Belgium04

	Xandee (pronounced ksendi), whose real name is Sandy Boets, started her career as teenager together with Sergio in the dance groupe Touch of Joy. Both Sergio and Xandee went solo but didn’t reach the success they had before. Last year they decided to reunite again as Touch of Joy. One Life is written by Dirk and Marc Paelinck, who also wrote the Belgian song for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2002, Sister, performed by Sergio. Xandee will sing for Belgium on May 15 in Istanbul. The twenty-five year old singer from the group Touch of Joy won the Belgian Eurosong contest. With One Life, she scored 50 points, beating second placed Natalia, and Barbara Dex in third. Xandee was the winner of the first of four Eurosong semi finals. Sergio, who represented Belgium in 2002 will once again travel to Eurovision, this time as Xandee's manager.













	The Singer Xandee seems to be Belgium's version of Sinitta. Managed by a bloke called Sergio who has also appeared fro Belgium at the ESC, Xandee seems little more than a homespun marketing ploy. She's done nudey pics to promote an album, one example of which is pictured right. Her dance routine is very much in part down to Sertab, but she did put in a good live performance in the pre-selection. When she does actually wear clothes she has a penchant for bright red. Ooh Lady in Red...Is not dancing with Chris de Burgh cheek to cheek (who would).












	The Past Fud and Bob took turns early on to fail miserably, and it took foetus Sandra Kim to finally put Belgium on the map in 1985. Before 1985, Belgium had been a tiny principality whose main export was cartoon stills, monk beer, and tortoiseshell rimmed eyeglasses. Since then they got their teeth into chocolate too. More appropriate mid-table obscurity followed though, until last year's surprising 2nd place for Urban Trad, again going to show that it only takes a peculiar dance routine to get close to winning Eurovision.



	The Song Well, I spotted it well before the Belgian pre-selection, and now it's got to the final, it will need to be a damn good show-stopping performance to challenge it. If it wins, it will be a European "dance floor" hit, though not in the UK (apart from parts of Essex and Berkshire). The backing dancers are interesting in a red-jumpsuited buffoons doing a shagging routine type of way. Oh and one of them looks like Mr T's monged younger brother.




	Overall Derided by the serious fringe of ESC lunacy, I'm willing to give Xandee a break, if only for the reason that she's willing to give her arse an airing. The song pales into insignificance next to that rear, but could it could well win, blatant pornography or no blatant pornography. Belgium have started in 13th singing position once before...when they won their only Eurovision crown. Will history repeat itself? . In a Nutshell "She's got a clear crack at it"

One Life

Lift me up, take me down
You can turn my world around
I can hear what people say
It doesn't matter anyway

We're not the same but so much alike
You are my brother, my sister tonight
We've got...

One life, living together
In one life, let us be free
One life, you take my troubles away
Light up my day

You came here in the night
Took the worries off your mind
In your eyes I need your skin
I feel the pain you're in