Hello Again! (06-12-2015)

The year is almost over! Looking back, a lot of nice things happened. The performances in England this year have been very special. And the "Phil Mack Country Show", broadcasting clips frequently on Sky TV in England, Ireland, Scotland and Malta, are the cherries on our cake!

We can't forget Peter Ottens who builds and maintains our website in a way to make it original! Peter, thanks a lot! As for 2016, we have a lot of nice things lined up already. You can find those in our agenda.

Ben, Carmen and I wish you all a Merry and Loving Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year. There are big problems around the world and I guess everybody has the same wish for 2016, Peace on Earth!

We hope to see you at one of our performances.

Irene.
 

Last update: (06-12-2015)

Christmas Site 2015

 

Last update: (06-11-2015)

New video: Ben & Carmen Steneker - Love And Happiness
 

Last update: (25-08-2015)

New video: Ben & Carmen Steneker - Beautiful Meath
New video: Ben & Carmen Steneker - Colorado
 

Last update: (04-08-2015)

New video: Carmen Steneker - My Dixie Darling
 

Last update: (01-02-2015)

New video: Ben & Carmen Steneker - Someone Is Looking For Someone Like You
 

Hello Again. (23-01-2015)

To start off we like to wish you all a happy and above all healthy 2015! Thanks to everyone for the cards and emails with Christmas and New Years wishes we've received, there have been a lot this year. Great!

NEW WEBSITE.
We are very pleased that thanks to webmaster Peter Ottens we can present our new website! We think it is very surprising and original in it's design! Peter put a lot of effort and time in it. On behalf of Ben & Carmen also we like to thank him sincerely for this! The website more or less is our calling card and this new design suits us very well. We hope you'll have fun following the latest news, agenda and more.

Years fly by faster than we would like and Ben will be 80 years old February 10th this year! To celebrate that we will be organizing a party on March 29 at Brasserie/Zaal Kriebelz, Dorpsstraat 59 in Terwolde (near Deventer) at 15:00. There's no entrace fee, but you will have to make reservations by email b.p.steneker@home.nl or by phone 0031 - 53 - 5696878. Ben and Carmen will be performing as will the band America Unlimited featuring Ben's nephew Rob Steneker.

Greetings, Irene.
 

A new website. (23-01-2015)

Just a small elaboration by the webmaster. First of all I'd like to wish all the fans of Ben & Carmen a happy new year with hopefully lots of venues with our favorite duo!

2015 is going to be a very special year, Ben will turn 80, his lovely wife Irene 70 and I have been told that even Carmen has a birthday coming up! All this would require a rather special gift. A completely new website seamed to be a logical choice because the current one was already 8 years old. But it would be even better to give everything a makeover, the website, the photo albums and the YouTube channel. In hindsight a job that would turn out to be a lot bigger than expected and the deadline I had set, January 1st, has come and gone by now. After putting in nearly 500 hours of work I hope you all can enjoy the outcome. The Steneker family and I hope you will like the new website, opinions are welcome on Irene Steneker's Facebook page, which you will find by clicking the Facebook logo in the top right of the page. The official YouTube channel of Ben & Carmen completed with new videos with better quality can also been found at the top right by clicking the YouTube logo. All official videos have also been added to the Media page on this site. I've added a playlist with all videos that will be updated when new videos are added to the channel. The old videos can still been seen where they are shared but will not turn up anymore in a search on YouTube because the have been replaced with better versions. The welcome page is also new and is different by day or night  according to when you are visiting the site.

In future every update will be mentioned on this page so you wont miss a new photo album or video. If you would like to use pictures from the site send an email to the webmaster at amazenet@gmail.com and we will see what we can do for you.

That's it from me, have fun exploring the website.


Peter Ottens, webmaster.
 

CD & DVD Review door: Bob Everhart. (30-04-2014)

BEN & CARMEN STENEKER
CD & DVD Remember Me
 

 
One of the most captivating acts doing American style country music in Europe, is without a doubt Ben & Carmen Steneker, a father-daughter duo that has captured the hearts and minds of just about everyone that hears them sing. Ben has been a mind-catcher on both sides of the Atlantic for many many years, captivating American fans as well as European. Daughter Carmen grew up listening to her father sing, as well as his many friends that performed with and for him in his own club in Holland. Yes, Holland. That's where Ben and Carmen are from. It's continually amazing to hear this delightful duo sing songs that have an immediate 'connect' to what real traditional and classic country music is all about. You hear it instantly when the accordion breaks out the beautiful song "Come Back To Ireland." The harmony by father-daughter just simply cannot be topped. Dutch country music songwriter Dick van Altena contributes three amazing songs to this CD project. It continually amazes me that this combination of Dutch songwriter and Dutch singers can capture the spirit and soul of what country music is all about. Ben's voice is better than ever, and the incredible 'touch' Carmen adds to it is amazing. Backing music is also incredibly good throughout this entire project. The title song "Remember Me" starts softly with a harp-sounding intro, letting simplicity take the listener to the ultimate of sophistication. My favorite song of all the great songs on this album is "My Dixie Darling," without a doubt. Done to perfection, the harmony is exactly as it should be by Appalachian standards, or Alabama, or Georgia, or Mississippi, or Florida, or wherever you might be in the southern United States. Perfect guitar pickin' and a stunning background Dobro. The whole CD speaks loudly of the professionalism and devotion this pair of country singers has for this genre of music. Holland should be very proud of these excellent vocalists and performers of a musical genre that rings and sings around the world. I also like the closing song "Victorie In View" which was written by Ben and Carmen and has some great honky-tonk piano in it. . This CD gets five stars, and certainly a forwarding to the Rural Roots Music Commission. Not sure if this couple can claim a "CD of the Year" award, but I feel it on the horizon.
b.p.steneker@home.nl

Review by Bob Everhart, President NTCMA www.ntcma.net
for Country Music News International.

Click here to go to the original article.


Incoming mail.
Van: Paul Stanney
Verzonden: maandag 30 december 2013 1:55
Aan: Ben Steneker
Onderwerp: Reactie via d website

Dear Ben and Carmen ,I think you are brilliant ,and Carmen is lovely
,together you two are magic . The last time I saw you Ben was when you came
to Boston Lincs ,and sang with Johnny Marks. I hope you come back around
these parts for a show with Carmen. If you have plans in 2014 ,I will
certainly be at the show. You and Johnny Marks again would be good .

Kind regards

Paul Stanney .


Ben en Carmen Steneker winners
Goldener Countrystar 2013!
Hello all.

Last saturday the winners of the Goldener Countrystar 2013 were announced. And the winners are.... Ben en Carmen! According to all the fans, who voted in great numbers, the only possible outcome! We already knew for quite some time that Ben and Carmen the best in the Dutch Countryscene are. So now there is also a nice recognition for them outside of Holland. The Goldener Countrystar is an international award and Ben and Carmen had to compete in a 130 act lineup. So they can be proud of winning this award.

For the people who couldn't attend the ceremony, we placed a video below. Ben and Carmen, and of course Irene, congratulations to winning this fantastic prize. You surely have deserved it!
 

Peter Ottens (webmaster).


 

We'd like to thank all the fans for voting for us! We would have never come so far without your support!

 

Ben, Carmen and Irene Steneker.


 

Message from Kirsten Clark.
Kirsten wrote:

I love you at all your songs but POWER IN YOUR LOVE IS MY FAVOURITE. I recorded that song from your dvd (full volume). It is now my ring tone. When I first got the dvd and put it on, my boyfriend said that my dad has been leading a double life as Ben is the double of my dad. The only difference is Ben can sing!!! xxx