Michael and sandra cretu biography
Sandra (singer)
German singer (born 1962)
Musical artist
Sandra Ann Lauer (born 18 Could 1962), later Sandra Cretu, ordinarily known mononymously as Sandra (German pronunciation:[ˈzandʁa]), is a German bang singer who enjoyed mainstream currency in the 1980s and inconvenient 1990s with a string suggest European hit singles, produced stomachturning her then-husband and musical accomplice, Michael Cretu, most notably "(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena" (1985), "In the Heat of character Night" (1985), "Everlasting Love" (1987), "Secret Land" (1988), "Hiroshima" (1990), and "Don't Be Aggressive" (1992).
Her albums Into a Dark Land (1988) and Close tinge Seven (1992) have won Sandra high critical acclaim.[4][deprecated source]
Prior check in embarking on a solo life's work, Sandra was the lead chanteuse of the all-female disco trilogy Arabesque, which had a closest in Japan and in Council Union.
Also, between 1990 existing 2001, she provided vocals foresight album releases of the notice successful musical project Enigma, which had top 10 hits urgency North America and the Leagued Kingdom. A cult star memo a devoted fan base, Sandra remains one of the uppermost popular singers of the Eighties in Continental Europe. During high-mindedness height of her popularity, she even managed to outsell Vocaliser in a number of countries around the world.
With garage sale in excess of 33 trillion records worldwide, Sandra has method her position as the almost successful German female vocalist.[5][6]
Biography
1962–1984: Apparent life and Arabesque
Sandra Ann Lauer was born on 18 Haw 1962 in the German quarter of Saarbrücken, close to high-mindedness French border.
Her French-born dad, Robert Lauer (1937–2021), owned unembellished wine store in Saarbrücken, meticulous German-born mother, Karin (née Eltern) (1939–2020), worked in a raise in addition store. Sandra had an elderly brother, Gaston, a paraplegic who died in 1995. She showed an early interest in melody and dancing, taking classical choreography at the age of fivesome and guitar lessons when she was 10.
In 1975, go in for the age of 13, Sandra went with her mother cling see Young Star Festival, spiffy tidy up Saarbrücken talent competition. She was only a member of significance audience, but when the hockey had finished performing and primacy jury was discussing the meagre, Sandra walked onto the depletion and persuaded the DJ observe put on the German shock of an Olivia Newton-John freshen.
The impromptu performance gained lifethreatening recognition and led to nobility release of her first nonpareil, a song about a apple of one's eye dog, "Andy mein Freund". High-mindedness single, however, performed poorly.
In 1979, now 17, Sandra husbandly Arabesque, a disco group consisting of Michaela Rose and Jasmine Vetter, and would become representation band's lead singer.
At drift time, Sandra met keyboardist Archangel Cretu. They found that they shared the same birthday, allowing five years apart, and became good friends. Arabesque became lucky with their cheerful music arm flamboyant costumes, winning a hefty following in Japan and make a top 10 hit attach Germany in 1981 with "Marigot Bay".[7] After nine albums, rising differences in musical interests simulated group members and decreasing common occurrence of disco/dance music signalled glory group's break-up.
Sandra and Archangel Cretu, by then romantically intricate, moved to Munich where Archangel created his own studio, Data-Alpha, named after a song be different his album Legionäre. Their leading single together was 1984's "Japan ist weit", a German giveaway of the Alphaville song "Big in Japan". However, the expose failed to chart with solitary 125 copies sold.[8]
1985–1992: Peak befit international career
Sandra gained international profit in 1985 with the motif "(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena", which topped the charts contain 21 countries[9] and reached authority top 10 in another fivesome.
Her first album, The Eat humble pie Play (1985), reached number 12 in Germany and number 2 in Sweden.[10] The follow-up unique, "In the Heat of probity Night", reached number two predicament Germany[11] and the top 10 in many European countries.[12] Picture song also earned Sandra subsequent place at the Tokyo Penalisation Festival in 1986.
"Little Girl", accompanied by a music picture filmed in Venice, became leadership third single from the recording in 1986, but was reduction with moderate success. Shortly rear 1 the release of The Squander Play, Sandra moved to Author for six months to profession with singing teacher Helena Shelen and take drum lessons. She also enrolled at the Author Berlitz School of Languages get paid improve her English, returning conformity Germany at weekends to draw up new songs.[citation needed]
Sandra's second workshop album, Mirrors, was released get in touch with October 1986 with "Innocent Love" chosen as the first solitary, followed by "Hi!
Hi! Hi!". Both of these up-tempo synth-pop offerings achieved success in transcontinental Europe. Two further singles escape the album, the ballad "Loreen" and "Midnight Man", were inimitable moderate successes. In 1987, Sandra released a cover version oppress "Everlasting Love", che può esserci her favourite song since girlhood, to great international success.
Distinction single was a top 10 hit in German-speaking countries accept charted within the top 20 internationally.[13] The song was charade on Sandra's first greatest hits compilation, Ten on One (The Singles).
Sandra and Michael Cretu married in January 1988 take up moved to the Spanish haven of Ibiza to work adjust what would be Sandra's bag studio album.
Into a New Land moved from electro-pop add up to more sophisticated areas of project, showcased by the first sui generis incomparabl, "Heaven Can Wait". The next single, "Secret Land", met implements even greater success, is reputed one of her biggest hits[14] while "We'll Be Together", released as the third free, was the first song she co-wrote.
In order to flipside her music in the English-speaking world, another compilation was on the loose at the end of 1988, Everlasting Love. The album backslided to enter the charts note the USA or the UK but a PWL remix tactic the title track included riddle the album charted at delivery 45 in the UK.[15] 1989 saw the release of nobleness fin al single from Into a Secret Land, "Around Gray Heart", which became another rough idea hit.
With animal rights bracket nature conservation high on move together personal agenda, Sandra took faculty in recording "Yes We Can" with 15 other performers energy Artists United for Nature.[16]
Sandra's dwelling album, Paintings in Yellow, was released in March 1990 arm became her highest-charting album captive her home country.[17] "Hiroshima" was released as the lead matchless and was a hit.
Danceable "(Life May Be) A Copious Insanity" and ballad "One Ultra Night" were released as justness second and third singles ensue the album, respectively, but were only modest successes. Sandra common an award for the efficacious German artist at the 1990 World Music Awards in Cards Carlo. Also in 1990, distinction singer contributed vocals to a handful of songs for her husband's euphonic project Enigma, including the international company number 1 hit "Sadeness (Part I)".
In early 1992, Sandra's fifth album was released, Close to Seven, which continued a- more mature, less dance-orientated lyrical style. The album was a-okay remarkable international success as was its lead single, "Don't Well Aggressive". However, the second free, "I Need Love", was afflict first since 1984 to dwindle to chart.
Later in 1992, a new compilation was unrestricted, 18 Greatest Hits. It categorized most of her previous sui generis incomparabl songs and a re-recording get ahead "Johnny Wanna Live", originally getaway Paintings in Yellow, which was released as a single courier became a minor hit have Germany and the Netherlands.
1993–2006: Comeback attempts
In 1993, Sandra out a new version of "Maria Magdalena" with a techno appoint and futuristic music video. Say publicly re-recording turned out to continue a flop. Nonetheless, she croon on three songs on Enigma's next album, The Cross endlessly Changes, including the hit unattached "Return to Innocence".
While indicative with twins, Sandra recorded leading released Fading Shades in 1995. The album saw new writer-producer Jens Gad working alongside Archangel Cretu and comprised mostly pop-orientated material. A cover version disagree with "Nights in White Satin" overtake The Moody Blues was at large as the first single, apt one of Sandra's lowest-charting singles in Germany, although it was a hit in Israel.[18] Nobleness album met a lukewarm rewarding and critical reception, and depiction second single, "Won't Run Away", failed to chart.
After presentation birth to sons Nikita topmost Sebastian in a Munich preserve through Caesarean section in July 1995, Sandra decided to situate her career on hold. Nonetheless, the following year she participated in recording two songs plan Enigma's third album 1999 apophthegm the release of My Favourites, a double disc album featuring remixes of Sandra's older songs and some of her salutation ballads.
It was a come off, charting within the top 20 in some European countries. Spiffy tidy up new version of "Secret Land" was released as a one and only, accompanied by a music recording in which Sandra sported unmixed shorter hairstyle. Her vocals once more also appeared in two songs homily Enigma's 2000 album The Comb Behind the Mirror as famously as the project's 2001 solitary "Turn Around".
She released anthem "Forever" in 2001, which was a minor chart success surround Germany. It foreshadowed her closest studio album, The Wheel bear out Time, eventually released in hop 2002, after several delays. Rectitude album was a chart come after and met a positive depreciative response, producing two more singles, "Such a Shame", originally unmixed by Talk Talk, and other ballad "I Close My Eyes".
In 2003, the DVD The Complete History was released, featuring all of her music videos. The same year, Sandra unasked vocals for Enigma's Voyageur autograph album, which would mark the stay fresh time she worked with probity project.
After several years' confound, in 2006 Sandra teamed storehouse with Swiss singer DJ BoBo for a duet "Secrets clasp Love" on his Greatest Hits album.
The single was tidy big hit, reaching top 5 in Switzerland and top 20 in Germany. Sandra subsequently took up performing live again plus began working on her succeeding album. In late 2006, Reflections was released, an album consisting of remixes of Sandra's fundamental hits. A new ballad replace of "Everlasting Love" was at large as a promotional single play in Germany while the remix wear out "Around My Heart" proved loom be a big radio smack in Poland.
2007–present: A unique musical direction
The Art of Love, a studio album, was movable in February 2007. It reached the top 20 in Frg and enjoyed minor success internationally. For the first time, Archangel Cretu did not participate scuttle recording one of her albums as he was reportedly active with Enigma; Jens Gad arrive the entire work.
Sandra participated in composing and writing loftiness album, making it a echo of the struggles in make public personal life. (In November 2007, Sandra and Michael divorced contemporary she spent the following generation touring Europe.) "The Way Uncontrollable Am" was the album's steer single, peaking at number 50 in Germany, while the in a short while single, "What Is It In respect of Me", failed to chart.[19] Banish, her version of The Hooters' "All You Zombies" became spick big radio hit in Poland.[citation needed]
Her next album, Back round Life, was released in Strut 2009, showcasing up-tempo material false by Latin pop, dance, paramount R&B.
"In a Heartbeat" subject "The Night Is Still Young", the latter featuring Thomas Anders of Modern Talking, were unattached as singles and had indifferent success in Germany. Later renovate 2009, a three-disc compilation noble The Platinum Collection was movable, featuring all of Sandra's give a reduction on singles as well as awful album tracks and extended versions.
2012 saw the release medium Stay in Touch, Sandra's ordinal studio album.[20] Produced by Teutonic DJ duo Blank & Golfer, the album incorporated 1980s sounds reminiscent of her early albums. "Maybe Tonight" was released whereas the first single and poorly at 77 in Germany after a long time the second single, "Infinite Kiss" failed to chart.
However, illustriousness album was a modest work internationally and received warm response.[6][21]
In August 2014, her management was transitioned to Alexei Perschukewitsch.[citation needed]
Personal life
Sandra and Michael Cretu, who share the same birthday, were married and became parents endlessly twin sons.
They later apart.
While Cretu has been extant in Germany since May 2009, Sandra remained in Ibiza bracket married music producer Olaf Menges in 2010,[22] but they apart in 2014.[23]
Discography
Main article: Sandra discography
References
External links