Louis Windzak has been singing for as long as he can remember.
Born in the Republic of Suriname on the coast of South America, Windzak emigrated to the Netherlands when he was 29 years old. From there, he got heavily involved with music.
While Windzak, with his kind eyes and gentle smile, may exhibit an impression of calmness on the surface, he has the makings of a superstar bubbling underneath. In fact, older Dutch citizens may consider him a familiar face.
Back in 1984, Windzak actually appeared on The Soundmix Show, a Dutch version of the talent competition Stars in their Eyes. Here, Windzak competed, ultimately taking home first prize in the series’ inaugural competition.
Later, he developed a love of gospel and joined a gospel singing group. Together, they received a gold record— given by none other than Ron Brandsteder himself. Despite all Windzak’s accomplishments, he’s not ready to quit music yet: “I participate in The Voice Senior because I’m not finished with show business,” his biography reads.
“I hope to have a chance because I have been working on the road for a long time,” he adds in his video introduction.
Taking the stage for his blind audition, Windzak has chosen to perform a classic James Brown hit.
Considered the founding father of funk, James Brown created several successful songs and albums— but arguably, “I Feel Good” was one of his best. The track, which features 12-bar blues and a brassy, heavy instrumental, features Brown describing how good he feels, with many of the notes punctuated by energetic screams and shouts.
Interestingly, the song was developed from another he’d written called “I Found You”. In 1962, it was recorded and released by Brown’s backup singer Yvonne Fair but never received much success.
When James reworked “I Found You” into “I Feel Good”, the new version became his highest charting song.
As Windzak unleashes Brown’s iconic scream at the beginning of the song, every judge smashes the buzzer to turn their chair.
Seriously— by seven seconds in, he’s already won them all over.
Clad in a shiny, light gold suit, Windzak gives an amazing performance of the classic song. It’s clear he’s been singing funk for decades— and his dancing makes it that much better.
Not even the judges can resist moving to the beat, dancing around their chairs as Windzak performs.
After his audition, Windzak chose coach Ilse DeLange and was later nicknamed the “Surinamese Otis Redding” for his likeness to the famous performer. Unfortunately, his talents weren’t enough to make it through the competition, and he was eliminated prior to the finals.
Since being uploaded, Windzak’s performance has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.
“Great idea to create The Voice Senior. I realized the seniors are much better.”
“This is great! How can a man of 70 have that voice?!”
“Seniors are killing it!”
Watch the video below!
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