Maxazine presents: Taco Essentials (Curated by Taco Ockerse)

Taco Ockerse is a Dutch singer who became best known for his unique musical style in which he sang old standards from the thirties with modern synthesiser accompaniment. He scored a worldwide hit in 1982 with a version of “Puttin’ on the Ritz”.

Taco spent his youth in various countries, including the Netherlands, the United States, Singapore, Belgium and Germany. He studied at the International School of Brussels and graduated there in 1973. He then studied interior design and completed drama school in Hamburg, where he played leading roles in various school productions. His breakthrough came when he recorded “Puttin’ on the Ritz” in Germany in 1981, a reworking of the Irving Berlin classic that was originally popularised by Fred Astaire. A year later, the song reached the charts worldwide, accompanied by a music video in which Taco appeared in a bow tie and tuxedo ensemble that mimicked the style of Depression-era musicals.

He is one of the few Dutch artists who managed to sell more than a million copies of a single in America. His debut album “After Eight” contained other reworked hits from the thirties, but Taco never again managed to match the success of his biggest hit. Despite this, “Puttin’ on the Ritz” remains an iconic moment in pop music history. Remarkably, despite his Dutch nationality, he has never given a concert in the Netherlands.

Taco currently lives in Hamburg, where he still performs regularly. Therefore, we asked Taco himself to translate Taco’s musical footprint into a list of 15 tracks, the Maxazine Essentials. Taco was enthusiastic and immediately began working on the list. He created Taco’s musical footprint, compiled by the likeable singer himself. Therefore, Maxazine is proud to exclusively present: The Taco Essentials (Compiled by Taco Ockerse):