Oceana (singer)

Oceana
Oceana in a press photo taken in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Oceana Mahlmann
Born	(1982-01-23) January 23, 1982 (age 35) Wedel
Origin	Germany
Genres	Soul, pop, R&B, reggae, dance-pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Years active	1997–present
Labels	Ministry of Sound

Oceana Mahlmann (born January 23, 1982) is a German singer. Her musical roots are embedded in soul, reggae, hip hop, and funk.

Oceana was raised by her mother, a German Haute Couture designer. Her father was a DJ from Martinique. The funk legend Maceo Parker is a close family friend and as a young child she performed with him on stage.

In her teens, she established herself as dancer and choreographer. She performed in the role of Aida in the musical Aida by Tim Rice and Elton John. She was also the vocal soloist in the musical version of Dirty Dancing by Eleanor Bergstein. In 2006, she was the choreographer of the German chart-breaking band Seeed.

In 2008, she signed to Warner to establish herself as a singer-songwriter.

Her solo career took off in 2009 with the release of the single "Cry Cry" from her debut album Love Supply, which was also released on the US-market by the label Ultra Records. This was a breakthrough in her career: the song was the highest selling single in Poland that year and peaked in several other European countries in the charts. Following this success Oceana appeared in numerous European TV shows.

In March 2010, she appeared in the Polish version of Dancing with the Stars, but she withdrew, because she was in an advanced state of pregnancy and she finished in 6th place. In May 2010, she hosted the TV show ARTE Lounge, which aired on the acclaimed European channel Arte. She has also appeared as a musical guest on the Greek X Factor and performed on some of the greatest festivals in Europe. On her tour for Love Supply, she performed festivals such as Rock En Seine in France and the Sopot International Song Festival in Poland. Throughout her career, she has supported musicians such as Lionel Richie, Raphael Saadiq, and Annie Lennox.