The Belgian trio Laïs initially formed the inspiration for a polyphonic folk group from Dutch soil, but gradually Mama Roux developed her own sound. The three polyphonic singing women Mieke Rous, Tynke Luske and Caroline Buitenhuis were soon joined by two men, double bass player Eric van Loo and Juul Beerda on the accordion and piano. Mama Roux's songs sound like old-Dutch children's songs, but
… they are original: in 'old-Dutch' style, Mieke Rous writes narrative lyrics, often with a surprising twist at the end. On the debut album Schoone Schijn, the well-known 'gypsy girl crying on a stone' turns out to have become unwanted pregnant and died, Jantje 'van de pruimen' also gets a new context and the song Nieuw Begin is about new age. Mama Roux's music contains a wealth of beautiful stories and nostalgia. (SvdP)more