Sandy (singer)

Sandy Leah Lima (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈsɐ̃dʒi ˈlɛa ˈlimɐ], born January 28, 1983), known mononymously as Sandy, is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Campinas, she rose to fame in the early 1990s alongside her brother Junior Lima, as a member of pop duo Sandy & Junior. They performed as a duo from 1990 until 2007. Following the disbandment of the duo in December 2007, she released her debut solo studio album, Manuscrito (2010), which spawned two singles: "Pés Cansados" and "Quem Eu Sou". The album was certified platinum by the Associação Brasileira de Produtores de Discos (ABPD), and earned her three nominations at the 16th VMB (MTV Video Music Brazil). She released her second studio album, Sim, in 2013, which spawned the singles "Aquela Dos 30", "Escolho Você", and "Morada". The album reached number nine in Brazil.

Sandy has also transitioned into acting. In 1997 she made her film debut at O Noviço Rebelde, followed by AcQuária (2003), Mato Sem Cachorro (2013) and Quando Eu Era Vivo (2014). Sandy has earned numerous awards and accolades, including six Prêmio Multishow, six Capricho Awards, three Melhores do Ano (Rede Globo awards), and one Latin Grammy Award nomination. To date, Sandy has sold over 20 million albums. She is also considered one of the most popular celebrities in Brazil by Forbes Magazine.

Sandy was born to Noely Pereira and singer Durval de Lima, better known for his stage name, Xororó. She was named after the main character of Grease, the movie her parents watched together the day they started dating. She has one younger brother, Junior.

1990–2007: Sandy & Junior

Sandy performing live in 2007.

Sandy & Junior performed as a duo for the first time in 1989 in Brazil. In 1990, they recorded their first album, Aniversário do Tatu which sold 300,000 copies in Brazil. As a duo, Sandy and Junior released 12 studio albums and 4 live albums, selling over 20 million copies worldwide. The album Sandy & Junior (2006) was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the category "Best Contemporary Pop Album".

Sandy's first solo recording was a feature on Andrea Bocelli's "Vivo Por Ella" that was released in 1997, peaking at number one on the Brazilian Hot 100 chart. Sandy twice won the Multishow Award for Best Singer, and on several occasions she won the prize sponsored by Nickelodeon (TV channel) in the category of "Best Singer". When she was 13 years old, she participated in a special tribute to the singer Elis Regina, broadcast by Rede Globo. After this presentation, Sandy partnered with Pedro Mariano (son of Elis), Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso, and Marcelo Bratke, among other renowned singers and musicians of Brazilian popular music.

Of the important moments in her career, several stand out: a show in João Pessoa (2001) to over 1.2 million people, Rock in Rio III, along with her brother, and a concert in Maracanã (which gave rise to a CD and DVD). She has partnered with great names in international music, such as Andrea Bocelli, who sang a duet on the song "Vivo por Ella"; Enrique Iglesias, singing "You're My #1"; and in 2006, with Taboo from The Black Eyed Peas.

Sandy and her brother announced they were parting company in early 2007, to pursue solo careers. The pair toured Brazil in a large farewell tour later that year. In 2007, Sandy made her first solo tour with a repertoire that included songs by Tom Jobim, Ira and George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Arthur Hamilton, among others. Besides singing, Sandy also wrote the musical direction of the show, alongside bassist Chico Willcox. She then recorded the project "Piano and Voice", with pianist Marcelo Bratke.

2008–2011: Solo debut with Manuscrito and Manuscrito Ao Vivo

Sandy performing at the Manuscrito Tour in Curitiba

In November 2008, Sandy made a performance of the song "E o Mundo Não se Acabou" at the 9th Latin Grammy Awards. In May 2009, she reached the charts in Canada with the single "Scandal". On May 26, 2009, Sandy sang "As canções que você fez para mim" in the show Elas cantam Roberto, in tribute to the 50-year career of Roberto Carlos, which is available on CD and DVD. In August, Sandy made a solo appearance at Criança Esperança (Children's Hope), singing the song "Ciranda da Bailarina", by Chico Buarque, with young dancers and students of the veteran ballerina Ana Botafogo. On November 22, 2009, Sandy sang with Jason Mraz at the Natura Nos About Us Festival in São Paulo.

In March 2010, Sandy was chosen Woman of the Year from the Women of the Decade, by the readers of Contigo magazine. Since 1999, Sandy has been listed as one of the 100 Sexiest Women in Brazil in several editions of VIP magazine.

In May 2010, Sandy released her debut solo album, Manuscrito ("Manuscript"), which went platinum certificate in Brazil. The album spawned the singles "Pés Cansados" and "Quem Eu Sou". One of the album's tracks ("Dias Iguais") features the British singer Nerina Pallot. When asked about an international career, Sandy noted: "I'm satisfied with Brazil. This is my place. Some think an international career is just one more step and others think it's the big chance of life, but I don't have time to plan an international career." Sandy toured Brazil with the Manuscrito Tour, and later released the live CD/DVD/Blu-ray Manuscrito Ao Vivo with all the songs toured, plus the appearance of singers Lenine, Seu Jorge and British singer-songwriter Nerina Pallot. The album was certified gold in Brazil.

In 2011 she took place on Projeto Covers part of the Banco do Brasil sponsored project, Circuito Cultural. Her show was fully made of Michael Jackson cover songs, which she described as an idol an inspiration. "Michael was part of my childhood. His musical talent was unquestionable. I think of him as a legend: immortal. He will be forever in history," she said. The tour Sandy Canta Michael Jackson had 10 sold-out concerts and was voted as best Brazilian concert of 2011 by Folha de S. Paulo.

2012–present: Sim, Superstar and Meu Canto

Sandy during her Meu Canto tour in São Paulo, 2016.

In November 2012, she released her first EP, Princípios, Meios e Fins ("Principles, Means and Endings"). To promote the album, the song Aquela dos 30 was released as a single, due to the proximity of her 30th birthday. A video for the song was released on November 11, 2012.

In June 2013 Sandy released her 2nd solo album, Sim ("Yes"), featuring the five tracks previously released on the EP and five new tracks, all co-written by her. The album reached Top 10 in the Billboard Brazil albums chart and the song Escolho Você was released as a second single, with a music video released on her VEVO account. The "Sim" tour took place in 2013 and 2014, with songs from her two previous albums and some from her Sandy & Junior albums. The last show was on May 23, 2014, when she was eight months pregnant with her first child with husband Lucas Scholles Lima.

In April 2015, Sandy was hired to replace Ivete Sangalo as a judge for the second season of the musical reality show "Superstar", joining Thiaguinho and Paulo Ricardo. Her final rock band act, Versalle, was named the runner-up of the season.

In July, Sandy announces her new tour and also the recording of her second live album. On November 14 and 15, 2015 Sandy recorded her second live CD and DVD at the Theatro Municipal de Niterói. Meu Canto - Ao Vivo, her second solo live album, was released on June, 2016, with five new songs including the smash hit single Me Espera, featuring Tiago Iorc.

Sandy's music is generally Pop, but she also incorporates folk and british pop elements into her songs. While she almost exclusively releases Portuguese songs, Sandy recorded some English and Spanish songs. Sandy is a soprano, having a vocal range spanning 3.3 octaves (from E3 to A6). She names Elis Regina as her major musical influence. Her other musical influences include John Mayer, Coldplay, Norah Jones, Damien Rice, Sarah McLachlan and jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald.

In March 2011, Sandy replaced Paris Hilton in the advertisements of Devassa beer, which caused some controversy in Brazil at the time, mostly due to the company's name (translated as 'libertine', or 'promiscuous') not matching Sandy's public image. She received $1 million to star in the advertising campaign. In 2016, Sandy launched her own line of nail polishes and lipsticks in partnership with Impala Cosmetics.

In 1999 Sandy dated her Sandy & Junior co-star, actor Paulo Vilhena. The two broke up months later due to Sandy's busy schedule at the time but have remained in good terms.

Sandy had previously dated musician Lucas Scholles Lima for five months in 1999; they resumed their relationship years later, announced their engagement in 2007, and were married on September 12, 2008. Their wedding ceremony was held in Campinas, São Paulo, Sandy's hometown, where they currently live with their son, Theo Scholles Lima (born June 24, 2014).

Sandy graduated from Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas with a degree in languages and literature, Portuguese and English, in 2008.

Solo albums

Albums from Sandy & Junior

• 1991 – Aniversário do Tatu – BRA: 300,000
• 1992 – Sábado a Noite – BRA: 400,000
• 1993 – Tô Ligado em Você – BRA: 500,000
• 1994 – Pra Dançar Com Você – BRA: 500,000
• 1995 – Você é D+ – BRA: 550,000
• 1995 - Os Grandes Sucessos de Sandy & Jr. - BRA: 300,000
• 1996 – Dig-Dig-Joy – BRA: 700,000
• 1997 – Sonho Azul – BRA: 750,000
• 1997 - Nascemos Pra Cantar - BRA: 780,000
• 1998 – Era Uma Vez (Ao Vivo) – BRA: 1,800,000
• 1999 – As Quatro Estações – BRA: 2,900,000
• 2000 – As Quatro Estações – O Show – BRA: 3,000,000
• 2000 – Todas As Estações – Remixes – BRA: 1,000,000
• 2001 – Sandy & Junior – BRA: 1,500,000
• 2002 – Internacional – BRA: 1,300,000
• 2002 – Ao Vivo no Maracanã/Internacional Extras – BRA: 450,000
• 2003 – Identidade – BRA: 600,000
• 2006 – Sandy & Junior – BRA: 250,000
• 2007 – Acústico MTV – BRA: 400,000

• O Noviço Rebelde (1997) ...as Márcia
• AcQuária (2003) ...as Sarah
• Estranho Jeito de Amar (2006) ...as Luiza
• Mato Sem Cachorro (2013) ...as herself
• Quando Eu Era Vivo (2014) ...as Bruna
• Helena (2016) ...as herself
• Sing (2016) ...as Meena (voice)

Video Solo Albums

• 2010: Documentary Tempo (special edition of Manuscrito)
• 2011: Manuscrito Ao Vivo (DVD / Blu-ray)
• 2016: Meu Canto - Ao Vivo (DVD)

From Sandy & Junior

• 1998 – Era Uma Vez (Ao Vivo)
• 2000 – As Quatro Estações – O Show
• 2002 – Ao Vivo No Maracanã
• 2003 – Acquária
• 2006 – Making of Sandy e Junior 2006 (special edition CD)
• 2007 – Acústico MTV (MTV Unplugged)

As a solo artist

• 2007: Sandy Solo Tour
• 2010–2012: Manuscrito Tour
• 2011–2012: Sandy Sings Michael Jackson (Banco do Brasil cultural project)
• 2013–2014: Sim Tour
• 2015: Teaser Tour
• 2016—present: Meu Canto Tour

Sandy & Junior tours

• 1.2 million people – João Pessoa / PB – 2001
• 1.5 million people – the U.S. (Brazilian Day) – 2006
• 800,000 people – São Paulo / SP (Show CUT) – 2004
• 250,000 people – Cabo Frio / RJ – 2001
• 250,000 people – Rio de Janeiro / RJ (Rock In Rio III) – 2001
• 200,000 people – Curitiba / PR – 2003
• 200,000 people – Mangalore / RJ – 2003
• 200,000 people – Cabo Frio / RJ – 2000
• 100,000 people – Carapicuíba / SP – 2007
• 100,000 people – São Caetano do Sul / SP – 2004
• 100,000 people – Manaus / AM – 2002