Inge Lamboo (she/her)
”NOTHING LIKE BEING THE COOLEST VERSION OF YOURSELF”

Text: Paul Hofman
Picture: Leon Hendrickx
Video: Paradox Productions
Singer-songwriter Inge Lamboo: ‘Nothing more beautiful than being the coolest version of yourself.’ Shortly after her performance during the kick-off party of Pride Amsterdam, there is an overwhelming applause from the audience. Up-and-coming talent Inge Lamboo (25) is carried on their hands. She is a singer and a hype` on TikTok where she has almost 150,000 followers. A few minutes before, she was named an ambassador. Inge is fiercely proud and will use her voice to get her message heard literally and figuratively. ‘I give different feelings a voice’
BUCKET LIST
Was she surprised to be asked to be an ambassador this year? Inge hardly needs to think about that question. “Honestly, no. It had been on my bucket list for a while. I wanted it so badly,’ she says candidly. We are sitting on a sun-drenched terrace in the heart of Haarlem. Her schedule is filling up with lightning power. Inge is at the beginning of a new tour.
VULNARABLE
Together with her two sisters and a brother, Inge grew up in a warm family in a village under the smoke of Haarlem. She is the youngest of the four. “I was pampered very much. Looking back, I can say I had a wonderful childhood.’ When she is twelve, she starts high school. That period will turn out differently than expected. She starts looking for herself. She discovers that she also likes girls. A few other issues going on at that time also cause Inge to fall into depression. ‘At one point I didn’t dare to go outside anymore. I was sixteen.’ It was an intense period, she says in retrospect. ‘I was so vulnerable and bottled up everything.’ It was an emotional roller coaster for her.
TIME AND SPACE
This period lasts two years. ‘Through the guidance of a confidant, things got back on track. My coming-out came naturally later. I surrounded myself with people with whom I felt familiar and with whom I could be myself.’ Her advice? ‘Don’t rush to come out of the closet. If it gives you pressure, don’t do it. Choose your own time and get the right people around you who are okay with it. So give yourself time and space. If necessary, only after thirty years. Also cherish the beautiful and positive moments of discovering yourself, is my message. Meanwhile, as a fifteen-year-old, Inge discovered music. It turned out to be her salvation.
She sees making music and writing lyrics as a vocation. “I was busy with music day and night. It became an outlet for me. Inge gets out of her comfort zone. “I knew then what I wanted to do with my life. Her guitar means everything to her. ‘I never took music lessons and taught myself to play drums and piano and bass. Music became my medicine. Laughs, “It kind of got out of hand.
PINK
After getting her high school diploma, she decides to attend the Herman Brood Academy. She feels like a fish out of water here. ‘PINK is my big example. Her songs mean a lot to me. These give me a lot of power.’ Just as PINK is a role model for Inge, Inge wants to be this for as many people as possible. ‘Exactly that is what I want to pass on to others.’
Still PINK and its music are the source of inspiration for Inge. Revealed: ‘For a long time I kept a fan account about PINK. I posted covers and connected other fans.’ Proud: ‘At one point, PINK started following me on the account. Bizarre, but I wasn’t looking for anything behind it.’ A while later, she is offered a contract by Sony Music Entertainment. Inge is completely overwhelmed. ‘I kept it to myself for a long time. Because I wanted to prove myself first. For me it was too much pressure if everyone would know. Of course I have to do it myself and not sit back. And of course it’s very special to have contact with your idol. Very cool. Last year, Inge released her debut album Black Heart, later followed by the single Easy. Inge appears to have a lot going for her. In her pop songs, she highlights mental issues such as anxiety and heartbreaks.
The ambassadorship is right up her alley. Inge radiates strength and positivity. Her message? ‘I want to literally and figuratively be a voice for people who need it. I’m going to inspire people, young and old.’ Pride Amsterdam is not only a celebration but also a protest. ‘It inspires me. We’re almost there, I think. I’m on social media a lot and regularly see, read and hear intense stories. Also insults. But things are getting better, you know. Pride is a celebration of being yourself.
BLENDER
This year she can be seen on various pop stages. ‘I give your feelings a voice.’ She seems destined for the stage. But now first her new tour. Inge has everything to become a very big one. ‘Performing live is my big passion. All styles are in my music. Whether it’s country, rock or blues, they go into a blender and that just produces very energy and powerful music.’ We will undoubtedly hear and see much from her during and after Pride. ‘I’m bursting with energy.’ Her advice? ‘Give yourself time to come out of the closet. Everyone should be able to be the coolest version of themselves.’
Pride ambassador since 2024