Nicole & Hugo

The Flemish vocal duo Nicole & Hugo arose in 1970 when mutual enthusiasm for music and each other first brought the pair together. Nicole Josy, born Nicole Van Palm in Wemmel on October 21, 1946, and Hugo Sigal, born Hugo Verbraeken in Kinshasa on November 10, 1947, recognized that their bond extended beyond romance and therefore established themselves as a singing act. In 1971 they entered Belgium’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest and emerged as winners, yet Nicole’s sudden illness forced them to withdraw from the international final. Happier circumstances followed later that December when the two were married. They returned to Eurovision in 1973 with the hit song “Baby Baby,” reached the finals, and finished last. The next year brought greater success abroad when they placed second at the 1974 World Song Festival in Tokyo. After spending the balance of the 1970s on tour, the duo performed extensively on cruise ships for the greater part of the 1980s. Throughout those years of travel and competition they also issued numerous hit records and albums. A further Eurovision attempt came in 2004 with “Love Is All Around,” although the entry failed to advance past the national round. Still active in 2008, Nicole & Hugo released the album Eeuwig Geluk, which yielded several successful singles.