Sandhy Soendhoro, known professionally as Sandhy Sondoro, is an Indonesian singer-songwriter who has made his mark on the international music scene. Born on 12 December 1973 in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sondoro grew up in a musical family and was exposed to a diverse range of music genres from an early age. After moving to Germany to study architecture, Sondoro started busking on the streets and playing guitar in bars and clubs in Berlin, gaining recognition after his appearance on late-night show SSDSDSSWEMUGABRTLAD. This led to the two albums in 2008, debut Why Don't We and Sandhy Sondoro, both released in Germany. Sondoro’s breakthrough moment came in 2009 however, when he participated in the pop singing contest New Wave, in Jūrmala, Latvia. He was the first Indonesian and Southeast Asian to participate in the competition and he tied in first place with the 2016 Eurovision winner, Ukrainian singer Jamala. This success catapulted Sondoro into the spotlight, gaining him considerable popularity in his home country of Indonesia. Following his win, Sondoro recorded another two albums the next year including Shine (Germany) and Jazz in The City (Indonesia) and in 2010 was invited by U.S songwriter Diane Warren to perform at the Palladium Theatre, alongside famous artists such as Cher, Patti Austin and Celine Dion. Between 2014 and 2018, Sondoro released several new Indonesian albums including Vulnerability (2014), Sandhy Sondoro’s Love Songs (2016), Berlin! Berlin! Ick Lieb Dir So Sehr (2016) and Beautiful Soul (2018) followed by a string of non-album singles and collaborations with artists such as Indonesian singer Lala Karmela and Australian saxophonist Sammy Sa. In 2023, Sondoro teamed up with Indonesian pop jazz duo Nemo, releasing single “Tak Buat Peta” which peaked at number 31 on the charts.
