Date - March 9, 1996
Official name - De Gouden Zeemeermin 1996
Organising broadcaster - BRT
Venue - Casino, Knokke
Hosts - Alexandra Potvin & Michel Follet
Directors - Jan Zutterman & Jan Thijs
Stage designer - unknown
Producer - Joannes Thuy
Expert jury - Jacques Raymond (chairman) / Marc Brillouet / Leen Demaré / Ro Burms / Nora Nys / Guy De Pré / Marc De Schuyter / Sabine De Vos
Press jury - Jacques Van Dijk (chairman) (?) / Rudi Moeraert / Roland Rentmeesters / Steve Stevens / Serge Vanhellemont / Karin Vanheusden / Andre Vermeulen / Greet Manossels (?)
Provincial juries presided by - Paul De Meulder (Antwerp) / Guido Cassiman (Brabant) / Michel Hilzen (?) (Limburg) / Fred Claes (East Flanders) / Elie Saegeman (West Flanders)
Musical director - Bob Porter
Orchestra - Festivalorkest (Festival Orchestra - freelance musicians)
Interval act - Medley of former BRT Eurovision entries performed by Jacques Raymond & Connie Neefs
Number of entries - 12 in final (semi-finals with total of 40 songs)
Winning entry - 'Liefde is een kaartspel' Lisa del Bo
Winning songwriters - John Terra / Daniël Ditmar / Siirak Brogden
Winning orchestrator - Giuseppe 'Pino' Marchese
Note - Four semi-finals, held between February 3rd and February 24th, 1996, each showcasing ten entries, resulted in twelve songs in total - three from each heat - qualifying for the grand final. In the semi-finals, there was no orchestra present on stage; instead, all songs were performed to tracks pre-recorded in the studio
PARTICIPATING ENTRIES (FINAL)
Song 1
Title – "Liefde is een kaartspel"
Rendition – Lisa del Bo
Lyrics – Daniël Ditmar / Siirak Brogden
Composition – John Terra
Studio arrangement – Giuseppe 'Pino' Marchese
Live orchestration – Giuseppe 'Pino' Marchese
Score 3rd semi-final – 2nd place (72 votes)
Score final – 1st place (216 votes)
Song 2
Title – "Een andere wereld"
Rendition – Patrick Alessi
Lyrics – Patrick Alessi
Composition – Patrick Alessi
Studio arrangement – none
Live orchestration – unknown (possibly Gyuri Spies)
Score 1st semi-final – 1st place (71 votes)
Score final – 11th place (73 votes)
Song 3
Title – "Kijk me aan"
Rendition – Chelsy
Lyrics – Sander van der Heide
Composition – Sander van der Heide
Studio arrangement – Peter Boone
Live orchestration – unknown (possibly Marty Townsend)
Score 2nd semi-final – 2nd place (66 votes)
Score final – 8th place (128 votes)
Song 4
Title – "Zo voel ik vandaag"
Rendition – William Reven
Lyrics – Dennis Peirs
Composition – William Reven / Rodrigo Salgado / Constant Verfaillie
Studio arrangement – unknown
Live orchestration – unknown
Score 2nd semi-final – 3rd place (64 votes)
Score final – 9th place (119 votes)
Song 5
Title – "Morgen komt de lente"
Rendition – Nadia
Lyrics – Dieter Troubleyn
Composition – Lou Roman / Paul Vermeulen
Studio arrangement – Lou Roman / Paul Vermeulen
Live orchestration – Lou Roman
Score 4th semi-final – 1st place (66 votes)
Score final – 7th place (135 votes)
Song 6
Title – "Er is iets"
Rendition – Peter Van Laet
Lyrics – Peter Van Laet
Composition – Walter Mannaerts / Marc Van Hie
Studio arrangement – Roland Verlooven
Live orchestration – Roland Verlooven
Score 4th semi-final – 3rd place (62 votes)
Score final – 4th place (143 votes)
Song 7
Title – "Nooit meer alleen"
Rendition – Sabien Tiels
Lyrics – Sabien Tiels
Composition – Sabien Tiels
Studio arrangement – Luigi Bongiovanni / Xavier Tribolet / Peter Gistelinck
Live orchestration – Luigi Bongiovanni / Peter Gistelinck
Score 2nd semi-final – 1st place (70 votes)
Score final – 6th place (139 votes)
Song 8
Title – "Jij alleen"
Rendition – Doran
Lyrics – Piet Triest / Vira Bontemps / Christel Devos
Composition – Piet Triest / Vira Bontemps
Studio arrangement – Luc Smets
Live orchestration – Luc Smets
Score 4th semi-final – 2nd place (64 votes)
Score final – 12th place (37 votes)
Song 9
Title – "Dat ik hou van jou"
Rendition – Garry Hagger
Lyrics – Fred Bekky
Composition – Fred Bekky
Studio arrangement – Fred Bekky
Live orchestration – Fred Bekky / Luc Smets
Score 1st semi-final – 3rd place (60 votes)
Score final – 5th place (141 votes)
Song 10
Title – "Ik laat je nooit meer gaan"
Rendition – Splinter
Lyrics – Hedwig Demesmaeker / Guido Sergooris
Composition – Hedwig Demesmaeker / Guido Sergooris
Studio arrangement – Leo Caerts Jr.
Live orchestration – Leo Caerts Jr.
Score semi-final – 3rd place (67 votes)
Score final – 2nd place (189 votes)
Song 11
Title – "Mooi"
Rendition – En Zo
Lyrics – Koen De Beir / Filip D'haeze / Adrian Larson
Composition – Koen De Beir / Filip D'haeze / Adrian Larson
Studio arrangement – Koen De Beir
Live orchestration – unknown
Score 3rd semi-final – 1st place (74 votes)
Score final – 3rd place (151 votes)
Song 12
Title – "Mademoiselle"
Rendition – Mario Caselli
Lyrics – Patrick Hamilton / Chrystoff Wybouw
Composition – Patrick Hamilton / Chrystoff Wybouw
Studio arrangement – Chrystoff Wybouw
Live orchestration – unknown
Score 1st semi-final – 2nd place (67 votes)
Score final – 10th place (90 votes)
ELIMINATED ENTRIES (SEMI-FINAL 1)
Song 1
Title – "Geen illusie"
Rendition – Dave & Steve
Lyrics – Fred Bekky
Composition – Fred Bekky
Studio arrangement – Fred Bekky
Score 1st semi-final – 6th place (57 votes)
Song 2
Title – "De toekomst"
Rendition – Chris Van Tongelen
Lyrics – Monique Geyskens
Composition – Ernst Vranckx
Studio arrangement – unknown
Score 1st semi-final – 4th place (60 votes)
Song 4
Title – "Toon wat"
Rendition – Chalina
Lyrics – unknown
Composition – unknown
Studio arrangement – none
Score 1st semi-final – 9th place (37 votes)
Song 5
Title – "Oorlog"
Rendition – Scharnier
Lyrics – unknown
Composition – unknown
Studio arrangement – none
Score 1st semi-final – 8th place (44 votes)
Song 7
Title – "De kleine dingen"
Rendition – Marleen
Lyrics – Alides Hidding
Composition – Alides Hidding
Studio arrangement – unknown (possibly John Terra)
Score 1st semi-final – 7th place (50 votes)
Song 8
Title – "Hey, Mister Lennon"
Rendition – Frank Valentino
Lyrics – Dennis Peirs
Composition – Sidro
Studio arrangement – Giuseppe 'Pino' Marchese
Score 1st semi-final – 5th place (58 votes)
Song 10
Title – "Golven van verlangen"
Rendition – Rindu Rindu
Lyrics – Fernande
Composition – Fernande
Studio arrangement – none
Score 1st semi-final – 10th place (30 votes)
ELIMINATED ENTRIES (SEMI-FINAL 2)
Song 1
Title – "Overmoed (Eigenwaan en overmoed)"
Rendition – Beau Geste
Lyrics – Dirk De Groef
Composition – Dirk De Groef
Studio arrangement – Beau Geste
Score 2nd semi-final – 7th place (50 votes)
Song 2
Title – "Laat me"
Rendition – Axel Lane
Lyrics – unknown
Composition – unknown
Studio arrangement – none
Score 2nd semi-final – 10th place (45 votes)
Song 4
Title – "Vandaag"
Rendition – Gunther Levi
Lyrics – Gunther Levi
Composition – Gunther Levi
Studio arrangement – none
Score 2nd semi-final – 4th place (63 votes)
Song 5
Title – "Ritme met een lach"
Rendition – Angie C.
Lyrics – Anne Clicteur
Composition – Peter Bauwens
Studio arrangement – none
Score 2nd semi-final – 9th place (47 votes)
Song 7
Title – "Elke nacht"
Rendition – Davy Gilles
Lyrics – Dennis Peirs
Composition – Jean-Pierre Daghelet
Studio arrangement – Jean-Pierre Daghelet
Score 2nd semi-final – 8th place (48 votes)
Song 8
Title – "Op dit moment"
Rendition – Mieke
Lyrics – David Hartsema
Composition – Edwin Schimscheimer
Studio arrangement – none
Score 2nd semi-final – 4th place (63 votes)
Song 9
Title – "Laat haar niet alleen"
Rendition – Fair Play
Lyrics – Ivo Roefs / Marc Roefs
Composition – Carl Coenen
Studio arrangement – unknown
Score 2nd semi-final – 6th place (51 votes)
ELIMINATED ENTRIES (SEMI-FINAL 3)
Song 2
Title – "Blijf steeds bij mij"
Rendition – Hans Van den Stock
Lyrics – unknown
Composition – unknown
Studio arrangement – none
Score 3rd semi-final – 7th place (42 votes)
Song 3
Title – "Hou van mij"
Rendition – Chadia
Lyrics – unknown
Composition – unknown
Studio arrangement – none
Score 3rd semi-final – 8th place (40 votes)
Song 4
Title – "Als ik niet meer kan"
Rendition – Phil Kevin
Lyrics – unknown
Composition – unknown
Studio arrangement – none
Score 3rd semi-final – 10th place (33 votes)
Song 5
Title – "Het nieuwe begin"
Rendition – Kaye
Lyrics – unknown
Composition – unknown
Studio arrangement – none
Score 3rd semi-final – 9th place (34 votes)
Song 6
Title – "Ik hou van jou"
Rendition – Rudy Meyns
Lyrics – Raymond Felix / Jacques Verburgt
Composition – Raymond Felix / Jacques Verburgt
Studio arrangement – none
Score 3rd semi-final – 6th place (49 votes)
Song 7
Title – "Wereld van muziek"
Rendition – Corina
Lyrics – Peter Keereman
Composition – Peter Keereman
Studio arrangement – none
Score 3rd semi-final – 5th place (53 votes)
Song 8
Title – "Hou me in je hart"
Rendition – Marijn De Valck
Lyrics – Marijn De Valck
Composition – Marc Malyster
Studio arrangement – none
Score 3rd semi-final – 4th place (57 votes)
ELIMINATED ENTRIES (SEMI-FINAL 4)
Song 1
Title – "Vertrouwen"
Rendition – Cold Pizza
Lyrics – Bart Tsiobbel
Composition – Bart Tsiobbel
Studio arrangement – Patrick Mortier
Score 4th semi-final – 4th place (55 votes)
Song 3
Title – "Neem de biezen"
Rendition – Onah
Lyrics – Verhelst
Composition – Verhelst
Studio arrangement – none
Score 4th semi-final – 7th place (43 votes)
Song 4
Title – "Dans met mij"
Rendition – P.C. Brown
Lyrics – Jan Pieter Liedmann (Gilbert De Nockere)
Composition – Jan Pieter Liedmann (Gilbert De Nockere)
Studio arrangement – none
Score 4th semi-final – 9th place (40 votes)
Song 6
Title – "M'n liefste"
Rendition – Tempo
Lyrics – Yves Segers
Composition – Yves Segers
Studio arrangement – none
Score 4th semi-final – 5th place (54 votes)
Song 7
Title – "Onbereikbaar, maar dichtbij"
Rendition – Pino
Lyrics – Luigi Bongiovanni / Xavier Tribolet
Composition – Luigi Bongiovanni / Xavier Tribolet
Studio arrangement – none
Score 4th semi-final – 7th place (43 votes)
Song 8
Title – "Jij"
Rendition – Aperitivo
Lyrics – unknown
Composition – unknown
Studio arrangement – none
Score 4th semi-final – 10th place (28 votes)
Song 10
Title – "Ik wil zo graag bij jou zijn"
Rendition – Chrissy
Lyrics – Chrissy Degraef
Composition – J. Lake (Jef Digneffe) / U. Vaneylen (Urbain Vanheylem)
Studio arrangement – Jef Digneffe
Score 4th semi-final – 6th place (49 votes)
