Herman Broodplein Amsterdam

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When one has lived in a city as long as I have in Amsterdam the familiar love-hate relationship starts to creep up on you unnoticed with the passage of time. The city is presently executing the mother of all redevelopment's around the central station area. Although one understands that a city is a constantly changing organism and that sometimes major surgery has to take place it does not make the prolonged chaos and disruption any easier to bear.

But at long last small parts of the redevelopment are coming to conclusion, showing that the years of mess and noise are perhaps worth the wait. Part of the new Amsterdam Central Library - OBA - was opened to the public last week. The new library certainly is worth it. No expense or effort has been spared to create a cultural palace of note.
A new reading area has been created in the art and music section and has been dedicated to the late Herman Brood - a fitting tribute to one of Amsterdam's most turbulent and sensational eccentrics. On the 11th of July the Herman Broodplein was officially opened by his daughter Holly and his widow Xandra.

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Dutchvlog in Da Hip Hop Club 06/03/2007

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Brakko Trixxx and MO the Poet on stage.

Ok - in the Brakko and MO interview we heard how they thought. Now they show us what they can do on stage. The lights go down, the beats start and in the Boom Bap they spit with rhythm, content, and flow obviously enjoying every second of it. I like these guys.

Contact with Brakko and MO at brakkotrixx@hotmail.com or leave a comment on this video-blog and we will pass your message on.

A Scream in the wind for Theo van Gogh

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On the 2nd of November 2004 Theo van Gogh - a Dutch film and TV maker, writer and much loved pain in the butt was viscously slaughtered by a home grown radical Moslem. This event changed the Netherlands for good and in many respects it will never be the same again.
Luckily one thing has not changed - the immense inertia of the much-cherished Dutch bureaucracy. After two and a half years of nation-wide disagreement, debate, discussion, court cases, bad tempers and general unpleasantness a monument to Theo, his life, his work and above all his championship of free speech was unveiled just a stones throw from where he was murdered. This was obviously another attempt to strike while the iron is just rusting away.

The sculpture, created by Jeroen Henneman, represents the layered profile of a scream. The outside layer is screaming whilst the innermost layer is silent.

Big Up to Theo

Dutchvlog in Da Hip Hop Club 06/03/2007 - Brakko en MO

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Interview Brakko Trixxx and MO the Poet.

On Tuesday the 6th of March the weekly Hip Hop Club on the Rembrandtplein in Amsterdam was graced by the performances of both old and new blood. The Amsterdam rap legend CIA Funky Fresh provided the old and Brakko Trixxx together with MO the Poet provided the new.

As always the artists were filmed by Dutchvlog during their interview. This time Kiddo Cee talked to Brakko and MO two talented artists from the infinite bubbling lake of DutchHop - the Amsterdam Bijlmer. These two young up and coming producer / MC's distinguish themselves in the emerging Hip Hop Scene not only by their realistic and relevant musical and textual approach but maybe even more so by their social engagement and conviction. It was both refreshing and encouraging to listen to them and I had the feeling I had learned something from these two wise young men. Hence the Brakko and Mo interview is being broadcast uncut in its entirety.

Unfortunately for the English speaking viewers the interview takes place in Dutch (street slang) ....you can always watch the performance in the post after this.

Dutchvlog in Da HipHop Club 27/02/07

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The Hip Hop Club now every Tuesday at Studio 80 Amsterdam

Shit! You missed the Hip Hop Club in Studio 80 again last Tuesday. Stand Up host Rachid Larouz has clearly warmed up and found his spot. He and his friends culturally skin all creeds present and more. This time the crowd was graced with the spit of true polder-hop originating from the heart of reclaimed sea - Lelystad. Ir. Leyly would be proud of the misical fruits that his labours have brought forth -G-Blood, 81 Project and the Dodeneters. They are just some of the combinations who reside under the umbrella of Rackador Records. The Dodeneters represent a new branch of Flavoian hip hop called Horror Core in which the end of the world is redefined - if you ask me poignantly relevant. As we know however, it is ultimately all about the beats.

Dutchvlog in Da HipHop Club 20/02/07

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The Hip Hop Club now every Tuesday at Studio 80 Amsterdam

Thanks to Heron we can now feast our ears on the freshest hip-hop talents in Amsterdam at the HipHop Club every Tuesday night in Studio 80 on the Rembrandtplein. The kick off last Tuesday was hosted by Stand Up Rachid Larouz who will bust your sides, followed by MC's Kiddo Cee and Merage. Come and get inspired. Support your MC and make some noise at the hot-hot Hip Hop club.

Live audio stream from the club every Tuesday at www.hiphopclub.nl

Next week
27/02/07 :- Dodeneters & 81 project >>>> Be There !!?!

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Cable Conference 2007 Amsterdam # 5 - CDS

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As cable consumers we like to sit back, use and enjoy all the services delivered to us by the cable networks and service providers. However, behind the scenes an enormous amount of creative energy, high tech innovation, investment and planning is needed to give us what we want. The Dutch cable consumer is already accustomed to a high quality cable network in a country with one of the highest broadband connection densities in the world. This is however not necessarily the case in the rest of Europe.

Diarmuid Kelly from CDS, one of the organisations that help build the digital highways that we use, talked to Dutchvlog about the role that CDS plays in providing the infrastructure that is needed to keep the increasigly demanding consumer happy.

This is the last in the Cable Conference 2007 series. I would like to thank Wolfgang Blau for inviting Dutchvlog - and special thanks go to Brandii Burke (my New Media companion) for her great camera work and her support during the conference.

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Cable Conference 2007 Amsterdam # 4

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A quick round of the HD ready exhibitors.

Cable Conference 2007 #3

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The backdrop for this years Conference is the Five Star Okura Hotel in Amsterdam.

Cable Conference 2007 Amsterdam #2

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I had a peek at the effort and precision it takes to keep 600 Cable Network bosses happy and networking in a Five Star Hotel.