Marcha
Encyclopedia
Marcha also known as Marga Bult, is a Dutch
singer and television presenter, who has been a member of the groups Tulip, Babe and Dutch Divas and is also known for her participation in the 1987 Eurovision Song Contest
.
singer Marianne Wolsink to form the duo Tulip. They had only released two singles however when, in 1981, Marcha was chosen from over 200 candidates as the replacement for the departing lead singer Gemma van Eck in girl group
Babe, who had established themselves since 1979 as regular chart performers, with six top 30 singles in the Netherlands. Known as Marga Bult during this time, she recorded two albums and 14 singles with Babe, and toured extensively across Europe and Asia, before the group disbanded in June 1986.
to be the Dutch singer for that year's Eurovision Song Contest, and in a selection of six songs, "Rechtop in de wind
" ("Upright In the Wind") was chosen by regional juries as the country's entry. At the 1987 Eurovision
, held on 9 April in Brussels
, "Rechtop in de wind" finished in joint fifth place of 22 entries. Marcha's appearance in Brussels is fondly remembered by Eurovision fans for her classic 1980s outfit and big hair
.
and Sandra Reemer
to form the Dutch Divas, who quickly established themselves as a popular live act, particularly with the Dutch gay community. Reemer left the group in 2005 and was replaced briefly by another Eurovision performer, Justine Pelmelay
, who remained with the group for a year, since when Marcha and MacNeal have continued as a duo.
In 2010 she still performs as a solo artist. Besides her performances she is also a regular presenter for the regional broadcasting company RTV Oost
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
singer and television presenter, who has been a member of the groups Tulip, Babe and Dutch Divas and is also known for her participation in the 1987 Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
.
Tulip and Babe
In 1979, Marcha joined forces with former Teach-InTeach-In
Teach-In was a Dutch band, best known for winning Eurovision Song Contest 1975 with the song Ding-A-Dong. The band was founded in 1969 and parted in 1980. Throughout this time there were several changes in lineup.-History:...
singer Marianne Wolsink to form the duo Tulip. They had only released two singles however when, in 1981, Marcha was chosen from over 200 candidates as the replacement for the departing lead singer Gemma van Eck in girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
Babe, who had established themselves since 1979 as regular chart performers, with six top 30 singles in the Netherlands. Known as Marga Bult during this time, she recorded two albums and 14 singles with Babe, and toured extensively across Europe and Asia, before the group disbanded in June 1986.
Eurovision
In 1987, as a solo artist, Marcha was chosen by broadcaster NOSNederlandse Omroep Stichting
The Nederlandse Omroep Stichting , English: Netherlands Broadcasting Foundation, is one of the broadcasters in the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system...
to be the Dutch singer for that year's Eurovision Song Contest, and in a selection of six songs, "Rechtop in de wind
Rechtop In De Wind
"Rechtop in de wind" was the Dutch entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1987, performed in Dutch by Marcha.The song is a dramatic ballad, sung from the perspective of a woman whose relationship has just ended...
" ("Upright In the Wind") was chosen by regional juries as the country's entry. At the 1987 Eurovision
Eurovision Song Contest 1987
The Eurovision Song Contest 1987 was the 32nd Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 9 May 1987 in Brussels, Belgium after Sandra Kim's win the previous year. The presenter was Viktor Lazlo. Johnny Logan was the winner for Ireland with the song "Hold Me Now"...
, held on 9 April in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, "Rechtop in de wind" finished in joint fifth place of 22 entries. Marcha's appearance in Brussels is fondly remembered by Eurovision fans for her classic 1980s outfit and big hair
Big hair
thumb|[[Dolly Parton]] in 1983.Big hair is a term that can refer to hairstyles that emphasize large volume or largely styled hair, especially when those styles make the hair occupy a large amount of space above and around the head...
.
Later career
In the 1990s Marcha moved into television presenting, working on shows for several Dutch channels. In 2000, she joined fellow Dutch Eurovision veterans Maggie MacNealMaggie macneal
Maggie MacNeal is a Dutch singer.-Biography:After her first solo record in 1971, she teamed up with Willem Duyn, and the duo became known as Mouth & MacNeal...
and Sandra Reemer
Sandra Reemer
Barbara Alexandra "Sandra" Reemer is a Dutch Indo singer of Dutch, Chinese and Javanese extraction...
to form the Dutch Divas, who quickly established themselves as a popular live act, particularly with the Dutch gay community. Reemer left the group in 2005 and was replaced briefly by another Eurovision performer, Justine Pelmelay
Justine Pelmelay
Justine Pelmelay is a singer who represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1989. Her entry, "Blijf zoals je bent" was placed fifteenth out of the 22 participating songs...
, who remained with the group for a year, since when Marcha and MacNeal have continued as a duo.
In 2010 she still performs as a solo artist. Besides her performances she is also a regular presenter for the regional broadcasting company RTV Oost