Miguel Wiels requested a song by and for his late girlfriend Yasmine in ‘I ask it’ on Wednesday. In June it will be fifteen years ago that the singer took her own life. “The day before we were still texting. Then you think: what could I have said that would have prevented you from making this decision?”
Hilde Rens, better known as Yasmine, was a good friend of Miguel Wiels. The two had known each other for a while when they really became friends during the recording of the VRT program Zo is er maar een. That was a competition in which well-known artists covered songs. Yasmine presented the show, Miguel was band leader. “Our personalities were far apart and we had completely different music styles, but by working together we became very good friends,” says Miguel on the couch at Niels.
Yasmine took her own life almost fifteen years ago. “Things did not go well in love and somewhat more difficult in her career,” says Wiels.
This can be seen in images shown from the program. Yasmine always introduced Miguel to the viewer with a quip. “She was a really nice lady with a lot of humor. She could say to me: ‘Wiels young man, what have you written with K3 again? Who am I on the phone, hello, hello.’ (laughs) She was quite straightforward about that, but I could take it from her.”
Wiels knew that things were not going well with Hilde during the recording of the fourth season. “She had a very difficult time with life during that period. Things were not going well in love and things were also becoming more difficult in her career,” says the musician. “She had made a very dark record and it didn’t work with the audience. Then I said: come on, we’ll make another one and we’ll go on tour. It will be fun and we will do a new program on television.”
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Miguel remembers that they chatted a lot about how the singer was feeling. But he didn’t realize it was that bad. “At one point I saw her on a Sunday evening. That was the last time I saw her. She took her own life on Thursday.” Wiels was in the studio when he heard the news. “I even think I received a phone call from a journalist. Then the world stops completely. The day before we were texting and making plans: we’ll see each other next week. Suddenly she’s gone. Then you always think: what could I have said or done yesterday that would have prevented you from making this decision?”
YackoBond sang ‘I would have loved to stay with you’. — © VRT
In I ask it, Wiels chose the song I would have loved to stay with you. The single was a great success for Yasmine in 1995. The cover was performed by Riet Muylaert, or JackoBond. She won the fourth and final season of Zo is er maar een in 2009. The fourth series deviated from the original concept, because a chance was given to lesser-known artists. “I remember it as one of the happiest periods,” Muylaert says in the program. “I finally got some recognition for what I did. Week after week I stayed in the game, but every week Hilde became sadder and sadder. That was a very strange contrast.”
2024-04-04 16:12:39
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