Milaisa Breeveld (born 10 July 1990), known professionally as A Mili, is a Surinamese singer. She has had two chart hits in Suriname: "Omin lobi" (2014) and "Blindfolded" (2015). She won the first prize at the Open Podium Twente in 2018; later that year, she also received the Paul Smits Award, a public prize of the Popronde Amsterdam festival. During the Eurovision Song Contest 2021, she performed onstage as part of Jeangu Macrooy's rendition of "Birth of a New Age".
A Mili | |
|---|---|
 A Mili in 2022 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Milaisa Breeveld |
| Born | 10 July 1990 Paramaribo, Suriname |
| Genres | |
| Website | amili |
Early life
editMilaisa Breeveld was born in Paramaribo on 10 July 1990.[1] Her father Hans Breeveld is a political science professor.[2] Many of her family members are also well-known Surinamese, such as her aunt Lucia (pastor) and uncles Borger (actor and filmmaker), Carl (theologian and politician) and Clarence (singer and guitarist).[3]
Breeveld had begun singing at the age of four, both alone and with her father. She especially liked spirituals and blues. However, when she entered the University of Suriname, she chose to study Business Economics on her father's advice. Music, from his experience, was not the best field for financial stability; he would remind her about "stability, happiness and wisdom".[2][4]
Career
editWhile in university, Breeveld began performing with various artists. In 2012, she went to the Netherlands with reggae singer Jahsenye (Vernon Delano) and MC Olu Abena through the Artist On The Rise program for a two-week musical exchange.[5][6] In the Netherlands, she first heard the word "conservatory"; when she told her father about this, he said, "there is one here too". She then decided to follow her heart, interrupting her studies in Business Economics and entering the Conservatory of Suriname to study Voice.[7]
In 2013, together with Enver Panka and Garry Payton, Breeveld wrote and sang the theme song for the elections of the Suriname National Youth Parliament.[7] During this time, she played in a band, made jingles[8][9] and released two songs that became chart hits: "Omin lobi" (2014) and "Blindfolded" (2015).[10][11]
During a tour, Breeveld was nicknamed A Mili by dancehall artist Turbulence. In an interview, Breeveld revealed that performing as A Mili helped her to be more herself on stage, rather than being another Breeveld. Henceforth, she would tour under this stage name.[8] She had been called Mili before this as an abbreviation of her first name. As it also means "one thousand" in Sranan, she would say, "When I come, I come like a thousand men."[12]
Netherlands
editIn mid-2015, Mili decided to move to the Netherlands, and was accepted at the ArtEZ Conservatory (Popacademie) in Enschede.[4] In 2016 she won third place at the Open Podium Twente;[13] she participated again in May 2018, winning first prize this time.[4] In the same year, she also performed in front of a full house at the Booster Festival, a major festival in the Eastern Netherlands.[2] In November 2018, she won the Popronde audience award, the Paul Smits Award, at the Melkweg in Amsterdam.[14] She released her first single in the Netherlands, titled "Alone", in early 2019;[12] she released her second single, "Kom eraan" (with Mr. Weazley), in August 2019.[15]
While in Enschede, Mili met Jeangu Macrooy, who had moved from Suriname around the same time.[16] They have collaborated musically; in addition, Mili and Jeangu's twin brother Xillan Macrooy have been background singers on Jeangu's songs.[17] In 2021, the three of them, along with dancer Gil The Grid, was part of Jeangu's onstage performance for the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Ahoy Rotterdam. They performed the song "Birth of a New Age" in the final on 22 May.[18]
References
edit- ^ Breeveld, Milaisa (23 November 2017). "Bubbles of Influence". prezi.com. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- ^ a b c Tubantia, A Mili uit Enschede ‘is dope, man!’, Marjon Kok, 9 oktober 2018
- ^ "Borger Breeveld legt uit wat misging met documentaire". Starnieuws (in Dutch). 15 December 2012. Archived from the original on 29 August 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- ^ a b c Tubantia, Van Paramaribo naar Enschede: A Mili wil klinken als 1.000 man, Herman Haverkate, 24 mei 2018
- ^ "Jahsenye: A So We Do It". Dagblad Suriname (in Dutch). 23 February 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- ^ "Het 'Artist On The Rise'-Project, ontwikkeling voor Surinaamse artiesten". Dagblad Suriname (in Dutch). 6 June 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Promoactiviteiten van start voor verkiezing Nationaal Jeugdparlement". Dagblad Suriname (in Dutch). 11 November 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- ^ a b Radio 10, Interview with Milaisa Breeveld, Sidney Grunberg, 21 juni 2014
- ^ de Bruin, Hillary (1 February 2015). "Conservatorium Suriname toont hoogwaardig talent". Starnieuws. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- ^ "Shakira nummer 1 in de Top40 met 'La La La'". Starnieuws. 11 July 2014. Archived from the original on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- ^ "'Geblinddoekt' door A Mili doet het goed". Dagblad De West. 21 February 2015. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021 – via Werkgroep Caraïbische Letteren.
- ^ a b "VIDEO | A Mili uit Enschede komt met eerste single 'Alleen'". 1Twente (in Dutch). 1 March 2019. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
- ^ "Milaisa Breeveld aka A Mili is zaterdag op de derde plaats geëindigd van het het". De Ware Tijd (in Dutch). 7 August 2016. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021 – via fathh.com.
- ^ Algemeen Dagblad, Enschedese urban pop artiest A Mili wint award, Marjon Kok, 29 november 2018
- ^ "Showbiz Tori. Leuk om te weten !!". Dagblad De West (in Dutch). 19 August 2019. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021 – via fathh.com.
- ^ "Steeds meer Surinamers laten zich in het buitenland gelden". De Ware Tijd (in Dutch). 17 October 2015. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021 – via fathh.com.
- ^ "Xillan Macrooy lanceert solocarrière". De Ware Tijd (in Dutch). 31 March 2019. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021 – via fathh.com.
- ^ Kuyper, Amanda (15 May 2021). "Naast alle symboliek is er bij Jeangu Macrooy op de repetitie die onfeilbare zang". NRC (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 15 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.