Die Amigos

Brothers Bernd and Karl-Heinz Ulrich were born into a family of modest means. Nonetheless, their parents caught on very quickly to their two sons’ commitment to music, and offered the necessary support. Though instruments were costly, a guitar for Karl-Heinz and drum set for the younger Bernd would prove a wise investment. The brothers compiled a repertoire, and by 1970 had taken to the road, calling themselves Die Amigos. They toured small villages and towns, playing wherever they were able. At the time, English-language music dominated the market, but Die Amigos stayed true to their commitment to perform German repertoire. In 1986, the boys came across an entrepreneur in Cologne who was enthusiastic about their music, and wanted to produce a single. Die Amigos recorded “Uns’re Parents,” which they sent to a number of regional record companies. The Austrian company Tyrolis got behind the boys for two productions, with limited success. This experience convinced the young musicians that owning their own studio was the best course. The brothers’ Tonstudio was founded shortly thereafter, where they produced three records, Zwischen Libe und Wahnsinn, Herz an Herz, and Ich Steh Wider Auf. Die Amigos went through many personnel changes, but still managed to build a strong fan base throughout Germany, Austria, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and Canada. Their 2006 release, Die Grossen Erfolge, had a presence on European charts, and was their most widely heard release to date. Die Amigos continued to tour throughout Europe, writing and recording new material consistently. In 2007 the duo recorded their first German number one, Der Helle Wahnsinn. A number of records were released toward the end of the noughties, with two albums released in both 2008 (Es Lebe die Freundschaft and Ein Tag im Paradies) and 2009 (Zwei Herzen aus Gold and Sehnsucht, die wir Feuer Brennt) that illustrated their hard-working attitude. Europe. In early 2011, Die Amigos won the German music Echo Award and later that year released their 17th album, Mein Himmel auf Erden, which went straight to number one in Germany and Austria. A year later, they released Bis ans Ende der Zeit, which gave them consecutive number one records in Germany and Austria. Ever prolific, the duo returned with Weihnachten mit den Amigos, their second album of 2012, and again the following year with Im Herzen Jung. Subsequent releases Sommerträume (2014), Santiago Blue (2015), and Wie ein Feuerwerk (2016) all scaled similar populist heights, peaking at number one on the German, Austrian, and Swiss charts. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez & Scott Kerr