Danny Ferdinandus was born in 1959 in Rotterdam, the fourth child in an Indonesian family of seven children. As a young boy, he had only one dream: to become a musician. From the age of fifteen, Danny lived in a children’s home, which turned out to be a wonderful period for him. He felt liberated from his home life, earned his diplomas, and began developing more and more as a musician and songwriter. At nineteen, he started performing with various bands.

He later married Marianne, and together they formed the duo Promise. They were frequently booked and earned a significant income from their performances—though they spent it just as quickly. “It was very commercial, with original songs and Top 40 material. We were on the verge of ‘breaking through,’ whatever that might mean. We had 200 performances a year, including in Germany and Belgium.” When their daughter was born with a rare illness, Marianne stopped performing. At the time, Danny could never have imagined that her arrival would indirectly lead to a life of homelessness on the streets.

The shame of being homeless was so overwhelming that Danny didn’t dare to ask for help. As a result, he began living a double life. Eventually, Danny reached a point where he no longer wanted to go on. The celebrated artist of just a few years earlier had become a lonely, hopeless psychological wreck.

However, a change in his personal life as a homeless person eighteen years later reignited the musician within him like never before. Danny now accompanies himself on acoustic guitar, singing beautifully and with great emotion. In 2019, he was nominated for the Best New Artist of the Year 2019 award at the Zilveren Duif Awards. Danny’s talent was further proven when he reached the grand finale of the Buma Stemra songwriting competition with his original composition “Ik voel jouw liefde” (“I Feel Your Love”). Out of more than 300 submissions, only five songs made it to the finals, where Danny’s demo received an honorable mention from the professional jury.

Danny is a true artist through and through, performing for years both at home and abroad. He has also spent many years composing beautiful songs for well-known radio and TV artists. He has a soft spot for homeless people, and for every booking, he donates a portion of his earnings to organizations like The Salvation Army.

Musical regards,
Danny Ferdinandus