Ramses Shaffy | |
|---|---|
 Ramses Shaffy, circa 1965 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Didi |
| Born | Ramses II Shaffy (1933-08-29)29 August 1933 Neuilly-sur-Seine, France |
| Died | 1 December 2009(2009-12-01) (aged 76) Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Genres | Chanson |
| Occupation(s) | chanteur/musician, actor |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 1955–2009 |
| Labels | PolyGram |
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Ramses Shaffy (29 August 1933 – 1 December 2009) was a Dutch-French singer and actor who became popular during the 1960s. His most famous songs include "Zing, vecht, huil, bid, lach, werk en bewonder", "We zullen doorgaan", "Pastorale", "Sammy" and "Laat me".[1] He frequently collaborated with Dutch singerLiesbeth List.
Shaffy was born on 29 August 1933 in Paris, in the suburbNeuilly-sur-Seine. His father was the Egyptian diplomat Ramsès Shaffy Bey, and his mother was the Polish-Russian countess Alexandra de Wysocka.[1] He grew up with his mother inCannes. When she was infected withtuberculosis, Shaffy was sent to an aunt inUtrecht. Eventually, he ended up with a foster family inLeiden.
He did not finish high school, but he was accepted at theAmsterdam School of Theatre Arts in 1952. In 1955, he made his debut with theNederlandse Comedie. He went to Rome in 1960 aspiring to be a film actor, but was unsuccessful in the endeavour. In the 1960s, Shaffy had a relationship with Dutch actorJoop Admiraal [Wikidata] (1937–2006).[2][3] In 1964 he founded Shaffy Chantant, a theatre group, which led to his first collaborations with chanteuse Liesbeth List. He worked with Dutch pianistLouis van Dijk. Among others, musicianThijs van Leer was a member of the group for a short period of time. With Liesbeth List, Shaffy recorded the classic song "Pastorale" (Sun and Moon). His hit song "We zullen doorgaan" was parodied by comedianAndré van Duin in 1975.
He temporarily stopped his habit of heavy drinking when he became a member of theRajneesh movement in the 1980s.[4]
In the 1980s, Shaffy returned to the stage and the set as an actor. He playedDon Quixote in the musicalDe man van La Mancha in 1993. He also played the role ofCount of Egmont in the Flemish/Dutch miniseriesWillem van Oranje.[1]Pieter Fleury [nl] made a documentary about Shaffy in 2002, titledRamses. It won aGolden Calf, the award of theNetherlands Film Festival. The film shows Shaffy's life in a rest home in Amsterdam.[5] He had to move to a rest home, suffering fromKorsakoff-like symptoms, caused by heavy alcohol use.[4]
Shaffy's condition slightly improved in the years following the film. His memory improved and he sometimes made public appearances again. In the fall of 2005, he re-recorded his 1978 hit song "Laat me", together with List and the bandAlderliefste [nl], which became a minor hit.
On 5 May 2009 it was made public that Shaffy suffered fromesophageal cancer.[6][7] He died of the disease in the Dr. Sarphati House, Amsterdam, where he had lived the last seven years, on 1 December 2009, aged 76.[8] A public memorial service was held at theRoyal Carré Theatre in Amsterdam.[9]
In 2014, a four-part drama series about the young Ramses Shaffy titledRamses was produced by theAVRO for Dutch television. ActorMaarten Heijmans portrayed Shaffy.[10]
The municipal artwork inVijzelgracht metro station, Amsterdam is a highly stylisedtransit map which portrays events in Shaffy's life.
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