Goombay Dance Band
- Alicia Bendt
- Dorothy Hellings
- Wendy Doorsen
- Mario Slijngaard
Based in Norderstedt Goombay Dance Band was founded in the 1970s by Oliver Bendt.
History
Bendt, who had sung in his childhood already in the cathedral choir, had been successful before the foundation of the Goombay Dance Band as an actor and pop singer. After spending three years in the Caribbean and were married there a native, he returned to Germany and founded the Goombay Dance Band. The band is named after a small bay on the island of St. Lucia. Besides Bendt and his wife Alicia and the children Danny and Yasmin belonged to her still at Dorothy Hellings, Wendy and Mario Doorsen Slijngaard.
With their title Sun of Jamaica, who recorded the Caribbean atmosphere of the beach and the sea combining Caribbean music with light pop sounds, the group had its breakthrough in early 1980. The single was written by the successful pop composer Ekkehard Stein and Wolfgang Jass. In no time they rose to the top of the German charts, where it stayed for nine weeks, and became the best-selling single of the year. About half a year they remained in the German Top 10, also in Austria and the Netherlands, the song went to # 1 and was in many other countries a success. To date, the song has sold nearly 11 million copies. With Aloha - Oe, Until We Meet Again, Eldorado and Rain followed until the beginning of 1981 three more hits, which all reached the Top 10 in Germany, as well as the first album magic of the Caribbean.
The greatest international success of the formation came in early 1982 with the song Seven Tears that a Jass / Stone composition was again, which was based on the eponymous folk song. In Germany already published in the summer of 1981, the song does not make it past number 13 in the UK but you conquered a new audience and made it to # 1 The Goombay Dance Band became the first English singing pop group from Germany at three weeks in succession the British charts led, and was therefore even entered the Guinness Book of World Records.
After 1982, the band made the charts disappeared, and after 1985 no singles and albums were first released. Nevertheless, they remained musically active in the following decades and in 1995 celebrated once again making a comeback in the album charts with the LP Iceland of Dreams.
The Goombay Dance Band makes up today music and continues to occur, albeit after more than 25 years, no longer in the original cast.
For their success, the group was honored with three platinum and twelve gold records.
For the 30th anniversary of the group took in 2009 a new album, titled " 30th Anniversary Collection". The title "Over the Oceans " and were "In My Dreams" released as singles from the album download. In the time of the Soccer World Cup 2010, the song " Is This the Way to the World Cup " was published.