Sabrina Starke

Sabrina Starke, a soul-jazz singer/songwriter residing in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, launched her career with the 2008 full-length release Yellow Brick Road, which quickly climbed into the national Top Ten. Born August 9, 1979, in Paramaribo—the capital of Suriname, a compact Dutch-speaking nation of roughly 500,000 residents situated in northern South America—she first appeared on record that same year via the Star-K single “Do for Love.” Starke co-wrote the track, which was produced by the Dutch duo Beat Royalty, consisting of Chris Kooreman and Edo Plasschaert; it later reached the Top Ten in the Netherlands and drew the interest of EMI. The label placed her under contract for its prestigious Blue Note Records imprint. The Beat Royalty-helmed Yellow Brick Road blended soul and jazz with folk and R&B elements, yielding the subsequent hit singles “Foolish” and “A Woman’s Gonna Try.” In 2009 the album returned to stores in an expanded edition that included additional material.