The story behind “Minettsdapp”
For this episode of Minett Mash-Up, we head out to the Lallengerbierg, a distinctive location in the Minett UNESCO Biosphere where nature, former industrial history and creative inspiration come together. In this episode, the podcast welcomes two musical guests: Nikki Ninja, alias Nicole Bausch, and Pol Belardi.
At the heart of the episode is their joint song “Minettsdapp”, which was written and recorded specifically for the Minett UNESCO Biosphere. The song combines rap, regional identity, industrial heritage and the soundscape of the Minett into a musical portrait of our region.
The episode explores how a landscape long shaped by work and iron ore mining, and later reinvented, can today be retold, reheard and resung.
Our “Minett Location” of the month: The Lallingerberg
This month’s “Minett Location” is the Lallingerberg, a place closely linked to the history of the Minett. Today, the area is interesting not only because of its industrial heritage, but also because of its ecological importance.
The Lallingerberg is one of the core zones of the Minett Biosphere and an important habitat for rare animal and plant species. In the podcast, the woodlark, or Bëschléierchen, plays a particular role: a small migratory bird that spends the summer here and nests on the ground.
At the same time, the Lallingerberg is a place that tells many stories: of former mining work, of landscapes shaped by human activity, but also of renewed nature, calm and creativity. This very mix makes the site an ideal setting for an episode about music, memory and regional identity.
Our guests: Nikki Ninja and Pol Belardi
This episode features two guests: Nikki Ninja, alias Nicole Bausch, and musician Pol Belardi.
Nikki Ninja is a musical project through which Nicole Bausch creates rap for children. With her Luxembourgish lyrics, she brings topics closer to a young audience and shows that rap can also be playful, educational and rooted in a region.
Pol Belardi is a musician, jazz musician and radio presenter. For the song “Minettsdapp”, he composed the music, drawing not only on musical traditions, but also on sounds recorded in the former open-cast mining areas of the Minett.
Together, the guests talk about how the song came into being, how school classes from the Minett were involved in the creative process, and how music can explain a region without oversimplifying it.
The connection between “Minettsdapp” and the miners’ song is particularly fascinating: a historical musical motif that was adapted into a more modern form for this project. In this way, a traditional reference point becomes something new, accessible also to children and future generations.
The conversation, however, is not only about music. It also addresses how industrial heritage still shapes the way we look at the region today, how places once associated with work can become places of poetry, and how artists can help pass on collective memory.
Our quiz
The Lallingerberg is one of the core zones of the Minett Biosphere. This protected area is particularly important for the woodlark, the alouette lulu. This small migratory bird spends the summer here and nests on the ground. There are just under 30 pairs in the Minett Biosphere. How many of these pairs nested here on the Lallingerberg in 2025?
- 11 *
- 17
- 23
What is the correct surface area of “Brucherberg-Lallingerberg”, a central zone of the Minett UNESCO Biosphere?
- 112 hectares
- 267 hectares
- 282 hectares *
When did iron ore mining on the Lallingerberg come to an end?
- In the 1950s
- In the early 1960s
- In the late 1970s *
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© Minett UNESCO Biosphere
Links to the topics of this episode:
- Minett UNESCO Biosphere – Official website of the Minett UNESCO Biosphere
- The song “Minettsdapp” – A song by Nikki Ninja and Pol Belardi, created specifically for the Minett Biosphere
- Nikki Ninja – A musical project by Nicole Bausch that creates hip-hop for children
- Nicool – Nicole Bausch’s artist name when creating hip-hop for a wider audience
- Pol Belardi – Luxembourgish jazz musician and radio presenter at Radio 100,7
- Lallingerberg – Further information about this core zone of the Minett UNESCO Biosphere and its importance for nature and heritage
- Famil – Association supporting musicians and performers in Luxembourg
- Biergoarbechterlidd – The official Luxembourgish miners’ song by E. Kauth. It commemorates the miners of the Minett region and tells the story of their daily life underground
- “Le gant du pied” – Film about the shoe factory in Tétange, featuring music by Pol Belardi
- Jazz en Sol Mineur – Jazz festival in Hussigny-Godbrange, just across the border from Differdange
- Aciérophonie – Composition by Luxembourgish musician Albert Marinov
- Bëschléierchen (Woodlark) – A migratory bird that is particularly at home in the former open-cast mining areas of the Minett region
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