Singer Caroline van der Leeuw, better known as Caro Emerald, is a popular guest at the North Sea Jazz Festival. Her breakthrough in the Netherlands came in 2009 when producers Jan van Wieringen and David Schreurs asked her to sing a demo version of the number Back It Up. The single became an enormous hit, and the follow-up, A Night Like This, did even better. Emerald's debut album Deleted Scenes From The Cutting Room Floor reached no. 1 on the Dutch album charts and stayed there long enough to beat the previous record set by Michael Jackson's Thriller. The album sold over 300,000 copies, earning it six platinum records. Emerald has continued to triumph since then, gaining success in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the US. The Shocking Miss Emerald, her long-awaited second album, finally appeared this spring.
