on songs and tours. André and Marjorie have two sons and three baby grandchildren.

I love being a grandfather. I did not imagine it would be this fantastic. We have the advantage of being grandparents without getting up at night to deal with crying babies. That is the real joy.

Aspiration is very important to me. I think of myself as a - how do you say in English, when somebody is ill you make them better? A healer. I'm a positive man, I always see the positive side of life. I always think there is a way to solve things.

I always start the day with music. When I make a record, Marjorie and I sit at the breakfast table, we have our toast and coffee and we listen with fresh ears. I never listen to my music when we come out of the studio. We wait until the morning. You hear a lot of things you don't hear in the evening. I listen very much to her advice and her tastes. I'm a musician, so sometimes I don't hear things because I am too much involved. She hears it with her ears. She is always right.

I want to perform at the AFL Grand Final. Let's arrange this. I will keep the date open. In Holland I played at a football match and started to sell a lot of records. That's where it really began for me. I still remember how the people waved their flags and swayed to the music.

I will write a football waltz for it. That will be difficult. This is what I do. (laughs). It will be a melody that everybody can sing.

I cannot lie. You can see what I'm thinking by looking at me. Some critics think everything I do on stage with my orchestra is all fake. It's not true. They think my orchestra are contracted to laugh or be joyful. That's not possible. You must be honest when you perform 120 times a year. It's so tiring to every night to play a role like it's the Theatre. I'm real.

I want my music to raise people up. That is the name of my new album You Raise Me Up. I like the feelings of that title. Let the music fill your spirit. That's what I wanted to say.

I think to play a good waltz is to play it with humour ... and a lot of joy, a lot of melancholy, a lot of feelings. That's what I love in a waltz. When you play a good waltz an audience cannot sit, or be indifferent. They have to be involved. A good waltz can grab an audience like no other.

I celebrated two Mother's Days in Australia. Last year and the year before. This year, I will be home. I love and respect my Mother, who gave me this life. I love and respect Marjorie. I could not imagine a better Mother to raise my children. Now she is a grandmother for my grandchildren. She is wise and adorable ... like most Mother's are.

You Raise Me Up (Universal) is out now.
André Rieu, Rod Laver Arena, October 17th.
The Live in Maastricht concert will be streamed into selected cinema's on July 18th at 11:00am and 4:00pm.
Details: http://www.cinemalive.com/
Herald Sun/TYFFS
Thank goodness Jann and I are here together!! I read and she typed so we could see this article to read it. Thanks Jann!! :)