Meet Our Artists

Short biography of Joe: JOE STEEN, whose musical journey began in the 1980s and was intensified in the 1990s by renowned artist manager Herbert Nold and TV host Dieter Thomas Heck, has since established himself as a singer and entertainer not only in Germany. He learned to play the piano at an early age in the styles of classical, jazz and rock, which made him the keyboardist in every band during his youth and greatly encouraged his ability to compose. In addition, he already had a beautiful and distinctive voice at that time. His performances, ranging from Schlager and pop and rock classics to swing and soul, have made him a sought-after artist in several parts of Europe. With his stage presence, his charismatic and powerful voice spanning nearly three octaves, and his ability to capture the essence of music legends such as Elvis Presley and Tom Jones, Joe has built up a large fan base. After many years of touring with a band, he has been touring Europe with his solo program since 2019 and is currently one of the most booked solo singers with around 300 shows per year. At the beginning of 2024, he dedicated himself to German Schlager and has since released the singles “Am Strand von Maspalomas”, “Te quiero mi amor”, “Steh auf, mach laut”, “Du bist ein Wunder”, “Ein Planet” and “La La Lieb mich”, which not only reflect his artistic versatility but also his deep connection to Schlager music, which has accompanied him since childhood.

Short biography of Hans: The Austrian musical veteran on our island. But no, don’t call Hans just an Austrian – he is a true Styrian from the beautiful city of Graz. Hans is not only a singer but also a great entertainer who delights his audience with singing and charm. Hans aus Graz and Café Marlene have formed a symbiosis of entertainment for decades. Hans entertains with German and English Schlager, as well as country and international music.

Short biography of Josef: Josef is our virtuoso on the guitar. His repertoire is very diverse. Josef sings German Schlager as well as German and English oldies. Rock ’n’ roll and country are also part of his entertainment. Josef was born in Czechoslovakia. His musical career began at the age of 16 with the founding of his first band. After gaining a lot of experience in his homeland, his path took him via Mallorca, Austria and Germany to the sunny island of Gran Canaria. He became very popular with his international dance music and his unmistakable voice. He is a much-booked artist in many music bars and top hotels.

Short biography of Rick: Born in Mönchengladbach, zodiac sign Scorpio. Happily married for 30 years and already 20 years on Gran Canaria. Throughout this entire time, Rick has been an integral part of the Café Marlene team. Originally trained as a roofer, he worked independently in the construction industry for many years, while already performing part-time as a singer. With appearances at street festivals, weddings and birthdays, New Year’s Eve parties and other celebrations. His biggest performance was as a successful Elvis impersonator in Dortmund’s Westfalenhalle. During a holiday on Gran Canaria, Rick was approached by Toni, the then owner of Café Marlene, and asked if he would like to sing there. What was planned as two months has now turned into 20 years. In the early years especially, and very successfully, as an Elvis impersonator, Rick now performs a very broad repertoire. From Schlager to rock ’n’ roll, from Queen to Cliff Richard – everything is included. Singing is Rick’s passion, music is his world.

Short biography of Johnny: Our Jonny Coster has been working as a singer and radio presenter in Germany and on Gran Canaria since 1965 – nearly 60 years. For many years now, Johnny has been performing several times a week during the season at our cult Schlager café Marlene as a singer and entertainer. For the past 5 years, Johnny has also been working as a radio presenter at Mixradio, the largest German radio station in the south of the island. Johnny’s repertoire is not limited to German Schlager; he also offers English and international music, especially country.

Short biography of Johann: Johann from Austria has established himself over several years as a guarantee of great Schlager and international dance music at Café Marlene. He performs here for several weeks each year and has already built up a large fan base on Gran Canaria. Johann has been making music since early youth in various dance bands in Styria. With his band, he toured several times through Canada, Australia, Switzerland and Germany. Johann lives in Kalsdorf near Graz, is married to Mathilde, has two adult daughters and three grandchildren. He lives with his wife Mathilde in Kalsdorf near Graz and would like to continue visiting the island for many years to come and give the guests of Café Marlene many wonderful hours.

Short biography of Maritza: Showwoman Maritza Rosales has been performing on our beautiful island of Gran Canaria for 24 years now. Her show is originally Mexican, but in all her performances she also entertains with music from all genres. Maritza entertains you every Sunday evening at Café Marlene.

Short biography of Los Cariños: The duo “Los Cariños” consists of Marion Hoffmann from beautiful Bavaria and Edgar (Eddy) Gomez, the original Mexican mariachi. Mariachi is a traditional Mexican folk music and is now even recognized as a world cultural heritage. Marion and Eddy met here on Gran Canaria. More precisely, Marion heard Eddy sing several times with his wonderful voice and suggested that they perform together as a duo. This is how the duo “Los Cariños” developed. Marion and Eddy were the first to perfect the combination of Mexican mariachi with German Schlager, and now also with country and other genres. Marion sings the German/English parts, while Eddy performs the Spanish lyrics.