Edsilia Rombley

Edsilia Francisca Rombley was born on February 13, 1978, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, to parents of Aruban and Curaçaoan descent. She began her musical career in 1995 as a member of the Dutch R&B girl group Dignity. In 1996, she gained national recognition by winning the Soundmixshow with her rendition of Oleta Adams’ “I Just Had to Hear Your Voice,” and the following year, she won the European Soundmix Show with the same performance. That year, she released her debut solo single, “Baby It’s You,” and recorded her first album, “Thuis,” commissioned by Douwe Egberts.​

In 1998, Rombley represented the Netherlands at the Eurovision Song Contest in Birmingham with the song “Hemel en aarde,” achieving fourth place. Following this, she released her self-titled English-language album. In 2002, she released “Face to Face,” produced by Tjeerd Oosterhuis, whom she married in 2006. The album featured the single “What Have You Done to Me,” which received nominations for the TMF Awards and the Edison Award. Despite these accolades, the album had limited commercial success.​

In 2004, Rombley toured with jazz pianist Michiel Borstlap, performing a blend of jazz and soul music. She also participated in benefit concerts, including one for Bangladesh organized by Memisa. In 2005, she joined the Artists for Asia project, contributing to the charity single “Als Je Iets Kan Doen” for tsunami relief efforts. That year, she embarked on her first theater tour, “Van Jongs Af Aan,” featuring a mix of covers and original songs.​

In 2006, Rombley participated in the Dutch version of “Dancing with the Stars” and released the single “Dan Ben Ik Van Jou.” She represented the Netherlands again at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2007 with “On Top of the World,” but did not advance past the semi-finals. That year, she released the album “Meer Dan Ooit” and continued her theater performances.​

In 2009, Rombley hosted the first season of the Dutch television show “Beste Zangers.” She released the album “Uit Mijn Hart” in 2011 and “Sweet Soul Music” in 2013, the latter recorded with the Metropole Orkest. She also released “The Piano Ballads, Vol. 1” in 2014 and “The Piano Ballads, Vol. 2” in 2018.​

Since 2014, Rombley has been a member of the Ladies of Soul, performing annual concerts alongside Trijntje Oosterhuis, Berget Lewis, and Candy Dulfer. In 2019, she portrayed Mary in “The Passion,” a Dutch musical television event. She was announced as one of the hosts for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020, which was later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She co-hosted the alternative show “Eurovision: Europe Shine a Light” in 2020 and returned as a host for the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam.​

In 2022, Rombley appeared in the children’s film “Het Feest van Tante Rita.” In 2025, she continues to engage with Eurovision fans through the podcast series “100% Songfestival,” co-hosted with Barry Paf, discussing current events and sharing insights related to the contest.