Stig van Eijk | |
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Van Eijk at the Melodi Grand Prix show
May 8, 2010. |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Stig Andre van Eijk |
Born |
Cali, Colombia |
March 21, 1981
Origin | Norway |
Genres |
Reggae Pop Standards |
Occupation(s) | Singer Songwriter |
Instruments | Vocals |
Website | www |
Stig Andre van Eijk (born March 21, 1981 in Cali, Colombia) is a Norwegian singer, composer and lyricist.
Van Eijk is known for his Eurovision career. In 1999 he won the Norwegian final of Melodi Grand Prix with the song "Living My Life Without You", which he wrote and performed with dancer and singer Belinda Braza. In the European final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Israel, he came in 14th, after gaining 35 points. He is the first ever black man to represent Norway.
The album, Where I Belong, which was released the same year, went platinum (over 30,000 copies) and reached number 6 on the VG-list Top 40 in Norway. In 2000, he was named this year's male artist (Hit awards). In 2001, he made Colombianske fredslåten, "Constructors of Peace".
In 2001 Van Eijk opened «B: Underground Club» in Bergen. This club was a live concept with a house band playing reggae, soul and funk, and the guest appeared. In 2003, he made the song "Once In a Lifetime" that won "Idol" in South Africa, performed by Heinz Winckler. The song was a hit in South Africa and became double platinum (100,000 copies).
"StiGi," as he call himself now, is known as front figure in the reggae band "The Soul Express Orchestra". They released their debut album Time For A Change produced by Isak Strand at Knott Records in 2010. For the last couple of years he has also been working with music in a kindergarten in Bergen.