My stage name is Nico Contini and come from a very musical family and a large family, most of whom did play the piano. I have been playing the piano since I was 4 years old and I learned a lot from my brother Dic. I often sang with my sister Louise, who was able to play the piano beautifully. I also composed music pieces at a young age. At the age of 12 I went to the music lyceum, where I was taught by a very strict cigar-smoking teacher. A disaster!! When this became ill, a different and nicer teacher came temporarily. That way I got pleasure in learning again and improvised a lot. I left the Music school and taught myself a lot.
I bought my first Keyboard at the Keurkoop, a Magnus. A plastic case with some buttons for the Major and Minor chords. A monotonous sound. In 1959 I already thought, I'll wait until a keyboard comes, which contains a whole orchestra. When I was 16 years old I went into the Horeca and didn’t play at all for 18 years.
Almost 20 years later an acquaintance showed me a small mini-Casio and I was allowed to borrow the Casio. I connected it to the stereo system and played until 4 o'clock in the night. The next day I immediately bought my first Roland. A party for that time, especially with an external sound module. Later on I regularly performed with the Roland and a Technics Keyboard.
The dream came true, a keyboard with a whole orchestra in it, the Yamaha Tyros. This one is still the same, which I still play on and perform with.
Horeca:
At the age of 22 I set up Coffee-Grillroom Smickles on Schoutenstraat, together with brother and brother-in-law. After more than nine years I went on alone. For example, I transformed an old Hilversum grocery and delicatessen shop in Restaurant De Vergulde Luifel on the square at C&A, in the heart of Hilversum and provided it with a large and unique terrace. Later this eating ablissement was completely renovated and changed into Grand-Café-Restaurant Het Binnenhof. Even later, the building has always changed hands and currently has the name Van Drimmelen. This unique place still attracts many visitors. In the meantime I have set up a Crêperie and Pannekoekerij Flenstone on the 's Gravelandseweg in Hilversum, which was later sold.
A newspaper report recently found by my niece. Possibly from 1983.
After 23 years I stopped as an independent Catering Operator and I continued with my passion, the music, which I already picked up in 1988.
Musical experience:
I played on keyboard / synthesizer among others with a few duos and trios, a Big Band, an orchestra, but mostly solo performances with keyboard and vocals. The videos can be viewed on You Tube or here.
Nico Contini!
