Parelvet

Parelvet is the musical alter ego of Ron Smith - better known in Dordrecht as the guitar man of surf-cocktail trio Trio KoKo and fifties band The Wanderers. Under this moniker, Smith ventures into Americana territory: plaintive country-folk, smouldering blues and the occasional rock 'n' roll edge.

Having written and sung in English his entire career, Smith made an unexpected pivot during the first Covid lockdown. An unpublished family chronicle about his Indo-Dutch heritage led to a collection of songs in Dutch, sprinkled with Malay phrases. These intimate recordings found their way into the podcast Mama, Waarom Zijn Wij Indo's by his niece Stephanie Teekens, and were released as the digital album Si Bung Parelpet on Sheephead Records. Recorded at home with minimal equipment, it is a deeply personal work centred around identity, roots and belonging.