Austria
Sara De Blue (born on 22nd May, 1990 in Mittersill/ Salzburg, as Sara Koell) is an Austrian singer and songwriter. Her stage name derives from her melancholic, orchestral mystical sound, her eyes and blue hair. Sara plays the piano, flute and drums and uses live – looping.
At the age of 13, Sara de Blue started singing in bands and won several band contests like Spark 7. In 2011, she graduated from the University of Education Tyrol with a bachelor's degree in Music Education and English. Three years later, she completed a study course in jazz – vocals with Aja Zischg as well as in improvisation music, dance and acting at the Tyrolean Music Conservatory. In 2019, she completed with honors her Pedagogical-Bachelor degree in jazz vocals and EMP at the famous Anton Bruckner University Linz.
Sara de Blue became famous as the winner of the Youtube - Voting at Austria's singing competition The Voice 2011. She was the first Austrian woman to sing the new national anthem at the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games 2012 in Innsbruck. Two years later, she became the first Tyrolean of 15,000 applicants in the Top 40 of the famous german TV Show The Voice Germany, and reached the last round before the final live show.
In early 2016, she was nominated by the Austrian TV station ORF as a Eurovision Song Contest Wild Card candidate and released the song Closer To The Sun with DJ Phillip Van Het Velt. Two years later, Sara took part in the Eurovision Song Contest National Preselection named 1 in 360, qualifying for the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. She went second out of 1050 international contestants with her song Out Of The Twilight, and reached a huge amount of views on Youtube and Spotify.
In the spring of 2019 she was invited to the ORF TV show Dancing Stars as a guest singer, and performed together with the Dancing Stars Orchestra. She also performed at the Life Ball, which is the biggest TV event in Austria, with the electro-swing DJ group Cirque De La Nuit, including the famous DJ`s Troy Savoy and Harvey Miller.
De Blue was a member of Austria’s most famous radio station Ö3 Airplay Newcomer Band, Sunrise16 together with Eurovision singer Nadine Beiler. She has collaborated with famous singers, composers and producers from Austria and Germany.
The Golden Stag trivia...
1. How and when did you discover your passion for music?
I come from a family with a huge artistic and musical background, my mum and dad are both classical singers, one of my grandfathers was a singer, music teacher and a choir conductor and my other grandfather was a painter. When I was a kid my mum made me listen to classical music like Beethoven, but also Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston. We sang those tunes all day long and I was allowed to play at my grandfathers piano. Our neighbors where from Vietnam, they looked after me when I was a kid, we watched MTV all day long, and danced. So I felt in love with singing and making music. Later I got my first recording machine and I received main singing roles in musicals in kindergarten, primary school and high school. And then it continued with singing/dancing competitions and I had my first single release at a label when I was 18 (we were in the album charts in Austria), and I shot my first music video in London.
2. Define your musical style in one phrase.
Imagine Evanescence, Queen, Sia, Loreen, Aaliyah and James Bond would have a child together :)!
3. Favorite musicians.
Queen, Toto, Evanescence, Sia, Loreen, Florence and The Machine, Billie Eilish, George Michael, Sting, Aaliyah, Beyonce, Muse.
4. What do you prefer to read / eat/do in your spare time.
I like reading the news, insta story`s of my friends :), good song lyrics, good books.
My favourite dish is chicken salad and the Austrian special meal Schlipfkrapfen - pasta pastry with potato stuffing, a little bit similar to the Chinese wan tan, it`s very good! If I have time, I also love to paint on canvas, do exhibitions of my paintings, design and sew clothes, make up and style my friends, ride on my snowboard and I love to chill and watch Disney movies on the couch, I love Disney :)!
5. If not a singer, then you would be a ...
Something creative: either a painting artist, make up artist, stylist/designer or a professional snowboarder :).
6. How do you define happiness?
If you are in harmony with yourself, happiness exists. I`m happy when I can laugh with my friends and family they take you down to earth and you feel grounded. I`m happy when I have the feeling that my students are making a huge progress in singing and I can teach them my techniques and experiences. I feel happy when I can help somebody with something.
7. Your motto for this Festival.
We're all in the same boat: we all love music, music is our language, music brings us together!
