DJ BoBo facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids DJ BoBo
DJ BoBo performing in 2024
Background information
Birth name	Peter René Baumann
Born	(1968-01-05) 5 January 1968 (age 57)
Origin	Kölliken, Switzerland
Genres	Pop electronica house
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter rapper dancer producer
Years active	1989–present
Labels	Fresh Music (1989–1993) EAMS (1994–2001) BMG (2002–2003) Yes Music (2004–present)

Peter René Baumann (born on January 5, 1968), known as DJ BoBo, is a famous Swiss musician. He is a singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer, and music producer. He has sold over 14 million records worldwide.

DJ BoBo has released 12 studio albums and many compilation albums. These albums often feature his old hits in new ways. He has also released 34 singles. Many of these songs were very popular in Europe, especially in German-speaking countries.

His first big hit was the dance music song "Somebody Dance with Me" in 1992. This song used a tune from Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me." Many of DJ BoBo's songs have a fast-paced Eurodance sound. They often include female vocals and his own rap verses. Some of his other popular songs are "Keep on Dancing", "Everybody", "Let the Dream Come True", and "Chihuahua".

Between 1992 and 2007, he had 27 hit singles in Switzerland and Germany. He won ten World Music Awards for being Switzerland's best-selling artist. DJ BoBo has earned many Gold and Platinum awards for his music. He has been successful in Europe, Canada, Asia, and South America.

Discovering DJ BoBo's Early Life
- Starting a Career as a DJ
DJ BoBo's Rise to Fame
- First Albums and More Hits
- Touring the World
DJ BoBo's Continued Success
- New Sounds and More Awards
- Entering the New Millennium
Celebrating a Decade of Music
- The "Chihuahua" Sensation
Eurovision and More Awards
Recent Music and Tours
Helping Others
Discography
Images for kids
See also

Discovering DJ BoBo's Early Life

Peter René Baumann was born in Kölliken, Switzerland, in 1968. His father was Italian, and his mother was Swiss. At first, Peter wanted to be a baker. But after high school, he became very interested in breakdancing.

He joined many dance contests. He even made it into the Top 10 of a German dance contest called "Disco Kings." He was known for his amazing acrobatic dance style.

Starting a Career as a DJ

Baumann started his DJ career in 1985. The next year, he was a runner-up in the Swiss DJ Championships. He worked as a DJ in many nightclubs, like Don Paco and Hazyland in Switzerland.

He gained a lot of experience. Soon, he decided to produce his own music. His first song, "I Love You," came out in late 1989. He continued to DJ while working on new music. In 1991, he released two more songs: "Ladies in the House" and "Let's Groove On." "Let's Groove On" was more successful and even appeared on his first album.

DJ BoBo's Rise to Fame

DJ BoBo became very popular around the world in November 1992. This happened when he released his hit song "Somebody Dance with Me." The song featured catchy parts sung by Emel Aykanat and rap by DJ BoBo himself. It quickly became number 1 in Switzerland and Sweden. It also reached the Top 5 in many other European countries, including Germany.

"Somebody Dance with Me" sold over 250,000 copies in Germany. This earned it a Gold award. His next hit, "Keep on Dancing", was also very popular. It reached the Top 5 in Switzerland and Germany. It also got a Gold award in Germany.

First Albums and More Hits

His first album, Dance with Me, came out in October 1993. It stayed on the music charts across Europe for a long time. Another song from the album, "Take Control", also became a hit. It earned him another Gold award in Germany. This song also reached the Top 20 in many countries.

DJ BoBo proved he was not a "one-hit wonder." In the summer of 1994, he released "Everybody." This song climbed to number 2 in Germany. It sold 500,000 copies and earned a Platinum award. "Everybody" was a bit different from his earlier songs. It mixed house music with hip hop, creating "hip house." It featured female singers for the chorus and DJ BoBo's rap verses.

In the fall of 1994, his second album, There Is a Party, was released. This album reached number 4 in Switzerland and earned a Platinum award. In Germany, it entered the Top 10 and stayed on the charts for 26 weeks, earning a Gold award. The song "Let the Dream Come True" from this album was number 1 in Switzerland. It reached the Top 5 in Germany and earned a Gold award.

The next song, "Love Is All Around", reached the Top 20 in several countries. It also earned a Gold award in Germany. This was his sixth Gold record in a row! In 1995, DJ BoBo represented Switzerland at the World Music Awards in Monaco. He was named the "World's Best Selling Swiss Artist of the Year."

Touring the World

In the summer of 1995, DJ BoBo went on a tour across Asia. After that, he did a promotional tour in Australia. Later that year, he toured all over Europe. He performed for over 400,000 fans!

In January 1996, BoBo released his first slow song, "Love Is the Price." He performed it on a popular TV show called Wetten, dass..?. Later that year, he won another World Music Award. He performed "Freedom" (his eighth Gold record in Germany) and "Love Is the Price."

DJ BoBo's Continued Success

His album World in Motion came out in September 1996. This album broke all his previous records. It quickly reached number 3 in Germany and earned a Platinum award. In Switzerland, it went straight to number 1. It earned a Double-Platinum award for selling 100,000 copies. The album stayed on the Swiss chart for 67 weeks.

After World in Motion was released, DJ BoBo went on a 20-day tour in Asia. Then, he spent a month touring Brazil, Chile, and Colombia.

In April 1997, DJ BoBo received his third World Music Award. He was again the "World's Best Selling Swiss Artist of the Year." He performed his song "Respect Yourself" at the awards show.

New Sounds and More Awards

DJ BoBo kept his original sound but also tried new things. He started singing more on his song "Where Is Your Love," released in March 1998. A month later, his album Magic came out. It stayed at number 1 in Switzerland for four weeks. It earned a Platinum award there. In Germany, the album reached number 5. It stayed on the chart for 21 weeks and earned a Gold award.

In May 1998, BoBo won his fourth World Music Award. He was still the "World's Best Selling Swiss Artist of the Year." Soon after, his song "Celebrate" was released. DJ BoBo and his team were busy preparing for his "Life on Tour" concert. The Magic shows were seen by 250,000 people in 35 concert arenas across Europe. DJ BoBo then received his fifth World Music Award in a row!

Entering the New Millennium

DJ BoBo's sixth album, Level 6, was released in October 1999. It immediately hit number 1 on the Swiss album charts. It earned Platinum in Switzerland and Gold in Germany. Two songs from this album were "Together" and "Lies." In the spring of 2000, DJ BoBo won another World Music Award. This was his sixth time in a row as Switzerland's "Best Selling Artist of the Year."

With his co-producer Axel Breitung, BoBo finished his next album, Planet Colors, released on February 5, 2001. The first song, "What a Feeling," featured American singer Irene Cara. It was a cover of Cara's original hit "Flashdance... What a Feeling." It reached number 2 in Switzerland and number 3 in Germany. Two more songs followed: "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" and "Colors of Life." BoBo's "Planet Colors – The Show" tour was very popular. Over one million people in Europe saw it.

Celebrating a Decade of Music

DJ BoBo performing in 2005

To celebrate 10 years in music, DJ BoBo covered Kool and the Gang's "Celebration." He updated it with modern music. This song was part of his collection album, also called Celebration. The album, released in April 2002, had re-recorded versions of his past hits. It featured famous German artists like No Angels and Melanie Thornton.

In 2002, DJ BoBo won his seventh World Music Award. He was still Switzerland's Best Selling Recording Artist. Also, BoBo and Axel Breitung were named "Best Producers of 2001" at the Echo awards.

DJ BoBo's next album, Visions, came out in February 2003. It showed a new side to his music. Besides his usual dance sounds, it had more acoustic elements. Songs like "Angel" and "Do You Remember" used guitars instead of synthesizers. Visions reached number 3 in Switzerland and became a Platinum record. In 2003, BoBo received another World Music Award.

The "Chihuahua" Sensation

One of DJ BoBo's most successful songs was "Chihuahua." It was first released in 2002 and later across Europe. Coca-Cola in Spain asked him to create a catchy song for their new campaign. He finished the song in just ten days!

"Chihuahua" quickly reached number 1 on the Spanish single chart. The song then became number 1 in Switzerland and France. It earned a Platinum award in Switzerland. In France, it reached Diamond status for selling over one million copies!

Eurovision and More Awards

DJ BoBo (left) performing "Vampires Are Alive" in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 semi-final

BoBo's album, Pirates of Dance, was released in February 2005. It included the songs "Pirates of Dance" and "Amazing Life." The album went straight to number 1 in Switzerland. DJ BoBo and his team started the Pirates of Dance Tour in April 2005. They toured Switzerland, Germany, and Poland. The tour ended with two concerts at Disneyland in Paris. In 2005, DJ BoBo became Switzerland's Best Selling Recording Artist for the 10th time!

He released a greatest hits album in 2006. It had new versions of some songs and original versions of others. The song "Secrets of Love" was a pop-dance duet with 1980s star Sandra. The music video for this song was filmed at Disney Resort Paris. His greatest hits album earned BoBo a Gold award in Switzerland.

On October 11, 2006, DJ BoBo announced he wanted to represent Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007. He said it was important for a Swiss artist to represent their country.

In December 2006, the Swiss TV council chose BoBo. He was picked from over 200 artists to represent Switzerland in Helsinki, Finland. On February 21, 2007, DJ BoBo showed his song and video for the contest: "Vampires Are Alive." Many people thought he would win. However, the song did not make it past the semi-final stage on May 12. It finished twentieth out of 28 semi-finalists.

DJ BoBo performing in 2008

DJ BoBo released his next album, Vampires, on May 11, 2007. It reached number 2 on the Swiss album chart. The first song, "Vampires Are Alive," reached number 3 in Switzerland. It also did well in other German-speaking countries and reached number 7 in Finland. Two other songs from the album were "We Gotta Hold On" and "Because of You."

In 2007, BoBo was chosen to sing the official song for the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship. He let fans vote on his website to choose between two songs. "Olé Olé" was chosen over "Let the Games Begin." On April 11, 2008, "Olé Olé" was released as a single. It came with an album called Olé Olé – Party. This album had five new songs, nine party hits, and new versions of his songs "Everybody" and "Vampires Are Alive."

Recent Music and Tours

DJ BoBo's album Fantasy was released on February 26, 2010. It reached number 2 in Switzerland and earned a Gold award. The two songs released from this album were "Superstar" and "This Is My Time."

A new album from BoBo, called Dancing Las Vegas, came out on November 25, 2011. This album had 13 songs and a DVD. The DVD included the music video for his song "Everybody's Gonna Dance."

BoBo released another album called Circus on January 10, 2014. This was followed by Mystorial in 2016 and KaleidoLuna in 2018. Like his earlier albums, Circus and Mystorial reached the Top 5 in Switzerland. KaleidoLuna reached number 9.

Helping Others

DJ BoBo became a United Nations World Food Programme National Ambassador Against Hunger in October 2006. He was the first Swiss celebrity to take on this role. He also took part in the 2006 Geneva Walk the World event. This event helps raise awareness about fighting hunger.