Dan Balan
Encyclopedia
Dan Mihai Bălan is a Moldavian singer, songwriter
, and producer
. He was born to Mihai Bălan
and Ludmila Bălan, a TV presenter. Dan Bălan has performed eurodance
and commercially pop music
. Bălan is best known for his part in the eurodance music trio O-Zone
, which led to international fame with the hit single "Dragostea din tei
".
band.In 2001they moved in Romania were in 2002 they signed with Cat Music a major Romanian label. Their single "Despre tine" reached first place on the "Romanian Top 100 single Chart".
Mainly singing eurodance
music using Romanian language
, and especially famous due to the hit-single "Dragostea din tei
" (translates to Love among the Linden Trees), a summer hit
off the album DiscO-Zone
. Dragostea Din Tei reached #1 position in many single charts in Europe
around 2003 and 2004, and was placed third in the UK
's Single Chart. Another single called "Despre Tine
" ("about you") from the same album had similar success across Europe.
Converse to its multi-platinum status in Europe
, O-Zone
never the charts in the United States
. Because of the Numa Numa Dance, "Dragostea Din Tei" had a burst of popularity in the United States. While the song received moderate to major airplay, and was sampled in Rihanna and TI's hit "Live Your Life", most Americans never knew who the group was or the original song's name. In January 2005, the trio split to pursue solo careers.
in 2005. Although Dan wrote the compositions prior to the formation of his band, it took two years to get a signature sound and their own captivating style. He asked producer Jack Joseph Puig
(John Mayer
, Sheryl Crow
, No Doubt
, The Black Crows, Rolling Stones) to produce the record. An album was recorded in April/June 2006 at Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles.
, with an 'Eurodance flavoured song "Crazy Loop (Mm-ma-ma)"'.
The video was directed by Marc Klasfeld
, was released throughout Europe in the fall of 2007 and was voted the song of the year by fans, not including Romania. In 2011, the single was featured on Step Evolution's "ReRave" game for the iOS, Android and Arcade platforms. In December 2007, Dan also released the 'Crazy Loop' album entitled The Power of Shower
. The song "Crazy Loop (Mm-ma-ma)" reached number one on the Romanian charts more than a month. In 2008 he released the video for the second song "Joanna (Shut Up!)".
", his first single under the name Dan Balan, featuring American Katie DiCicco. It became an instant hit in many European countries and hit #37 in Germany and #44 in UK Singles Chart
and number 1 in Russia and Greece (in Greece, this song was released with the Greek singer Eleni Foureira, performing the song during the 2010 MAD VMAs/MAD Video Music Awards). Like Crazy Loop, the single was featured on Step Evolution's "ReRave" game for the iOS, Android and Arcade platforms.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. He was born to Mihai Bălan
Mihai Bălan
Mihai Bălan is a diplomat from the Republic of Moldova. He is the ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to Greece. Mihai Bălan was the Foreign Policy Advisor to the President of Moldova .-Biography:...
and Ludmila Bălan, a TV presenter. Dan Bălan has performed eurodance
Eurodance
Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
and commercially pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
. Bălan is best known for his part in the eurodance music trio O-Zone
O-Zone
O-Zone was a Romania/Moldovan pop music trio that was active from 1998 to 2005 and consisted of Dan Bălan, Radu Sîrbu, and Arsenie Todiraş. The group gained global popularity with their song "Dragostea din tei" and their subsequent album DiscO-Zone....
, which led to international fame with the hit single "Dragostea din tei
Dragostea din tei
"Dragostea din tei" , also informally known as "The Numa Numa Song" , is the most successful single by the Moldovan pop group O-Zone, sung in Romanian. It shot to the number one spot on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it remained for 12 weeks between June and early September 2004...
".
O-Zone
The group was started by Dan Bălan in 1998 with Petru Jelihovschi. They released their first album, Dar unde esti? (meaning "But, Where are you?") in 1999. However, for Petru music was just the main hobby so the group split up. Bălan was determined not to end the project though, so he opened auditions where he met Arsenie Todiraş ( or Arsenium ). Though skeptical of Arsenie's talents, Bălan accepted Arsenie into the group after he performed Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender". A couple of weeks later Radu Sirbu took part at the auditions and Bălan found out there are three guys ready for success. They've formed the official O-ZoneO-Zone
O-Zone was a Romania/Moldovan pop music trio that was active from 1998 to 2005 and consisted of Dan Bălan, Radu Sîrbu, and Arsenie Todiraş. The group gained global popularity with their song "Dragostea din tei" and their subsequent album DiscO-Zone....
band.In 2001they moved in Romania were in 2002 they signed with Cat Music a major Romanian label. Their single "Despre tine" reached first place on the "Romanian Top 100 single Chart".
Mainly singing eurodance
Eurodance
Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
music using Romanian language
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
, and especially famous due to the hit-single "Dragostea din tei
Dragostea din tei
"Dragostea din tei" , also informally known as "The Numa Numa Song" , is the most successful single by the Moldovan pop group O-Zone, sung in Romanian. It shot to the number one spot on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it remained for 12 weeks between June and early September 2004...
" (translates to Love among the Linden Trees), a summer hit
Summer hit
A summer hit is a term in entertainment industry which refers to a title released and peaked in its popularity during summer and often later quickly faded away..Rick Lyman, a culture reporter for The New York Times, wrote:...
off the album DiscO-Zone
DiscO-Zone
DiscO-Zone is the third and final album that was produced and released by the Moldovan band O-Zone. It was first released on June 6, 2004 in multiple countries throughout Europe under the label Polydor Records...
. Dragostea Din Tei reached #1 position in many single charts in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
around 2003 and 2004, and was placed third in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Single Chart. Another single called "Despre Tine
Despre Tine
"Despre tine" is the third single release from O-Zone's second album Number 1, and came back in their last album, DiscO-Zone. Following up their 2004 summer hit "Dragostea din tei", "Despre tine" proved to be a smaller hit than its predecessor, but a big enough one to make number one in several...
" ("about you") from the same album had similar success across Europe.
Converse to its multi-platinum status in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, O-Zone
O-Zone
O-Zone was a Romania/Moldovan pop music trio that was active from 1998 to 2005 and consisted of Dan Bălan, Radu Sîrbu, and Arsenie Todiraş. The group gained global popularity with their song "Dragostea din tei" and their subsequent album DiscO-Zone....
never the charts in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Because of the Numa Numa Dance, "Dragostea Din Tei" had a burst of popularity in the United States. While the song received moderate to major airplay, and was sampled in Rihanna and TI's hit "Live Your Life", most Americans never knew who the group was or the original song's name. In January 2005, the trio split to pursue solo careers.
Development in Los Angeles
In 2004, Bălan decided to venture closer to his rock roots. He chose the best musicians in his region and moved with them to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 2005. Although Dan wrote the compositions prior to the formation of his band, it took two years to get a signature sound and their own captivating style. He asked producer Jack Joseph Puig
Jack Joseph Puig
Jack Joseph Puig is a Grammy Award-winning music engineer and producer with a long track record of successful productions, including the mid-1990s production of Tonic. Puig also worked with Hole, Jellyfish, The Black Crowes, John Mayer, Weezer, Fiona Apple, Green Day, The Counting Crows, No Doubt,...
(John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
, Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
, No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
, The Black Crows, Rolling Stones) to produce the record. An album was recorded in April/June 2006 at Ocean Way Studios in Los Angeles.
Crazy Loop
In 2006, Bălan introduced an alter ego-character, Crazy LoopCrazy Loop
Crazy Loop is a character created by Dan Bălan, former leader of the band O-Zone. The character has been introduced to the world with the song "Mm-ma-ma". The music video, directed by Marc Klasfeld, was filmed in Los Angeles and released throughout Europe the week of October 15, 2007. It was...
, with an 'Eurodance flavoured song "Crazy Loop (Mm-ma-ma)"'.
The video was directed by Marc Klasfeld
Marc Klasfeld
Marc Klasfeld is an American music video director. He has directed over two hundred music videos for artists such as Katy Perry, Jay-Z, Kid Rock, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nelly, Foo Fighters, Jewel, Sum 41, Avril Lavigne and many others with multiple MTV award wins and nominations...
, was released throughout Europe in the fall of 2007 and was voted the song of the year by fans, not including Romania. In 2011, the single was featured on Step Evolution's "ReRave" game for the iOS, Android and Arcade platforms. In December 2007, Dan also released the 'Crazy Loop' album entitled The Power of Shower
The Power of Shower
The Power of Shower is the first full-length studio album from Dan Bălan's Crazy Loop act. The album was released on December 2, 2007. He is best known for being part of the O-Zone pop band....
. The song "Crazy Loop (Mm-ma-ma)" reached number one on the Romanian charts more than a month. In 2008 he released the video for the second song "Joanna (Shut Up!)".
Chica Bomb
In 2010, he released "Chica BombChica Bomb
-Charts:...
", his first single under the name Dan Balan, featuring American Katie DiCicco. It became an instant hit in many European countries and hit #37 in Germany and #44 in UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
and number 1 in Russia and Greece (in Greece, this song was released with the Greek singer Eleni Foureira, performing the song during the 2010 MAD VMAs/MAD Video Music Awards). Like Crazy Loop, the single was featured on Step Evolution's "ReRave" game for the iOS, Android and Arcade platforms.
Justify Sex
Justify Sex is a eurodance/electro house song presented on July 31, in Moscow, at the "Europe Plus Live 2010" festival, . The official video for Justify Sex was released on 10-13-2010 on http://www.justifysex.com. Once again, NY Based Katie DiCicco is the Vocalist.Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GR Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
TR Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... |
RUS Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
AUT Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
GER Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
DK Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
AUS Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
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| 2010 | "Chica Bomb Chica Bomb -Charts:... " |
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| "Лепестками слёз" ("Lepestkami slyoz") (feat. Vera Brezhneva Vera Brezhneva Vira Viktorivna Halushka , better known by her stage name Vera Brezhneva , is a Ukrainian pop-singer and television presenter.- Family :... ) |
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| 2011 | "Freedom" | |
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| "Лишь до утра" ("Lish do utra") | |
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External links
- Dan Bălan's official website
- Dan Bălan's official page at FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
website - Dan Bălan's official page at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
website - Dan Bălan's official page at FlickrFlickrFlickr is an image hosting and video hosting website, web services suite, and online community that was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. In addition to being a popular website for users to share and embed personal photographs, the service is widely used by bloggers to...
website - Dan Bălan's official page at TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
website - Crazy Loop's official website
- Dan Balan Official Fan Club