Pierre Kartner

Petrus Antonius Laurentius Kartner (11 April 1935 – 8 November 2022) was a Dutch musician, singer-songwriter and record producer who performed under the stage name Vader Abraham (Father Abraham). He wrote around 1600 songs. He started his singing career at the age of eight, winning a local festival.

Father Abraham

In 1971, Kartner created his well-known alter ego, Father Abraham, after writing a Dutch carnival song, "Father Abraham had seven sons". Initially he wore a fake beard, but subsequently grew a real beard which, along with a bowler hat, became his trademark. Also in 1971, his duet with Wilma Landkroon, "Zou het erg zijn, lieve opa" (Would it be bad, dear grandfather?), reached number one in the Dutch pop music charts.

In 1981 Kartner recorded a song about Weepuls, "Wij zijn de wuppies" (We are the Weepuls).

The Little Café by the Harbour, 1975

In 1975, Kartner scored his second biggest hit, "Het kleine café aan de haven" (The little café by the harbour). This song has since been covered over 250 times in various languages. English cover versions include "The Little Cafe by the Harbour" by Engelbert Humperdinck, "My Favourite Cafe on the Harbour" by Audrey Landers and The Red Rose Café by Demis Roussos and, separately, The Fureys. Other cover versions of The Red Rose Café have been released by Peter Alexander (Austria), Joe Dassin (France), Mireille Mathieu (France), Celtic Thunder (Ireland), Audrey Landers (US), André Rieu (Netherlands), Jaromír Mayer (Czech Republic), Kantoři (Czech folk music), Dag Frøland (Norway 1981), and Hanne Krogh (Norway 1982).

In French the song was recorded as "Le café de la Rue d'Amérique" by Mireille Mathieu and "Le café des trois Colombes" by Joe Dassin, and in German as "Die kleine Kneipe" by Peter Alexander and "Das kleine Beisl". In the Norwegian language the song is called "Levende lys".

In Dutch it was rerecorded by André Rieu conducting the Maastricht Salon Orchestra.

The Smurfs, 1977–2005

In May 1977, Kartner was asked to make a promotional song about The Smurfs. The record company initially only pressed 1,000 copies of the single, called "The Smurf Song", since they were unsure about the single's potential. However, they were all sold within one day at a Schlager festival. After a repress, 400,000 singles were quickly sold. A full Smurfs album was then created, which sold 500,000 copies. The album was released in several dozen countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, and Sweden, and in various different languages. The album scored a number one hit in 16 countries. Subsequently, Kartner released other Smurf-themed albums, again in various countries and languages, such as Ga je mee naar Smurfenland (Dutch) and Vater Abraham im Land der Schlümpfe (German). In all, Kartner's Smurf works have sold around 17 million copies.

In 2005 Vader Abraham recorded The Smurf Song together with the dance act Dynamite.

Political songs, 1973–2016

As a reaction to the 1973 oil crisis, Kartner and the right-wing politician Hendrik Koekoek recorded the duet "Den Uyl is in den olie" (Den Uyl is in the oil), blaming the social democratic prime minister Joop den Uyl and Arabs for the crisis. In the carnival season of 1975, he published "Wat doen we met die Arabieren hier" (What do we do with the Arabs here?), containing the lines "What shall we do with the Arabs here? They can't be trusted with our pretty women here." The record company subsequently deleted the song. His 1976 song, "Het leger der werklozen" (The army of unemployed) portrays the jobless as people who spend the day sitting in pubs, drinking alcohol.

In 2002 Kartner recorded "Wimmetje gaat, Pimmetje komt" (Wim goes, Pim comes) with rising politician Pim Fortuyn, predicting that Fortuyn may replace Wim Kok as prime-minister. Before this could happen, Fortuyn was assassinated. In 2012, he recorded "Beste Koning" (Dear King) and in 2016 "Ik wil mijn gulden terug" (I want the guilder back).

Honours and awards

Buma Export Award (1978) Buma Lifetime Achievement Award (2015)

Personal life and death Kartner lived in Breda with his wife Annie.

Kartner died in Breda of bone cancer on 8 November 2022, at the age of 87.

Discography Studio albums

Een lach en een traan, 1972 Vader Abraham Show, 1972, with others Veel liefs van... Vader Abraham en zijn goede zonen, 1972, with "zijn goede zonen" Vader Abraham en zijn goede zonen, 1973, with "zijn goede zonen" Samen jong, samen oud, 1974 Samen jong, samen oud Geven voor Leven, 1974 Kerst show, 1974 Mooi Griekenland, 1976 Bedankt lieve ouders, 1976 In Smurfenland, 1977, with the Smurfs En el país de Los Pitufos, 1977 Au pays des Schtroumpfs, 1978 Im Land der Schlümpfe, 1978 In Smurfland, 1978 Smurfenbier, 1978, with the Smurfs El Padre Abraham y sus Pitufos, 1979 Smurfing Sing Song, 1979 Veo veo, 1980 Hitparade der Schlümpfe, 1980 Kerstfeest, 1979 Die glücklichen Jahre, 1979 De beste jaren van zijn leven, 1981 Jij en ik blijven bestaan, 1981 De wonderlijke Wuppie wereld, 1981, with the Wuppies El Padre Abraham y los Wuppies, 1983 El maravilloso mundo de los Wuppies, 1983 Los Wuppies del Padre Abraham, 1983 Vader Abraham und die Wuppies, 1985 Dierenmanieren, 1985 Vader Abraham zingt over apen en andere mensen, 1987 Als je wilt weten wie ik ben, 1987 Vader Abraham 2, 1988 Waarom huil je nou, 1988 Together forever (Dutch), 1990, with the Smurfs Together forever (English), 1990 Schlumpfenland Wunderland, 1990 Die Lieder der Mumins, 1992 Lach naar de wolken, 1994, as Pierre Kartner

Collections De beste van Vader Abraham, 1976 De beste van Vader Abraham, 1977 Bedankt Vader Abraham, 1979 (live) 14 Feestsuksessen, 1981 15 Jaar Karnaval, 1985 Vader ziet Abraham, 1985 14 Beste, 1987 De 20 best, 1988 Het beste van Vader Abraham, 1990 15 Successen, 1990 Op de deksel van de jampot, 1990 Totaal, 1993 25 Jaar: Zijn 36 grootste successen, 1995 30 jaar Vader Abraham, 2000 Gefeliciteerd Vader Abraham! – 80 jaar, 2015