Ali B op volle toeren (literally "Ali B at full speed"), abbreviated as ABOVT, is a Dutch television programme hosted by Moroccan-Dutch rapper[1] Ali B for broadcaster AVROTROS (previously TROS).The name refers to Op volle toeren, an earlier very popular Dutch music program broadcast on TROS in the 1970s and 1980s. The programme initially aired between January 2011 and December 2016. In October 2020 ABOVT announced its return after a four-year-absence
In each broadcast, Ali B couples with a fellow singer artist that changes in each episode. Usually each season is made up of 8 episodes. The guest artist chooses from his or her repertoire one of his own earlier hits, for the purpose of making a contemporary hip hop / urban "remake" / or cover version of the song by another invitee artist, usually a rapper / hip hop artist and vice versa.
Partaking artists are encouraged to use their own style giving the hit a real new twist. At the end of each episode, the artists would get together with Ali B to perform the new interpretations. Ali B often ends up participating in parts of the renditions, and so does falsetto-voiced producer Brownie Dutch. The artists would exchange opinions about the new revived versions of each other. The format has proved to be able to create crossover hits between traditional Dutch songs and urban hip hop music. Some of the interpretations have appeared on the Dutch Single Top 100 and Dutch Top 40 as hits in their own right.
The format of ABOVT has been sold to eight countries, including Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Ukraine and Switzerland. Cover My Song, was the series broadcast on German VOX channel hosted by German hip hop artist Dennis Lisk also known by his stage name Denyo. In addition, a Tuvalu producer launched a truly international variant called Cover Me in which artists from different countries came together to cover each other's hits. In the autumn of 2012, the a Flemish version, named In De Mix (literally In the mix) was launched with Brahim Attaeb (or simply Brahim) as host.
The various series titles include:
| Country | Local name | Host | Network | Air Date | Series completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | In de mix | Brahim | Eén | Season 1 (2012) |
1
|
| Germany | Cover My Song | Dennis Lisk | VOX | Season 1 (2011) |
1
|
| Netherlands | Ali B op volle toeren | Ali B | TROS | Season 1 (2011) Season 2 (2011-2012) Season 3 (2012-2013) Season 4 (2015) Season 5 (2016) |
4
|
| Episode # |
Date of broadcast |
Artist | Chosen hit | Remake song | Chart position of remake (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 January 2011 | Lenny Kuhr | "De troubadour" | "Spijt" | |
| Keizer | "Mama Sorry" | "De troubadour 2011" | #50 (Single Top 100) | ||
| 2 | 12 January 2011 | Ben Cramer | "De clown" | "Hé man" | |
| Fresku | "Twijfel" | "De clown 2011" | |||
| 3 | 19 January 2011 | Willeke Alberti | "Telkens weer" | "Luister meisje" | |
| Kleine Viezerik | "Meisje luister" | "Telkens weer 2011" | |||
| 4 | 26 January 2011 | Stef Bos | "Papa" | "Dingen gedaan 2011" | |
| Negativ | "Dingen gedaan" | "Vaders" | |||
| 5 | 2 February 2011 | Bonnie St. Claire | "Bonnie kom je buiten spelen" | "Eeyeeyo 2011" | |
| Darryl | "Eeyeeyo" | "Bonnie" | |||
| 6 | 9 February 2011 | Dennie Christian | "Rosamunde" | "Ik ben niet meer van jou" | #12 (Single Top 100) |
| Yes-R | "Uit elkaar" | "Rosamunde 2011" | #38 (Dutch Top 40) #7 (Single Top 100) | ||
| 7 | 2 March 2011 | Anneke Grönloh | "Brandend zand" | "Obsessie 2011" | |
| Gio | "Obsessie" | "Brandend hart" | |||
| 8 | 9 March 2011 | Henny Vrienten | "Sinds een dag of twee (32 jaar)" | "32 jaar later" | |
| Winne | "Lotgenoot" | "'t Is voorbij" | |||
| N/a | 16 March 2011 | Compilation episode | |||
Due to huge popularity, the program returned for a second season. Also to create further interest, in season 2, and after the broadcast of each episode of the season, the website Sterren.nl would post a video of the hip hop song from the show. The clips were prepared by Teemong.
| Episode # |
Date of broadcast |
Artist | Chosen hit | Remake song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 December 2011 | Armand | "Ben ik te min" | "Straattaal 2011" |
| Nina | "Straattaal" | "Ben ik te min 2011" | ||
| 2 | 21 December 2011 | Corry Konings | "Huilen is voor jou te laat" | "Zoveel stress 2011" |
| Kempi | "Zoveel stress" | "Maar is huilen nu voor mij te laat?" | ||
| 3 | 28 December 2011 | Rob de Nijs | "Het werd zomer" | "Luie rappers" |
| Hef | "Luie mannen" | "Hoe kan ik" | ||
| 4 | 4 January 2012 | Imca Marina | "Viva España" | "Leef dat feest elke dag" |
| Brace | "Vraag jezelf eens af" | "Viva la vida" | ||
| 5 | 11 January 2012 | George Baker | "Una paloma blanca" | "Tijdmachine 2012" |
| Dio | "Tijdmachine" | "Una Paloma Blanca 2012" | ||
| 6 | 18 January 2012 | Margriet Eshuijs | "House for Sale" | "Daar ben je dan" |
| RB Djan | "Hier ben ik dan" | "Dit keer is het anders" | ||
| 7 | 25 January 2012 | Ronnie Tober | "Rozen voor Sandra" | "Er is niemand zoals jij" |
| Priester | "Geen 1" | "Rozen voor Sandra 2012" | ||
| 8 | 1 February 2012 | Liesbeth List | "Pastorale" | "Ik pluk de dag" |
| Sticky Steez | "Spaanse vlieg" | "Pastorale 2012" |
| Episode # |
Date of broadcast |
Artist | Chosen hit | Remake song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 December 2012 | Jan Keizer and Anny Schilder (BZN) |
"Mon amour" | "Gypsy" |
| Murda Turk | "Gypsy" | "Mon amour 2012" | ||
| 2 | 19 December 2012 | Koos Alberts | "Ik verscheurde je foto" | "Wat geweest is, telt niet meer" |
| Nino | "Lucifer" | "Ik verscheurde je foto 2012" | ||
| 3 | 2 January 2013 | Peter Koelewijn | "Kom van dat dak af" | "Niet zo mij" |
| Typhoon | "Zo niet mij" | "Kom van dat dak af 2013" | ||
| 4 | 9 January 2013 | Ria Valk | "Hou je echt nog van mij, Rocking Billy?" |
"Baby" |
| Jayh | "Mijn baby" | "Lieve Ria" | ||
| 5 | 16 January 2013 | Het Goede Doel | België" | "Alle moeders heten mama" |
| Mr. Polska | "Berghuis" | "België" 2013 | ||
| 6 | 23 January 2013 | Astrid Nijgh | "Ik doe wat ik doe" | "Wonder" |
| Sjaak | "Baby Go Down" | "Doe wat ik doe" | ||
| 7 | 30 January 2013 | Maggie MacNeal | "Terug naar de kust" | "It Ain't No Use" |
| BolleBof | "Het heeft geen zin" | "Terug naar de kust 2013" | ||
| 8 | 6 February 2013 | Danny de Munk | "Ik voel me zo verdomd alleen" | "Tuig van de richel" |
| Lil' Kleine | "Tuig van de richel" | "Ik voel me zo verdomd alleen 2013" |
In March 2011, Ali B op volle toeren won the Positive Young Media Award, specifically given to ventures that create positive role models for young people through the media. The jury mentioned the show's ability to bring together old and new Dutch cultures in a perfect match, in their citations for awarding the prize.
In May 2011, the Dutch show also received an honorable mention during presentation of the Zilveren Nipkowschijf awards event. In 2012, the Dutch show was nominated for the "Gouden Televizier-Ring", but the award eventually went to The Voice of Holland
Other versions have also won awards. Very notably the German version of the show Cover My Song was awarded the 2012 Deutscher Fernsehpreis, the main German Television Awards in the category "docutainment".[2]
The interpretations from the first season of the program (except those of Anneke Gröhnloh and Stef Bos) were released in CD form in 2011. On iTunes, a further track "Meisje luister" by Willeke Alberti featuring Ali B was also made available. Ali B can be downloaded
All episodes were also released on a double DVD containing all eight episodes, with the CD provided as additional bonus for the DVD buyers.
Track list
