| Xandee is 25-year-old singer Sandy Boets’ alter ego. She will represent Belgium at the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest with her first solo single, “1 life.”
Music has always played a central role in this dynamic young lady’s life. At the age of 16 and bubbling over with enthusiasm she founded pop duo, “Touch of Joy” with Serge (Sergio) Quisquater. Sergio himself is no stranger to Eurovision. His own group, “Sergio & The Ladies,” represented Belgium in 2002 with the song, “Sister.”
Touch of Joy has had a long and successful career with hit after hit with numbers such as “Don’t Give it up,” “Please Don’t Go” and “Enjoy.” And Touch of Joy still exists: in 2005 they will celebrate their 10th anniversary.
But there was also life beyond and besides Touch of Joy, thought Sandy. In collaboration with composer Marc Paelinck and lyricist Dirk Paelinck (the team who wrote the biggest Touch of Joy hits) she began working on a solo project. To emphasise the new direction she changed her name to Xandee. In October 2003 the Paelinck brothers wrote the catchy up-tempo song, “1 life” for her. Sergio, her musical partner in crime, was the obvious choice as manager.
Xandee and her team entered “1 life” for “Eurosong,” the Belgian pre-selection competition for the Eurovision Song Contest. In the preliminary round she was well ahead of all the other candidates. And in the grand Eurosong final -- which achieved a massive 75 percent market share -- Xandee left her competition in the dust.
That “1 life” is the perfect debut single for Xandee was more than proven when it went straight in at no. 1 in the Flemish charts. Xandee’s song also made it to no.1 in the Ultratop 50 charts –- something never achieved by another Flemish female artist.
Xandee sings that we have only one life and we have to make the most of it. It is with this positive attitude she is leaving for Turkey, where she will undoubtedly give the performance of her life!
More on Xandee at: www.xandee.be. |
