Jeangu Macrooy

BIOGRAPHY

The seeds for Jeangu Macrooy’s musical journey (Paramaribo, 1993) are planted when he receives a guitar from his parents at age thirteen. Shortly thereafter, a musical duo is formed with his twin brother Xillan. However, Jeangu’s musical ambitions turn out to transcend the music scene in his native Suriname, leading him to move to the Netherlands in 2014. There, he enters into a musical collaboration with Perquisite, who signs him to his label Unexpected Records and becomes his producer and manager. From the moment his debut EP Brave Enough (2016) is released, Jeangu’s career finds itself on the fast track. He is named 3FM Talent, performs as the supporting act for Blaudzun and Selah Sue, is a recurring guest on Dutch national television talk show De Wereld Draait Door, plays at Eurosonic Noorderslag and is nominated for Best New Artist at the Edison Pop Awards (Dutch Grammys).

Jeangu’s soulful debut album High on You (2017) is nominated for Best New Album at the Edison Pop Awards, taking him and his band to major live slots at Lowlands Festival and North Sea Jazz. A homecoming show in Jeangu’s native Suriname follows, after his single High On You has held the number one position in the Surinamese music charts for seven consecutive weeks. Upon returning to the Netherlands, Jeangu features in the TV production of The Passion, viewed by 3.5 million people, and does support shows for Curtis Harding and Ayo on their German tours. On his second album Horizon (2019) Jeangu showcases more musical diversity. The searching youngster has evolved into a confident artist, exploring the world, driven by curiosity and a zest for life. The album release show sells out the grand hall at Paradiso in Amsterdam and Jeangu and his band embark on a new club tour through the Netherlands.

In early 2020, Jeangu Macrooy is selected to represent the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest with his song Grow (2020). Unfortunately, Eurovision is cancelled that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic but Grow receives a lot of critical acclaim: a premiere on Dutch national television, placements in Spotify’s New Music Friday playlists in twelve countries, coverage on all major Dutch media platforms, millions of streams and views, and an entry in the Dutch charts. On March 4, 2021, exactly one year after the release of Grow, Jeangu’s new song for Eurovision, Birth Of A New Age (2021), is released. The video, directed by Kevin Osepa and partly shot in the Rijksmuseum, reaches over 1.5 million views and the song is positively reviewed by The New York Times.

Jeangu Macrooy’s third studio album “Summer Moon” (2022), created with producer Bud Kolk, was released on November 11, 2022. This is his most candid album to date. While “Summer Moon” partially returns to the soulful sound of his debut album “High On You,” electronic influences are also evident. The album is nominated for an Edison Award in the Soul/R&B/Funk category. In March 2023, he releases the single “Space,” which is declared a TopSong by NPO Radio 2. Later that year, the “Summer Moon Tour” takes place, a club tour across the country focused on the latest album.

In late 2023, it was announced that Jeangu will portray the role of Jesus in the rock musical “Jesus Christ Superstar.” The theater spectacle runs from January 2024 to September 2024.

Website: jeangumacrooy.com

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