- Marco Borsato
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"Borsato" redirects here. You may also be looking for Luciano Borsato.
Marco Borsato 
Background information Birth name Marco Roberto Borsato Born December 21, 1966
Alkmaar, NetherlandsGenres Pop, Nederpop Occupations Singer, actor Years active 1990–present Website official website (Dutch) Marco Borsato (born December 21, 1966) is a Dutch singer. He started performing in Italian before switching to Dutch in 1994. He is married to Leontine Ruiters and has three children.
Contents
Biography
Marco was born in the Wilhelmina Hospital in Alkmaar as the son of Roberto Borsato and Mary de Graaf. He has a brother, Armando, and a sister, Sylvana. The family moved to Italy, where the father started up a restaurant in Garda. Marco spent a significant amount of time in Italy and speaks fluent Italian. In fact, Marco admitted that his Italian is much better than his Dutch.
When Marco was 12 years old he decided he wanted to be a sushi chef. Marco, though brought up with Italian cuisine, had a great love for raw fish bound in seaweed. When he was older he went to school during the week and he worked in a restaurant during the weekends. During his conscription he was bound to the cavalery, where he was conscripted as a NCO. Success stayed out after Marco Borsato won the Dutch Soundmixshow on April 6, 1990 with his rendition of Billy Vera's song "At This Moment." During that time he was indeed working as a chef.
Marco brought out 3 albums with Italian songs, but it wasn't until 1994 that Marco gained popularity after his first Dutch single "Dromen Zijn Bedrog" which reached number one and remained number one for 12 weeks. His second single "Waarom Nou Jij" also reached the first place in the Dutch "Top 40." [1]
Many of his songs are actually Dutch covers or adaptations of Italian songs, (for example by Riccardo Fogli, Giorgia, Riccardo Cocciante, Claudio Baglioni, Marco Masini and Zucchero). In particular, he had quite a success with an adaptation of Margherita by Riccardo Cocciante. Because the majority of Marco's songs are originally written in Italian he has recently decided to compose songs in Dutch, after which he has become far more popular.
In 2009 Marco nearly went bankrupt when his company The Entertainment Group was caught up in a web of debt. Though this is probably not a result of Marco's choice to compose dutch songs, it could have to do with the economic crisis.
Marco married his wife Leontine Ruiters and they have 3 children together Luca (1998), Senna (2001 en Jada (2002).
Other functions
Marco Borsato is an ambassador of the Dutch NGO War Child, which helps children in (post-)conflict areas to cope with their war experiences.
Awards and honours
Honours
- 2004: Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau, for services to Dutch music and his dedication for War Child Netherlands
Awards
- 1996 - 2006: Won a TMF Award, 11 times for best Dutch singer
- 1997: Edison Award, 2 times (Best Singer, Best Single of the Year)
- 1999: Golden Harp (with John Ewbank)
- 2000: Hitkrant Award, for the song Binnen ("Inside")
- 2000: Honorary Award for Best Album (Luid en duidelijk ("Loud and Clear")) and Best Singer
- 2001: Edison Award (Best Singer)
Discography
Albums
Year Album Chart positions Dutch certification
(sales)Belgian certification
(sales)NL BEL 1990 Emozioni 48 NR NR 1991 Sento - NR NR 1992 Giorno per giorno - NR NR 1994 Marco 2 2 2x Platinum
(200,000)Gold
(25,000)1995 Als geen ander 1 1 4x Platinum
(360,000)Gold
(25,000)1997 De waarheid 1 1 6x Platinum
(540,000)1x Platinum
(50,000)1998 De bestemming 1 1 5x Platinum
(450,000)Gold
(25,00)2000 Luid en duidelijk 1 1 5x Platinum
(400,000)Gold
(25,00)2002 Onderweg 1 1 3x Platinum
(280,000)3x Platinum
(150,000)2002 Onderweg: Live in De Kuip 1 2 Platinum
(80,000)2004 Zien 1 1 4x Platinum
(320,000)2004 Zien: Live in de Kuip 2004 (CD/DVD) 1 1 Platinum
(80,000)2006 Symphonica in Rosso(CD/DVD) 1 1 4x Platinum
(280,000)Gold
(15,000)2008 Wit Licht 1 1 3x Platinum
(180,000)Platinum
(30,000)2010 Dromen Durven Delen 1 - 4x Platinum Total 42x Platinum
(3,170,000)5x Platinum + 5x Gold
(345,000)- Note: In January 2006, the Dutch music association changed the status of Gold and Platinum. From 2006 on, a Platinum album is acquired with 70,000 sales (formerly 80,000).
Singles
Year Single Chart positions Album NL BEL 1990 "Emozione / At This Moment" 4 - Emozioni 1990 "Una donna cosi" 29 - Emozioni 1991 "Sento" 43 - Sento 1992 "Un po' bambino" 37 - Giorno per giorno 1994 "Dromen zijn bedrog" 1 41 Marco 1994 "Waarom nou jij" 1 4 Marco 1995 "Je hoeft niet naar huis vannacht" 9 19 Als geen ander 1995 "You've Got a Friend" (with René Froger and Ruth Jacott) 3 - - 1995 "Kom maar bij mij" 20 48 Als geen ander 1996 "Ik leef niet meer voor jou" 8 17 Als geen ander 1996 "Vrij zijn / Margherita" 3 - Als geen ander 1996 "De waarheid" 2 29 De waarheid 1997 "Wereld zonder jou" (duet with Trijntje Oosterhuis) 3 - De waarheid 1998 "De bestemming" 1 12 De bestemming 1998 "Het water / De speeltuin" 10 - De bestemming 1999 "Binnen" 1 38 Luid en duidelijk 2000 "Wat is mijn hart" 16 - Luid en duidelijk 2001 "Lopen op het water" (duet with Sita) 1 1 Onderweg 2002 "Zij" 11 12 Onderweg 2003 "Afscheid nemen bestaat niet" 1 1 Zien 2004 "Voorbij" (duet with Do) 1 2 Zien 2004 "Wat zou je doen?" (duet with Ali B) 1 - Zien: Live in de Kuip 2004 "Laat me gaan" (only released in Belgium)[2] - 29 Zien 2006 "Because We Believe" (duet with Andrea Bocelli) 1 4 Amore 2006 "Rood" 1 1 Symphonica in Rosso 2006 "Everytime I Think of You" (duet with Lucie Silvas) 1 The Same Side 2008 "Wit Licht" 1 3 Wit Licht 2008 "Stop de Tijd" 1 3 Wit Licht 2008 "Dochters" 1 23 Wit Licht 2010 "Schouder aan Schouder" (with Guus Meeuwis) 2 - Dromen Durven Delen 2010 "Waterkant" 9 50 Dromen Durven Delen 2010 "Kerstmis" 11 -* Dromen Durven Delen 2011 "Dichtbij" 29 -* - 2011 "Kom maar op" 29 -* - 2011 "One Thousand Voices" (as The Voice of Holland) 1 - - References
External links
- Borsato.nl Official PC website (Dutch)
- Borsato.mobi Official Mobile website (Dutch)
- Borsatoweblog.nl Official Borsato weblog website (Dutch)
- War Child Netherlands website (Dutch)
- War Child International website (English)
- Works by or about Marco Borsato in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
Seasons 1 (2010-2011) · 2 (2011-2012)Hosts Wendy van Dijk · Martijn KrabbéCo-Hosts Winston Gerschtanowitz (backstage)Coaches Current: Marco Borsato · Angela Groothuizen · Nick & Simon (Nick Schilder and Simon Keizer) · Roel van Velzen
Previous: Jeroen van der BoomWinners Ben SaundersRelated topics Categories:- 1966 births
- Dutch pop singers
- Dutch people of Italian descent
- The Voice judges
- Living people
- People from Alkmaar
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