MAX WOISKI JR.

Biography

Max Woiski Jr. (born Max René Valentino Mackintosh on May 13, 1930, in Paramaribo, Suriname) was a Surinamese singer, guitarist, and bandleader who became a prominent figure in Caribbean and Dutch popular music. He was brought to the Netherlands by his father, Max Woiski Sr., a renowned Surinamese musician, when his father needed a guitarist for his orchestra. Following his father's relocation to Mallorca in the late 1950s, Max Woiski Jr. established himself as an independent artist, founding the nightclub La Tropicana in Amsterdam's Leidsedwarsstraat in 1961, which became a celebrated venue attracting international artists including Ella Fitzgerald.

During the 1960s and 1970s, Max Woiski Jr. achieved significant commercial success in the Netherlands with his Caribbean and Surinamese music. He scored multiple hit records in the 1970s, including "Je bent nog niet gelukkig met een mooie vrouw," "Beter dan ooit," and "Rijst met Kouseband." His orchestra performed regularly at La Tropicana and gained considerable popularity on Dutch television. In the 1960s, he established his own production company, MMP (distributed by CNR Records), which signed notable artists such as Ciska Peters and Edwin Rutten, establishing him as both a performer and music industry entrepreneur.

Woiski Jr. continued performing and recording throughout his life, with albums including "Successen" (1973), "Bigi Brasa" (1998), and "Ritmo Tropical" (2011). He passed away on March 23, 2011, in Alkmaar, Netherlands, at the age of 80. His legacy includes not only his own musical contributions but also his role in promoting Surinamese and Caribbean music in the Netherlands, and his family's continued involvement in music through his granddaughter, Lils Mackintosh, a jazz and blues singer.

Fun Facts

• Max Woiski Jr. was born under the stage name Max René Valentino Mackintosh but became famous under the stage name Max Woiski Jr., adopting his father's surname professionally.
• La Tropicana, the nightclub he founded in Amsterdam in 1961, attracted world-class international artists including the legendary Ella Fitzgerald, establishing it as a premier Caribbean music venue in Europe.
• His production company MMP in the 1960s played a significant role in the Dutch music industry, distributing records through CNR Records and launching the careers of multiple notable artists.
• A biographical theater production titled "Woiski vs Woiski" premiered at the Bijlmerparktheater in January 2018, dramatizing the complex relationship between Max Woiski Jr. and his father, created as a co-production between music-theater group Orkater and the theater.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Max Woiski Sr. - Father and primary musical mentor who brought him to the Netherlands to work as a guitarist in his orchestra (Learned orchestral arrangement and Caribbean music traditions; worked in father's orchestra) [1940s-1950s]

Key Collaborators

• Steve Boston - Percussionist who performed in Max Woiski Sr.'s orchestra, likely collaborated with Jr. through family musical connections (Percussion in orchestral performances) [1950s]
• Johnny de Miranda - Multi-instrumentalist (conga, slagwerk, piano, vocals) in Max Woiski Sr.'s orchestra, connected to the Woiski musical circle (Orchestral performances and recordings) [1950s]

Artists Influenced

• Ciska Peters - Artist signed to Woiski Jr.'s production company MMP, directly influenced by his mentorship and production work (Recordings produced through MMP) [1960s]
• Edwin Rutten - Artist signed to Woiski Jr.'s production company MMP, benefited from his production and promotion (Recordings produced through MMP) [1960s]
• Lils Mackintosh - Granddaughter who became a jazz and blues singer, influenced by family's musical legacy (Jazz and blues performances) [Contemporary]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz