Michael Cretu

Early Life

Michael Cretu was born on May 18, 1957, in Bucharest, Romania, to a Romanian father and an Austrian mother. His musical journey began early; in 1965, he started studying piano and classical music at Colegiul Tehnic Nr. 2 in Bucharest. By 1968, he had moved to Paris for further studies, where he was inspired to pursue a career in pop music after hearing The Beatles' "Golden Slumbers." Despite his mother's concerns about the instability of a music career, Cretu relocated to West Germany in 1975, where he graduated from the Academy of Music in Frankfurt in 1978 with a degree in musical composition.

Career

Cretu's professional career took off after he graduated, initially working as a session musician in West Germany. He played keyboards for producer Frank Farian, contributing to hits like Boney M's "Rivers of Babylon." In 1981, he co-founded the new wave band Moti Special, achieving success with their debut album, "Motivation," in 1985. Cretu's solo career began with the release of his first album, "Moon, Light & Flowers," in 1979, followed by several other albums, including "Legionäre" and "Die Chinesische Mauer." His most notable achievement came in 1990 when he founded the musical project Enigma, which gained worldwide fame for its unique blend of electronic music and world sounds.

Personal Life

Cretu married pop singer Sandra on January 7, 1988, and they had twin sons in July 1995. The family lived in Ibiza, Spain, where they also operated A.R.T. Studios, the production site for Enigma albums. However, the couple divorced in 2007, and their Ibiza home was demolished in 2009 following a legal dispute. Cretu later remarried and, as of 2017, resides in Munich. Known for his low profile, he rarely gives interviews and avoids concert tours, while also being fluent in four languages.