What does singer Sandra look like today, who was the star of world nightclubs, then fell into the shadows due to a broken heart

The aforementioned Arabesque trio was a Soviet-Japanese fashion group: in Europe, the perky songs of the “Arabesques” did not become half as popular. But in vain – the creative heritage of the group is wonderful, and today the compositions sound fresh and provocative. Basically, it must be admitted, it is thanks to the unique and inimitable voice of Sandra Ann Lander. Originally from Saarbrücken, a Franco-German border town, she joined the trio at the age of 17 and participated in the recording of eight of the nine albums.

It was not the most pleasant job in the world – an endless tour, and even two senior colleagues from the “Arabesques” harassed the girl with “hazing” (who now remembers them, these colleagues?). But Sandra did not break down, but had an excellent concert experience – and in addition she met love, Romanian Mihai Cretu. Billed as Michael Cretu, he played with Arabesque as a keyboard player, but he wanted (and could) make completely different music.

In 1985, Sandra broke the world charts with the hit album The Long Play – it was for him that the blockbuster I`ll Never Be Maria Magdalena was sung about a girl who does not want to repent of her feelings and dreams of an even greater passion. The album was composed, arranged, produced and recorded by Michael. The couple got married and moved from Germany to Ibiza, buying a real medieval castle there and arranging security that reliably closed the privacy of new superstars from prying eyes. Sandra took her husband’s surname.

In the early 1990s, Michael Cretu presented a new high profile Enigma project which combined electronic music with Gregorian chants and folk tunes. The unusual sound and unique vibe of Enigma’s compositions secured the public’s adoration for the project. Although for a long time the creators of the compositions remained anonymous, fans recognized Sandra’s voice.

Sandra put her career on hold when, in 1995, she and Michael had twins, Nikita and Sebastian Cretu. And in 2007, the couple unexpectedly divorced. No official explanation followed, but it was rumored that Michael’s betrayals were the reason.

Divorce was a difficult ordeal for Sandra: her husband, who since youth was the closest person to her, went through everything quickly and hard. The singer did not lose the opportunity to communicate with children, but Cretu’s lawyers forbade her to appear with her sons in public and show them in any other way in public space.

Now the guys are 27 and little is known about them. Nikita lives in Holland and runs a recruiting service, while Sebastian works in registration.

After her divorce from Michael, Sandra reappeared on stage – she was often invited to the events of the “stars of the 90s” which were gaining popularity at that time. Fans couldn’t help noticing how much the star changed – she recovered, her face became swollen. The singer has denied any suspicion of alcohol abuse, explaining the excess weight and swelling with hormone therapy, which she uses to treat an old joint injury.

Sandra blossomed again after meeting Olaf Menges at a party with friends. She married him and again changed her surname; the couple settled in Sandra’s castle in Ibiza, and the singer seemed to break through – she tirelessly talked about her deceased true love, comparing Olaf and Michael (not in favor of the latter). The new husband became the singer’s new producer, but that did not bring her back to the current stage, and in 2014 Menges was waiting for a door turn.

Sandra also did not explain the reasons for the second divorce, simply removing Olaf from life. She took the double surname Lander-Kretu and locked herself in the castle again, seeing only her children and a few close friends. She released her last album so far in 2019, and it didn’t become a sensation.

The singer continues to perform occasionally in nostalgic discos and periodically comes into contact with fans. One of these photos from an online dating recently made the rounds of the web: this is what Sandra looks like today, at 61 years old.

Of course, in any case, at such a mature age, Sandra, specializing in dance music, would no longer remain an active participant in the charts. But it is unfortunate that the life of a very talented performer developed in such a way that she had to take a big break from her career. After all, the stage since childhood was the singer’s main passion, and she deserved to shine on it. However, no one will take Sandra’s retro hits away from us. And, we hope that now she has a great life in paradisiacal Ibiza in a beautiful, comfortable castle.

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