LOONA

LOONA

The story begins in the early 1990s, when the young girl Marie-José van der Kolk left the picturesque small Dutch town of IJmuiden to conquer the world. At that time, however, “the world” was merely a summer holiday job on the island of Mallorca. No one—least of all Marie herself—could have imagined that this would mark the first chapter of a global music career.

After the summer, she returned home, where her passion for dance, theatre, and dance music, previously pursued in her free time, was transformed into a professional path. Marie began a formal education in dance and theatre. In the summers that followed, she repeatedly returned to Mallorca. During this time, she met DJ and music producer Sammy, and the two began meeting more frequently to work on musical ideas together.

The first results were impressive—both to see and to hear. Initially rooted more in classic dance and techno, the young duo managed to captivate an ever-growing audience with their music. Between 1995 and 1998, they celebrated their first chart successes as DJ Sammy featuring Carisma with tracks such as “Life Is Just A Game,” “You’re My Angel,” “Prince Of Love,” “Golden Child,” and “Magic Moment.”

The first truly major “Magic Moment” followed in 1998 with a change in musical direction toward dance-pop. Under a new name—LOONA—and with the song “Bailando,” the major breakthrough came: eight weeks at number one in Germany, number one in Switzerland, and number three in Austria. This success resulted in eight gold, three platinum, and double-platinum awards. As a crowning achievement, the duo received the German ECHO Award for “Bailando” in the category Best Dance Single.

The second single, “Hijo de la luna” (originally by the Spanish band Mecano from 1984), also reached number one in Germany, selling an incredible 1.5 million copies and earning platinum and gold awards. The impressive ballad was recorded with the Orquestra de la Luna, a 40-piece ensemble of Germany’s finest musicians. The song became the most successful Spanish-language single of all time in the German charts. From the successful album “Lunita,” the single “Donde Vas” followed, cementing LOONA’s permanent place in the charts.

Just one year later, fate played the next “Magic Moment” card: “Mamboleo,” released in 1999 as the first single from the new album “Entre dos aguas,” reached the Top 3 of the German charts and was certified gold. For this single, LOONA received their second ECHO Award, once again in the category Best Dance Single.

“Latino Lover,” “Baila Mi Ritmo,” “Viva El Amor,” and “Rhythm Of The Night” are further unforgettable LOONA hits. In total, more than 10 million records have been sold worldwide. Through performances in the USA, Asia, Australia, South Africa, and Europe, LOONA achieved Top 10 placements in numerous countries around the globe.

In 2002, the music returned to its dance roots. The success curve rose even more steeply: under the project name DJ Sammy feat. LOONA, the duo reached number one in England, South Africa, and Australia with “Boys Of Summer.” Across Europe, the song placed in the Top 10, and even entered the Top 20 in the USA. The follow-up single “Sunlight” also achieved Top 10 status in all these countries. This worldwide success enabled Marie and Sammy to tour the globe in 2002 and 2003. In Australia, they participated in the famous Rumba Tour, touring alongside Bon Jovi, Pink, and the Sugababes from Perth to Brisbane, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, Sydney, and Melbourne—across Australia and across the world.

After Marie lost her beloved mother twelve years earlier, this experience had a profound influence on the song selection for the album “Wind Of Time,” released in 2005. The album was a collection of beautiful ballads such as “Where Do You Go My Lovely,” “Streets Of London,” “Blowin’ In The Wind,” and the first single “Tears In Heaven.” The emotional performance of the Eric Clapton classic on “The Dome” remains unforgettable—Marie was heavily pregnant at the time with her now ten-year-old daughter, Saphira.

In 2008, Marie ended her baby break and opened a new chapter. Professionally and privately separated from Sammy, she released the hit single “Por La Noche” and the album “Moonrise” under the successful name LOONA. She also served as a jury member on Popstars. In 2009, LOONA scored the summer hit of the year with “Parapapapapa” and significantly increased her live activities, much to the delight of her many fans, who enthusiastically celebrate her energetic performances.

In 2010, “Vamos a la Playa” followed, reaching number 23 in the German charts and becoming a European hit in 2011: number 3 in France, number 14 in Switzerland, number 1 in Haiti, number 21 in Denmark, number 2 in Belgium, number 5 in South Africa, and number 38 in Sweden.

“El Tiburón” was released in summer 2011, followed a year later by another hit, “Policia.” In 2012, LOONA also attracted attention beyond music, appearing in Playboy and on major television shows. In 2013, LOONA celebrated her 15th stage anniversary with a new summer hit: “Rakatakata (Un Rayo De Sol).” A typical LOONA track—good vibes, punchy dance beats, and Marie’s unmistakable and beautiful Latino voice: cheeky, charming, and sexy. For the first time, a German production team—XTreme Sound from Cologne, a leading name in dance and party pop—was responsible for the sound.

In 2014, LOONA released the mini-album “Brasil,” inspired by the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The hit single “Brasil” reached number 29 in the German charts. 2015 was truly “hot,” with the single “Caliente,” which reached number 10 in the Dutch charts. In 2016, the next hit single “Badam” followed, reaching number 29 in the German charts. Once again, “Vamos a la Playa” gained renewed attention after being featured in the film Dirty Grandpa starring Robert De Niro.

In 2017, the new single “Summer of Love” marked another success—number 1 in the Philippines and number 5 in Malaysia—bringing LOONA fresh recognition in Asia. In 2018, LOONA celebrated her 20th anniversary with a new version of “Bailando” (release: 27 July 2018), followed later that year by the single “Turn the Tide” featuring Dune.

LOONA DISCOGRAPHY

1995 – Life Is Just A Game (Single)
1996 – You’re My Angel (Single)
1997 – Golden Child (Single)
1997 – Prince Of Love (Single)
1998 – Magic Moment (Single)
1998 – Life Is Just A Game (Album)
1998 – Bailando (Single)
1998 – Hijo De La Luna (Single)
1999 – Donde Vas (Single)
1999 – Lunita (Album)
1999 – Mamboleo (Single)
1999 – Salvador Dali (Single)
1999 – In 2 Eternity (Single)
2000 – La Vida Es Una Flor (Single)
2000 – Entre Dos Aguas (Album)
2000 – Latino Lover (Single)
2000 – Greatest Hits (Album)
2001 – Baila Mi Ritmo (Single)
2001 – Viva El Amor (Single)
2001 – Baila Mi Ritmo (Album)
2002 – Rhythm Of The Night (Single)
2002 – Colors (Single)
2002 – Colors (Album)
2002 – Boys Of Summer (Single)
2003 – Sunlight (Single)
2004 – Tears In Heaven (Single)
2005 – Wind Of Time (Album)
2005 – Oye El Boom (Single)
2005 – Rise Again (Single)
2008 – Por La Noche (Single)
2008 – Moonrise (Album)
2009 – Parapapapapa (Single)
2010 – Vamos a la Playa (Single)
2011 – El Cucaracho (Single)
2011 – El Tiburón (Single)
2012 – Policia (Single)
2013 – Rakatakata (Un Rayo De Sol) (Single)
2014 – Brasil (Album)
2015 – Caliente (Single)
2016 – Badam (Single)
2016 – On Va Danser (Single)
2017 – Summer of Love (Single)
2018 – Bailando 2K18 DJ Combo Mix (Single)
2018 – Turn the Tide feat. Dune (Single)

LOONA AWARDS

1998 – Austria Gold Award for “Bailando”
1998 – Germany ECHO Award for “Bailando” (Best Dance Single)
1998 – Germany Top of the Pops Award for “Bailando” (No. 1 Single)
1998 – Germany Top of the Pops Award for “Hijo de la Luna” (No. 1 Single)
1998 – Germany Gold Award for “Bailando”
1998 – Germany Gold Award for “Hijo de la Luna”
1998 – Germany Platinum Award for “Bailando”
1998 – Germany Platinum Award for “Hijo de la Luna”
1998 – Germany Triple Gold Award for “Hijo de la Luna” (750,000 CDs sold)
1998 – Germany ZDF Rainbow Award, Best International Artist 1998
1999 – Germany Double Platinum Award for “Hijo de la Luna”
1999 – Germany RSH Gold Award, Best Summer Act 1998
1999 – Germany Gold Award for “Mamboleo”
2000 – Germany ECHO Award for “Mamboleo” (Best Dance Single 1999)
2000 – Germany Gold Award for “Latino Lover”
2000 – Germany RSH Gold Award, Best International Artist 1999
2002 – Australia Platinum Award for “Boys Of Summer”
2002 – New Zealand Gold & Platinum Awards for “Boys Of Summer”
2003 – England Gold Award for “Sunlight”
2003 – England Top of the Pops Award for “Sunlight”
2003 – USA Dancestar Award, Best International Dance Act 2003
2011 – France Gold Award for “Vamos a la Playa”
2011 – France Energy Radio Award, Best Summer Act 2010
2011 – Haiti Gold Award for “Vamos a la Playa”
2011 – South Africa Gold Award for “Vamos a la Playa”
2011 – France Les Trophées de la Nuit Award for “Vamos a la Playa”
2014 – Germany Ultimate Chart Show Award for “Hijo de la Luna” (Best Christmas Song Ever)
2016 – Germany ADTV Award for Best Latin Dance Act of the Year
2018 – Germany Ultimate Chart Show Award for “Bailando” (Best Summer Song)