YASMINE

New: "Yasmine" The newest, self-titeld album of Yasmine was released in October 2001, and contains 12 new songs. Of course the singles "November" and "Ken je dat gevoel" are on it, and songs written for her by Frank vander Linden, Frank Boeijen... >>> Buy this CD at Proxis <<< >>> 793 Bfr - 19,67 Euro - 17.37$ (on Oct 19, 2001) <<<

Singer and mediafigure from Antwerp that started out singing commercial dance-tunes, and gradually evolved toward more pop and personal songs.

Hilde Rens, for that is the non-artist-name of Yasmine, was born in the Antwerp-region (Kontich) on March 3, 1972. From a very young age, this girl decided she wanted to be asinger, and to accomplish that goal she took singing lessons, joined a band called Precious Limits (a cover-band with o.m. Tom Van Landuyt and Pascale Michiels) and took part (as Sandra Kim or Julie Covington) in a number of soundmix-contests (including the VTM-soundmix in 1989). During one of these contests, she got to know Frank Arkesteyn, who took care of her as a manager from then on. Her performing name became Yasmine (apparently named like that after the girlfriend of Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon).

First her voice was put to use in a few radio commercials and she was member of a VTM promo-team, but in 1991, she managed to get a record deal with Antler-Subway/ARS, who steered her in the direction of commercial dance (with Flemish lyrics). From her first single ("Wie denk je wel dat je bent" ) who do you think you are) she was an instant success in the Tien-Om-Te-Zien circuit. At the end of 1991 - the girl was only 19 years old at the time - there was already the full-CD "Mooi Zo" (that's nice), for the most part filled with songs written by Olivier Adams, Maurice Engelen en Nikkie van Lierop (see Praga Khan, Lords of Acid, New Beat), and a few by Fred Bekky (see Pebbles, Trinity). There were four more singles pulled from this debut-CD: "Vraag me niet waarom" (don't ask me why), "Hoog in de Wolken" (high in the clouds), "Zeven dagen" (seven days) and "Twijfels" (doubts).

Almost simultaneously with her breakthrough as a singer, a career in the Flemish medio started. She made her debut in 1992 on Studio Brussel ("10 Spirit"), but then quickly changed sides and could replace the pregnant Bea Van der Maat (see Won Ton Ton) in presenting the popular "flemish songs"-show Tien om te Zien and later the Super 50. In 1993 a second CD came about "Als jij dat Wil" (if you want that), recorded with the same team and in the same formula as the debut, with singles as "Waar jij gaat" (where you go), "In de regen gedanst" (danced in the rain), "In Kleur" (in colour) and "Als jij dat wil".

After a move in radio-land to Contact and on TV to "Vroemtuigen" she emerged later in 1995 with the alubm "Portfolio". Driven by the beautiful singles "Diep in mij" (deep within me) and "Ik was zo graag bij jou gebleven" (I wish I would've stayed with you), this was the first album of Yasmine that sold enough copies to receive gold. It also was a start of a new courses, because instead of the Antler-dance tunes, she headed in the direction of more persional and and poppy material (she had also changed record firms). She also changed her live-act, as she would have no more of the "running four times a day from discotheque to discotheque to hurry-hurry a few songs and zoom off to the next one", and started performeing with a real live band (led by Eric Melaerts - see Soulsister, Isabelle A ...). "I was really fed up with that", she later told Humo, "I had no fun whatsoever in what I was doing, and the gigs were suffering from it. Nowadays, I perform much less, so I gain a little less, but I get to spend much more time on each one, and I'm a hundred times happier that way."

Noticeably was that Yasmine didn't try to conceal her private life any longer (she's lesbian, and her partner in those days was the TV-announcer Opvallend daarbij was ook dat Yasmine haar persoonlijke liefdesleven niet onder stoelen of Alexandra Potvin). This "coming out" (as a figure of speech, there a no nude pics of the releation as far as I know) was kind of self-evident for her: "Lots of gays in showbizz have lied for a long time, so long they can't go back. One can lie for a short while, but not for years. I respect the gays and lesbians that don't want their disposition out in the open .. but for me it certainly was not as big a problem as I had feared at first. The public sees that I'm happy, and they accept me as I am. Maybe there are a few right wing Vlaams Blok-voters who won't buy my records now that they know I share a bed with Alexandra, but I've made up my mind".

In 1997 she had a big hit with the song "Porselein" (porcelain), a song that was written for her by Stefaan Fernande (the author of "Nobelprijs" by Clouseau and of about the complete repertoire of the Flemish boysband Get Ready). Yasmine about this : "that song was written by a total stranger, who only knew my through some old interviews, and still he managed to get to the very heart of me - in the depths of my soul, I am lonely and fragile, but I'm looking at the world, like a winner - that's me, all of me. Very strong lyrics". the forerunner of the CD "Prêt-à Porter". This fashionable CD also got to gold, pulled by the other singles that were taken from it: "Kikkerkoel" (cold as a frog), "Da's een goeie vraag" (good queston, that) en "Altijd weer tikt de klok" (the clock always ticks).

In 1999 the CD "Blauw" (blue) came along, a production of guitarist Eric Melaerts. Singles from this CD that got a warm welcome were "Meisjes aan de Macht" (girls in power), "Slaaf" (slave) and "Ik hou van jou zonder meer" (I love you just like that). Lyricists and writers included Piet van den Heuvel (see Scooter), Alain van Zeveren (see The Radios), Marc Vanhie (see The Bet) and Evert Verhees (see Maurane, Soulsister ...). Also remarkable in that same year was her duet with Frank Boeijen, with whom she performed the song "Suzanne" (originally by Leonard Cohen, earlier in Dutch by Herman Van Veen). About "Blauw" she told Nieuwsblad : "I've evolved. My previous albums were pure pop albums. This is more "modern folk" or something. There's more chanson on it, less schlager. I used to aim at the cafés, the festivals, to create a party. Now I want to meat another audience, I'm ready for the theatres."

In 2000 she did som TV-work for the new Flemish clipstation TMF, and she tried to get a new project rolling with Truus Druyts (actress and VT4-presenter) and Meredith (the singer of Pop in Wonderland) : De Miekes ( the year before she had tries something similar with Geena Lisa as de Minetten). Fot this, they recorded an attempt of being funny to the tune of "Fire" by the Pointer Sisters, which in the dialect of Antwerp became "Vuur" (Ik rij met a voituur, Ge zet de radio op, Ge trekt me dichterbij, En ja wa dachte ik zeg stop. Ik zeg 'k vin da nie leutig, Da wordt vervelend op den duur, Ja heel ambetant, Maar als we kussen ... Vuur).

In the summer of 2001, she tried it again with a single, "Ken je dat gevoel", and as a presenter of the TV1 showbizzprogram"De Rode Loper", but just as the rest of the flemish Showbizz the career of Yasmine was also not exactly flourishing. However, in the fall of the same year, she took it back up to speed with a CD, a musical, a theatre tour and a new show on the radio (this time at radio Donna, where she does the show Diva).
The new - 6th - CD of Yasmine was baptized simply as "Yasmine" and contains, besides the singles "Ken je dat gevoel" and "November", songs written by Frank Vander linden (de Mens), Frank Boeijen, Miguel Wiels (zie K3) and Stefaan Fernande. Also one cover on it: "Huis", originally by Lamp, Lazarus en Kris (de Bruyne). Eric Melaerts again did the production. The content: love of course, now about her partner Marianne (de Mol).
Beside this, she also re-bought the rights to her previous album, which will soon be released mid-price on CNR recors. In December, she will also be in the spotlight on stage, for in the musical version of Alladin the role of fair princess Yasmine, with whom Gunther Levi aka Alladin falls in love with, will be played by Yasmine herself.

Buy CD's of this artist at

Albums :
- Mooi Zo (Antler-Subway/ARS, 1991)
- Als jij dat wil (Antler-Subway, ARS, 1993)
- Portfolio (Dino Music, 1995)
- Prêt-à-porter (Dino, 1997)
- Blauw (Dino Music, 1999)
- Yasmine (CNR, 2001)
Compilations :
- Gouden Momenten (DINO, 1997)

Websites :
- www.yasmine.be is the official site
- fansite about Yasmine
- Page about de Miekes
- Yasmine bio and pictures on the showbizzsite
- Booking Yasmine can be done at Backline bookings

Forum :
- Read the messages about Yasmine
- Add your message, question, cd- or concertreview ... about Yasmine in the Forum