When a teen becomes a star: Mandy Capristo (30, "Si es amor") took her first steps in the music business very early. At the age of 16 she took part in the casting show "Popstars" and then celebrated great success with the band Monrose. Hits like "Shame" or "Hot Summer" became a perennial favorite. Even after the breakup, the brunette beauty was able to gain a foothold: as a solo artist, juror and advertising face. But in recent years, Capristo has become a little quiet. The singer is back on time for her 30th birthday – and not just with new music.
A child star is born
Mandy Grace Capristo was born on March 21, 1990 in Mannheim. The daughter of a German secretary and an Italian sales representative took gymnastics and dance lessons as well as piano lessons at the age of four. Early on she was in the spotlight: in 2001 she took part in the "Kiddy Contest" in Austria at the age of eleven. There she convinced the jury with the song "I want an ATM" and took first place. This was followed by appearances on shows such as "Tabaluga TV", "1, 2 or 3" and the ORF children's program "Glubschauge".
The chapter Monrose
At the tender age of 16, Capristo applied for the casting show "Pop Stars – The Country Needs New Angels". Together with Bahar Kizil (31) and Senna Gammour (40), she emerged as the winner and the trio became known as Monrose. With seven top ten hits and four studio albums, the girl group is one of the most successful bands that has produced a casting show. "It was the most beautiful youth I could have. But also the most intense," the singer explains retrospectively to the spot on news news agency. "I felt like I had to work very quickly and grow up very quickly."
A big workload for a young woman – maybe too big. At the end of 2010 the band announced their split. Since then, the three musicians have gone their separate ways. But they haven't lost sight of each other: "I'm still in contact with Bahar," said the 30-year-old. It remains to be seen whether there will ever be a Monrose comeback. "I've learned never to never say," says Capristo.
The path to a solo career
With the end of Monrose, the singer started a new phase of life. She became the face of a cosmetic brand and worked with Peter Maffay (70) in 2011 for his musical "Tabaluga and the signs of the times". For this she was on stage with Rufus Beck (62) and Maffay herself as part of the "Tabaluga" tour. Her first solo album followed in 2012: Under the name "Grace" the record reached eighth place in the German charts. For her work she was nominated for "Best Pop / Rock National Artist" at Echo in 2013.
But in 2016, Capristo seemed to have had enough of her old life and changed her image. She dropped her name Mandy and only appeared with her second name Grace. Instead of being dictated further on how she should look or what she should sing, she took matters into her own hands. In 2014, she released the single "One Woman Army" on her own. However, the new name did not seem to spark properly – two years later she was called Mandy again.
From pop star to TV darling
Capristo made a name for himself not only as a singer. So she was already active as a voice actress: In "The Fish Club" (2011) and "The Secret of the Fairy Wings" (2012) she lent characters to her voice. But that was not enough for the all-rounder: So she sat in the twelfth season of the casting show "Deutschland sucht den Superstar" alongside Dieter Bohlen (66), DJ Antoine (44) and Heino (81) on the jury and swung in 2012 RTL show "Let's Dance" das Tanzbein.
Most recently, the singer was seen in a Disney role: as Princess Jasmin, she appeared on stage in the musical "Aladdin" in 2018. Apparently she sniffed acting air. Because in February 2020 she was seen as a star guest on the ARD telenovela "Sturm der Liebe". Her TV appearance, in which she played herself, lasted three episodes.
Love creates a stir
Mandy Capristo ended up partly in the media because of him: football star Mesut Özil (31). From 2012 to 2014, the two were a couple and outshone the red carpets. After a short comeback in 2015, the flame finally went out. Today her ex-partner is married to Amine Gülse (26). But that was not her first celebrity partner: in 2008 she was dating rapper Kay One (35). And today? "I want to keep my private life out of the public eye as much as possible," explains the singer.
A lot is still planned for 2020
After 14 years in show business, the singer is looking forward to her 30th birthday. "In my thirties, I just want to do what I want," reveals the former "Popstars" star. "I don't really think much about getting older." She feels stronger today, "because I like myself a lot more today. I look in the mirror and like what I see there."
In 2020, she still has every good reason to do so: after a long pause, her second album will be released. However, it is not yet known exactly when it will happen. "Actually, it should come out yesterday," Capristo admits. She will also be on stage at the "Dreams Come True" show in Disney's "Live in Concert" series. The starting shot was actually March 14th – due to the coronavirus crisis, the shows were postponed to September.