Overview

Barbara Alexandra "Sandra" Reemer (17 October 1950 – 6 June 2017) was a Dutch pop singer and television presenter of mixed heritage. Born in Bandung on the island of Java in Indonesia, she became known in the Netherlands for her music career and later for work in broadcasting. Her ancestry included Dutch, Chinese and Javanese roots, a background that informed her public persona and appealed to a diverse audience.

Career and musical highlights

Reemer launched her career in the late 1960s and recorded in Dutch and English, performing pop and easy-listening material that was popular on radio and television. She is most famous for representing the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest on three separate occasions, a record number of appearances for a Dutch performer which tied her with Corry Brokken. Her Eurovision entries include a bestselling 1972 duet and two later solo appearances.

  • 1972: Duet "Als het om de liefde gaat" with Dries Holten — the pairing finished in the top ranks of the contest and brought wider recognition to both singers.
  • 1976 and 1979: Reemer returned as a solo artist; these entries kept her in the public eye and demonstrated her staying power on the national stage, though they did not match the commercial impact of her earlier hit.

Television and public life

Beyond singing, Sandra Reemer worked as a television presenter and personality. She hosted music and entertainment programs in the Netherlands, served as a familiar face at Dutch broadcasts, and remained active in show business for many years. Her multicultural background and approachable manner helped her connect with viewers across generations.

Legacy and later years

Reemer is remembered for her contributions to Dutch popular music and television and for being one of the country's most frequent Eurovision representatives. Her career illustrated the role of post‑war migration and multicultural identities in the Netherlands' cultural life. In later years she faced illness and died on 6 June 2017 in Amsterdam after battling breast cancer, at the age of 66.

Notable facts:

  1. Full name: Barbara Alexandra Reemer, widely known as Sandra Reemer.
  2. Tied record for most Eurovision appearances representing the Netherlands.
  3. Worked successfully in both music and television over several decades.