THE BELGIAN PRESELECTION 2004

FOURTH SELECTION
Sunday 8 February 2004

PARTICIPANTS:

1. EVA - "Angels"
   (text : Dirk Paelinck - music: Mark Paelinck)

   Singing is in her blood.  At the age of 9 Eva Lambaerts (16/09/1979) was already singing with the childchoir of Tongerlo.  When she became 18 she started to follow singinglessons in Antwerpen.  She also follows pianolessons at the musicacademy of Geel.  Eva combines her higher studies of interior with live performance.  From time to time you can see her on soundmixcontests where she sings songs by Kate Bush.

2. SODAPOP - "Time to party"
   (text & music: Lex De Groot, Piet Van Den Heuvel & Roel De Ruijter)

   Sodapop is a boysband made by Pieter Van Keymeulen (Pacey - 28/02/1985), Hans Lambrechts (Hans - 03/11/1983) and Dimitri Van Tomme (Dimi - 09/05/1979).  Pacey has been singing and dancing in musicals.  He sits in the 6th year ASO modern languages en science in Aalst.  For the moment he's trying to play the giutar.  Hans has been the frontman of 'Lunah.  In 2002 they released their first single. Dimi is the oldest of the group and has a big musical experience.  He was known as member of the group 'Spirit' and has participated at "Idol 2003".  He lives in Antwerp where he has his own  karoakebar.

3. AMARYLLIS TEMMERMAN - "God in alle eenvoud"
   (text: Amaryllis Temmerman - music: David Poltrock)

   Amaryllis Temmerman is born on the 17th April of 1975. During her youth years she has been living in Neigem.  At the age of 17 she decided to join 'Up with people'.  She has been touring in Europe and America.  Amaryllis was 18 when she started to study communication science at the Egon in Gent.  On the age of 21 she goes to the conservatoty in Brussels where she follows the musical department.  She met Jan Blockhuys and starts together with him a theatreshow.  In 2001 Amaryllis plays one of the leading part of the musical "Ben" and "The Rocky Horrorshow".

4. PETER ELKINS - "Cry love"
   (text: Peter Elkins - music: Sebastiaan Bouckaert & Peter Elkins)

   Peter Elkins comes from Zoersel where he was born on 15 January 1975. He studied law and works nowadays at the bench of Turnhout. He just released his first single called "Sundays". He has been singing for already 10 years but his free time goes from time to time to his occupation, equestrian sport. Since his five year he rides horses, even during competitions. In 1991 he wrote several acoustic songs on the guitar of his mother. With some friends he formed ‘Bugjuice’ who only brought acoustic songs. In 1998 he’s been discovered by Sony where he’s still works.

5. NATALIA - "Higher than the sun"
   (text & music: Yurek Onzia & Vincent Pierens)

   Natalia Druyts come on earth on December the 3th of 1980.  She studies translator/interpreter English and Spanish but music was her biggest passion.  She started singing in a band called 'Secret Me'.  Later on she sings a duett with Danny Wuyts.  When her father met Hans Otten, they only talk of Natalia's singingtalent.  Hans Otten advise her to subscribe for 'Idol 2003'.  She gets to the finale but ended second after Peter Evrard.  Due to her participation at 'Idol 2003' she gets a contract at BMG.  She releases her first single "Without you" who became a golden record in Belgium.

6. X-ELEMENTZ - "Innocent"
   (text: Nima & Nary Farbod - music: Nima Farbod)

   Four years ago, Nima and Nariman Farbod (twins - 10/09/1979), formed together with two other brothers the band 'Souls Emotion'.  The four boys, all from Persian origine, are writing and composing their own songs.  They got a contract at Arcade but never break through.  In June 2002 Nima and Nary moves to England where they formed, together with another twins, the band 'X-Elementz'.  After six months appears that both twins can't work together.  Nima and Nary decide to go on with 'X-Elementz'.

7. BARBARA DEX & ALIDES - "One life"
   (text: Alides Hidding & Barbara Dex - music: Alides Hidding)

   Barbara Deckx is the daughter (born on the 22th of January 1974 in Turnhout) of Marc Dex. Since1968 he's a well know singer in Belgium. As Marc himself once came very close to the Eurovision Songcontest with his evergreen "O Clown", his daughter now won the national final leaving eleven well-know and more experienced artists behind her. The young singer, who until recently didn't dream of a professional singing career, grew up in the Flemish Campine together with her brother Tom and her sister Nathalie. Though being familiar with life in showbizz because of the success of her singing father, Barbara wanted to pursue a career in fashion designing.  In 1994 she starts singing in English with songs written by Alides Hidding.  Alides was teh leadsinger of the 'Time Bandits'.  In the eighties they conquered the popworld with lots of big hits.  In 1989 Alidus decide to stop with the group and moves to Los Angeles where he started to write songs for Jennifer Rush, Helen Schneider, etc...  At the moment whe works as a songwriter for several Dutch and Belgian artists as Romeo, Ruth Jacott, Dana Winner, Helmut Lotti and of course Barbara Dex.  In 1995 he restarted the group 'Time Bandits' with some older and newer songs.

   THE RESULTS

   Artists/Jury Professional Jury (*) Radio 2 Radio Donna Euro-Jury Televoting TV1-Jury TOTAL PLACE Eva 4 3 4 3 6 20 5 Sodapop 1 1 5 1 4 12 6 Amaryllis Temmerman 3 4 1 2 2 12 7 Peter Elkins 5 5 3 5 8 26 3 Natalia 7 9 9 7 18 50 1 X-Elementz 2 2 2 4 10 20 4 Barbara Dex & Alides 9 7 7 9 14 46 2

   (*) Professional jury contains: Dana Winner, André Vermeulen, Marcel Van Thilt and  Serge Simonart.