André Rieu on Remaining Healthy

André Rieu on Remaining Healthy

In this episode, you can read a lot about health, primarily on how to remain healthy. I am obviously not an expert in this field, but do have a certain philosophy about it. People ask me at times how I manage to sustain all this, the travelling and the concerts, just name it. Well, I think and hope that somehow it has to do with your own life settings. I am particularly concerned with the future with hope for new and beautiful things. I am constantly working on that. A positive attitude, as far as I am concerned, helps prevent all sorts of illnesses. I have been on stage for thirty years now and have never been ill. I do get my annual flu shot. A slight flu does not bother me, but my problem is there are too many interests at stake for me to be under the weather, trying to sweat out the flu from underneath the blankets for a week.

I also believe it is important to be doing fun things. I am always busy with the future. And also important is that I do not do it for the money, but for the fun of it. I play music with my soul, and that gives me a wonderful feeling, and that I believe, also brings you health. Plus it seems wise to eat and drink in moderation. If you see what all is available on the shelves in the supermarkets, it is just way too much and not all of it healthy. I am not a man about diets, but the use of a little common sense cannot hurt. And if fate still finds you, then it is very important to fight.

I am ambassador to the foundation Health Care of the University hospital Maastricht, which deals mainly with the care of cancer patients. One of my orchestra members had cancer in the past. But did not give up and persevered, overcame the disease and many years later is still playing with us.

“The Birth of Grandchildren Was The Highlight of 2009”

Life is going by incredibly fast. We are already in 2010 and 2009 has just flown by. It was a particular special year due to the birth of my first grandchildren, three in one year. Ivan, Marc’s son, who is now six months old already, looks exactly like Marc when he was a little boy. And Pierre’s twins, Linde and Lieke, are three months already. They do not look alike, but both are beautiful girls. When I am at home, I go and visit them briefly every day.

We have earned quite a few air miles again in 2009. Three trips to the US, Australia, one promotional tour to Brazil, you name it. Of particular interest was also the performance for the British Queen in Blackpool. That was an evening together with Bette Midler and Whoopie Goldberg. In the afternoon we had to rehearse with a “stand-in” Queen. Her Majesty herself was very friendly that evening. She spoke about our “beautiful melodies”. I was able to speak with her on stage. The audience really appreciated that. I think the secret is that with some sincere words and above all a touch of humor, you can break the ice and win over the audience. I know that a Queen in society is a binding factor, and I understand that the institution evolved from an earlier era, the middle ages. I find our Royal Family in the Netherlands to be wonderful, and we consider ourselves lucky since our Queen is such a fantastic human being.

The responses to our performance in England were so positive, that we will be touring there again this year. Touring there before just never came about. England remains an island with its own ways of doing things. But, if you see how they organize such an event, it is done very professionally. South Africa, where we will go in April, is also getting exciting. The initial sales indications are very encouraging. We will be performing in Sun City, Durban and Cape Town. It will add a new continent to our tour list. Again another moment to reflect upon. But we do not have a lot of time for that since there is always a new concert and a tour awaiting us. Of course it is wonderful that the concerts on the Vrijthof are so popular with the public. This next summer we are happy to be in the middle of Maastricht for eight concerts. We have indicated to the city council that we can easily increase that to ten or eleven. That is important to Maastricht and the entire region since people come from near and far, from all corners of the world, especially for these concerts. And I will continue to present them in plain Maastricht’s dialect.

ANDRÉ RIEU In the Dutch Magazine, Chapeau

Thanks to Ineke for sending this and John for his ©Translation