Eek-A-Mouse is a legendary Jamaican artist who forever changed the reggae and dancehall scene with his unmistakable style. Since 1979, he has made his mark with a high-pitched nasal voice and his iconic ‘biddy beng-beng, biddy meng-meng’ scats.
What makes him truly unique is the combination of eccentric energy and the strength of his melodies and music. Listening to Eek-A-Mouse is pure joy. On October 28, he brings that live energy back to the Paard.
After five years, it’s back: the Tess Merlot wine. In collaboration with wine merchant and vinologist Marius van der Vliet of The Hague Wine Shop Marius, chansonnière Tess Merlot is re-releasing her own wine, in honor of her new live album with the Residentie Orchestra
The first edition of Tess Merlot wine was released in 2020 in a limited edition of 1200 bottles and sold out quickly. The success of that launch clearly left them wanting more: that’s why a new edition has now been released, in honor of the five-year anniversary of Tess’s artist name and to celebrate the release of her new live album, ” Tess Merlot & Residentie Orkest The Hague – Live at PAARD ,” which will be released on September 26th.
Tess Merlot: “What started five years ago as a playful idea, which I initially thought was impossible, quickly developed into a concrete and warm collaboration with Marius, thanks in part to his enthusiasm. Over the past few years, I’ve regularly had to disappoint people who asked if there were any bottles of ‘Tess Merlot’ available. Now that a new album is out, it seemed like the perfect time to release an updated edition, featuring a brand-new, even more Hague-inspired label.”
This new label was designed by The Hague-based graphic designer Robert Muda and matches the album’s style and atmosphere. The wine will be available starting September 26th at both locations of Wijnwinkel Marius (Piet Heinstraat, The Hague, and Van Hogendorpstraat, Wassenaar) and online at www.mariuswijn.nl .
About Tess Merlot The first time Tess Merlot heard Jacques Brel, she was immediately inspired. Since then, the music hasn’t stopped. Hundreds of shows later, every performance still revolves around the essence: drawing the human soul to the surface as only the French folk song can.
Since her debut album, Laissez-moi, in 2021, Tess Merlot has become one of the leading chanson singers in the Low Countries. She has toured the Netherlands with her band and performed with the Residentie Orkest at a sold-out PAARD in The Hague in November 2023. Her second album, Chante la vie, was released in March 2024 , and on May 25, 2025, she performed with her band and a string quartet at the Koninklijke Schouwburg in The Hague.
Whether Tess performs in a small group, with her full band or with an orchestra: she does this with an irresistible joie de vivre and boundless energy.
Last week, Subterra officially opened its doors. This new musical incubator is located in a unique setting: the former nuclear bunker “Noodzetel,” beneath the former Ministry of the Interior on Schedeldoekshaven. The official opening took place with a full evening program in De Kern, the former bunker canteen, now transformed into a meeting place and dance hall. Once designed as a refuge for government officials during times of crisis, it now serves as a hub for The Hague’s music scene, radio, and late-night programming.
Alderwoman Saskia Bruines (Culture): “Subterra is a unique place in The Hague, even in the Netherlands! We’re preserving a special piece of The Hague’s history underground here, while simultaneously giving local musicians the space to develop and inspire each other. The Hague is the cradle of Dutch pop culture, and we want to keep it that way. Good rehearsal spaces and a safe place for equipment are incredibly important in this regard. I’m pleased that we’ve achieved this here in collaboration with the Noodzetel Foundation.”
Den Haag, 17-9-2025
Opening muziekbroedplaats Subterra met wethouder Saskia Bruines
Foto Martijn Beekman
From government bunker to creative base
The bunker dates back to the Cold War and was built as an emergency administrative center in case of a national crisis. The 2,000-square-meter space has been vacant since 2013. After fourteen months of renovation, the recording studios and rehearsal rooms are now fully operational. All studios have been rented, and there’s even a waiting list.
Subterra has thus become a unique place where history and contemporary culture come together, two floors below street level.
Studios, radio and space for musical development
The bunker’s transformation has led to the creation of fourteen professional production studios, three rehearsal rooms, and De Kern: an intimate space for listening evenings, radio sessions, album releases, and events.
The studios are housed in the bunker’s former sleeping quarters and sickbay. Original features, such as steel doors and thick walls, have been preserved. Subterra offers musicians a permanent workspace they can make their own. It also serves as a cultural meeting place where creators can inspire each other and new collaborations emerge.
Den Haag, 17-9-2025
Opening muziekbroedplaats Subterra met wethouder Saskia Bruines
Foto Martijn Beekman
The Hague cooperation
Subterra was created by a collective of Hague-based creators and entrepreneurs: Joris Hoefnagel, Benjamin Havenaar, Lounes Doulache, Stefan Hagesteijn, and Marieke McKenna. The rehearsal spaces are managed by the Noodzetel Foundation, which supports musicians in The Hague and fosters cultural entrepreneurship.
Marieke McKenna: “Our vision and hope is that Subterra will put The Hague on the map internationally as a leading music city, where there is room for experimentation and innovation.”
—
Text: Gemeente Den Haag. Translation: The Hague Online. Photographer: Martijn Beekman.
Den Haag, 17-9-2025
Opening muziekbroedplaats Subterra met wethouder Saskia Bruines
Foto Martijn BeekmanDen Haag, 17-9-2025
Opening muziekbroedplaats Subterra met wethouder Saskia Bruines
Foto Martijn Beekman
Samba Touré‘s music is characterised by hypnotic guitar grooves that radiate with the intensity of the desert sun. He transcends boundaries and creates an authentic and groundbreaking sonic landscape, a journey of emotional depth and rhythmic power, where tradition meets innovation, resonating with the spirit of northern Mali. On 1 October, this guitar icon will perform in the PAARD!
The famous Malian guitar legend is praised for his distinctive style, which not only reflects the legacy of the legendary Ali Farka Touré, but also elevates it. With him, he toured worldwide. The origins of their collaboration date back to the 1990s, when Ali Farka Touré discovered the young singer while playing with Farafina Lolo – Samba’s first group, which became immensely popular in Mali.
This concert is a collaboration between PAARD and ProJazz.
Samba Touré Paard Wednesday 1 October 2025 – 20:30
Cymande is the most important British R&B/Soul group of their generation, a band that so many people have heard of but have yet to hear of. Endlessly sampled, the band was one of the first to mix African rhythms with rock, funk, reggae and soul.
The early 1970s in South London brought together a group of black musicians who had emigrated to the UK as children from the Caribbean. Led by Patrick Patterson (guitar, vocals) and Steve Scipio (bass, vocals), they formed Cymande, a band so unique and ahead of its time that, despite their success in the US in the 1970s, it is only in recent years that the general public has begun to really take notice of them.
Since Cymande’s reformation several years ago, they have been quite active touring. Recently they’ve played at We Out Here and All Points East to audiences packed with teens and 20-somethings. “And singing along with the songs!” marvels Steve, “They’re familiar with the material.”
Support: Jimmy Inkz is an independent rapper, songwriter, and producer from London. His tracks blend introspective storytelling and razor‑sharp UK‑rap punchlines with tight, largely self‑produced beats.
Get ready forSUPAFLY Festival, the festival where neo-soul, R&B, hip-hop and (UK) jazz merge! On 11 October, PAARD will be the place to discover new music and enjoy fantastic live performances.
Be surprised by a diverse line-up with artists from all over the world and from your own backyard. The line-up for 2025 is (almost) complete: expect performances from Butcher Brown, Oscar Jerome, Brintex Collective, Olive Jones, jev. and more!
