Manuela Van Geenhoven

Manuela Van Geenhoven was born in Leuven, Belgium and has been passionate about many forms of music since childhood. She made her recording debut at 18, releasing several pop songs with the well known producer/songwriter Fonny De Wulf and Hi-Tension Records.

Manuela performed for an audience of thousands as special guest at the Festival Baia Das Gatas on the Cape Verdian Islands and subsequently participated for several years in shows during the "Gentse Feesten" under direction of the Belgian singer Lily Castel.

Manuela started her classical singing studies at the Academy of Art of Merksem and completed them at the Academy of Art of Hoboken, where she graduated with first class honours. She furthered her classical training at the "Zomercursus voor Solozang" in Koksijde and travelled to Hamburg for tuition with the respected German soprano Ingrid Kremling.

Operetta roles have included Anita in Giuditta by Franz Lehar and Hélène in Ein Walzertraum by Oscar Strauss, she has toured Belgium as an orchestral soloist and also performs regularly throughout Belgium and Holland at exclusive banquets, dinners, receptions, marriages and dance evenings.

Manuela's passion for music is only matched by her love and respect for nature and all animals. She has become increasingly concerned about the threats to our natural world and feels strongly about the need to raise awareness of this.

Manuela is a member of many animal and nature protection societies: WWF, Natuurpunt, Dierenleed Azie VZW, Dierenbescherming Antwerp (Kontich) and Dierenbescherming Nederland. In 2002 she worked tirelessly on the Dierenleed Azie VZW petition, raising thousands of signatures against animal atrocities.

Feeling that she wanted to do more for animal and nature issues and to help people fully appreciate the treasures of nature she contacted Simon Cooper and The Jeweled Planet project is the result of their collaboration. An album of original, emotive music featuring Manuela's pure soprano voice, ambient sound textures and rhythms, all set within the beautiful organic sounds of nature.

Manuela is also a member of Friends of the Elephant and godmother of a baby elephant called 'Salama' who has his residence in the Nairobi Elephant Nursery, Kenya. The track "Salama" from the album The Jeweled Planet is dedicated with much love to him and all other elephants.

Through this album Manuela is proud to be contributing to elephant protection by donating to Friends of the Elephant for every CD of The Jeweled Planet she sells.

The response to The Jeweled Planet has been so successful that Manuela and Simon have collaborated again on Simon's NEW CD Nature Baby, on which Manuela's soothing voice is combined with both the nature concept of The Jeweled Planet and the beautiful baby music of Simon's Music for Mother and Baby Series.

Ordering Simon and Manuela's albums online via credit card or debit card is easy, quick and secure at our ORDER PAGE. Alternatively you may also order via U.K. cheque. Manuela may be contacted via email by clicking here.