Kizzy (entertainer)
Kizzy McHugh | |
|---|---|
 Kizzy in Manhattan | |
| Born | 14 March 1979 |
| Website | http://www.kizzy.nl |
Kizzy Yuanda Constance Getrouw (born on 14 March 1979) is a Dutch actress, singer-songwriter and television host. She performs under the artist name Kizzy McHugh. She became a household name in the Netherlands Antilles with a hit songs and TV shows. In the United States she is best known for hosting TV shows on both The Gossip Swapp on XY TV and CN8.
Early years
Kizzy was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, to a Surinamese father and an Antillean mother (Sint Eustatius). At the age of four, her family moved to the Caribbean island of Curaçao. Starting at the age of nine, she had lead roles in various televised musicals and plays, and won numerous talent competitions including De Soundmix Showand The European Caribbean Talent Contest in 1995. In the following year won the National Song Festival thus she became the representative of the Netherlands Antilles at the Caribbean Song Festival in Barbados, finishing in second place. Moreover, she performed at award shows, beauty pageants and sang the National Anthem for presidential and big sports events, including The Caribbean Olympics and the Andruw Jones Awards.
Career
Kizzy's career took off in 1997 with the success of the hit album Lamu-Lamu, which became a number one selling album in the Netherlands Antilles. She also became the host of Wie is er Nieuwsgierig? a successful kids TV show.
In 1998, Kizzy was signed to German label TMP. During the recording sessions in Majorca she was accepted at Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship. Kizzy moved to Boston, MA. Her German CD was not released. While at Berklee she studied ballet and musical theater at the Boston Conservatory, and acting at Emerson College.
In the summer of 1999 Kizzy flew to Amsterdam to host and perform at the Kwakoe Festival, the Netherlands' biggest annual multicutural festival. She recorded the official commercial that was used to promote the event and the producers of Radio Wereld Omroep in Hilversum recorded a documentary of her career that was aired on TV.
Prior to graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2003 with a degree in Performance, she was featured at the college's most prestigious concerts such as Tribute to David Bowie Commencement Concert, Singer's Showcase and The Berklee Gospel Choir. She performed as a backup vocalist for artists such as Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), Al Kooper, Grammy nominee Susan Tedeschi, and Grammy award winner Kim Burrell.
Around the same time, Kizzy appeared on the VH1 TV series Sound Affects. In addition, she was featured on the cover of The Improper Bostonian Magazine. In 2005, Kizzy became the lead singer of the Bo Winiker Orchestra with whom she performed for Bill Clinton, Glenn Close and with whom she gained critical acclaim for performing songs in Hebrew.
In 2006 she became a reporter on "The VIP" and the host of "Gossip Swap" on XYTV and in 2007 she became an entertainment reporter on Dirty Water TV. She was the face of several TV commercials and was the host and a jury memebre at the Miss Boston 2008 competition.
Kizzy McHugh moved back to the Netherlands in 2009.
In 2011 she signed a record deal.
Trivia
- Related to singer Euson
- Kizzy's name comes from her parents' inspiration of the hugely popular 1970's TV miniseries: Roots
- Chosen by The Improper Bostonian Magazine as one of 'Boston's Top Ten most eligible Bachelorettes'
Filmography
- Wie is er Nieuwsgierig? (1997)
- Sound Affects (2001)
- The VIP (2004–2006)
- The Gossip Swapp (2006)
- Dirty Water (2007–2008)
Discography
- Cocktail, Lamu - Lamu (1997)
- production: Adeed Oberoi
- Crown Records
References
- 1. The Boston Globe article
- 2. Biography
- 3. The Improper Bostonian Magazine
- 4. Berklee Today 'Berklee Today Magazine'Professional Activities of Berklee Alumni
- 5. Mallorca Magazine