Life After Junior Eurovision: Kisses from The Netherlands

27 January 2017 at 17:00 CET
The Netherlands, alongside Belarus are the only two countries that have participated in every single Junior Eurovision Song Contest since it started in 2003. In 2016 the group Kisses represented The Netherlands with the song Kisses and Dancin'. Throughout the week of rehearsals the three girls made their presence felt in Malta and finished a very respectable eighth on the night. We spoke to the girls to learn more about their experience at Junior Eurovision 2016.

Kisses is a Dutch girl band with three girls; Stefania, Kymora and Sterre. Together they performed their song Kisses & Dancin’ in Junior Eurovision 2016. The entry was an upbeat song about making everyone around the world happy through music.

Stefania

Stefania has just turned 14 and speaks Dutch and Greek. Before she auditioned for the Dutch Junior Song Contest, she competed in The Voice Kids and she sang in a famous Dutch children’s choir with her band member Sterre. A funny fact about Stefania is that her favourite food is octopus.

  • What have you been up to since the contest?

We have had a number of performances, made vlogs and received lots of great feedback from our fans. School has started again so I had to return to lessons but I still sing a lot and there are many nice things to come. 

  • What is your favourite memory from the week? 

Being together with all the other candidates, it's like one big family and being with our Junior Eurovision Song Contest team from The Netherlands, I miss them greatly, they are really amazing! Of course I miss performing on the great Junior Eurovision stage itself! It was great, we gave everything and everything went well. So I'm very pleased.

  • What advice would you give someone who is thinking about participating in 2017? 

Don’t think, just do it! It is a tremendous experience that no one can take away!

Kymora

  • What have you been up to since the contest?

Since the contest I have had some performances with Kisses. We went to the Zapp Sinterklaasfeest and to a big Dutch Television Show. Besides that I have been busy with school, my friends and I enjoyed my Christmas holiday.

  • What is your favourite memory from the week? 

My favourite memory of the week in Malta is meeting all the other contestants and all the parties that were organised. The day of the big show is something I will never forget, we worked so hard for it and it was fantastic!

  • What advice would you give someone who is thinking about participating in 2017? 

If you want to participate in 2017, just be yourself and do not worry about what other people say or think of you.

Sterre

Sterre is fourteen years old and has a lot of TV experience: as a singer and as an actress in commercials. Sterre is part of JEANS TeenZ, a group of talented teens who perform in theatre. On the weekends she goes to Amsterdam to take professional singing and dancing classes.

  • What have you been up to since the contest?

I have been catching up with school as I missed quite a lot of tests when I was in Malta. With Kisses I have done a few TV and video performances. I have also been making videos and editing them myself for my own YouTube Channel called Sterre Koning. I am also working together with a Dutch clothing brand now, doing vlogs and photoshoots for them. Of course I am also still singing and playing my guitar, as always! 

  • What is your favourite memory from the week? 

My favourite memory? Pfff that's hard, I enjoyed myself so much that week. If I have to choose, it would be our performance during the live show, it was such an amazing experience! 

  • What advice would you give someone who is thinking about participating in 2017? 

Go for it! It is a once in a lifetime experience. When you are as lucky as me, that you may go, then enjoy the whole period, try to take notice of everything that happens and keep all memories of the experience and the people you meet in your heart, as I do now!

Watch the live performance of Kisses and Dancin' below: