Anita Doth

Anita Doth (born 28 December 1971) is a Dutch singer and songwriter best known as the front person of the duo 2 Unlimited, along with rapper Ray Slijngaard.

Personal life
Anita Daniëlle Dels was born in Amsterdam to a Surinamese father, Rolf Dels, and a Dutch mother, Lydia. In 1991 she finished her education and landed her first steady job in an administrative position at a police station.[1] She has one son.[2]

On 11 January 2010, it was announced that Anita was being treated for breast cancer, undergoing chemotherapy. Anita continued to perform with Ray as much as possible under her treatment regime. In 2011, Anita was declared breast-cancer-free.[3]

On 8 November 2013, Anita announced via Twitter that 2 Unlimited would soon be taking a break until April 2014 as she was pregnant. The new arrival was expected in February 2014.[4]

2 Unlimited (1991–1996)
2 Unlimited is a Eurodance project founded in 1991 by two Belgian producers Jean-Paul DeCoster and Phil Wilde and fronted by Dutch rapper Ray Slijngaardand Anita Doth.[5][6]

In the early 1990s, Ray Slijngaard (the soon-to-become rapper of 2 Unlimited) had been asked to write rap lyrics for a tune written by Belgian producers J.P. de Coster and Phil Wilde. Ray also wrote a chorus to be sung by a female vocalist, for which he asked Doth to sing the lyrics. The demo was presented to de Coster and Wilde, leading to Doth joining 2 Unlimited, and "Get Ready for This" was produced as their first single.

Doth sang the choruses for the majority of their songs; however there were some B sides, and one successful single, "Nothing Like the Rain", where she sang close to all the lyrics. The band became an instant success in Europe and throughout the world. Their hits included songs such as "Maximum Overdrive", "No Limit", "Tribal Dance", "The Real Thing", "Twilight Zone" and "Workaholic". After sixteen music videos, forty-five songs, and four albums, the group split up in 1996.[citation needed]

After 2 Unlimited (1996–2009)
After 2 Unlimited broke up in 1996, Doth became a presenter on Dutch music television station TMF (The Music Factory), hosting Welcome to the Pleasure Zone, a show featuring both music videos and live performances. She also worked as a DJ on Dutch radio station Radio 538.[7] Later that year, she sang a duet with popular Dutch singer René Froger titled "That's When I'll Stop Loving You".[8]

The year 2000, saw the release of her solo album Reality. Among the singles taken from the album were Universe, Lifting up My Life, and This Is Reality. Writing and production credits saw Anita working with producers such as Todd Terry and Steve Mac.".[9]

In 2002, Anita formed Divas of Dance with Linda Estelle (formerly T-Spoon) and Desiree "Des'Ray" Manders (formerly 2 Brothers on the 4th Floor. They performed a variety of disco and dance classics, including the biggest hits from each of their respective bands. In 2006, Divas of Dance released a new single entitled Falling into the Groove.[10]

During the later 2000s, Anita toured the UK as part of the 90s Reloaded Adult Weekenders at Butlins where she would perform some of the biggest dance hits of the 1990s. Billed as "Anita Doth from 2 Unlimited, the performance would include the biggest hits of 2 Unlimited from the 1990s.[11]

2 Unlimited Comeback (2009–2016)
Anita & her former 2 Unlimited colleague, Ray Slijngaard, reunited on 11 April 2009, to perform together for the first time in 13 years at the "I love the 90s" concert in Hasselt, Belgium.[12] Further gigs followed on 30 April at the Radio 538 Queen's Day concert at Museumplein in Amsterdam, and as support act for Milk Inc at the Sportpaleis in Antwerp on 25 September.

Performing under the name Ray & Anita, it was confirmed on 29 December that the duo would release a new single together in 2010 titled "In Da Name Of Love". Jean-Paul DeCoster is thought to have denied permission for them to use the name "2 Unlimited", as he still owns the rights to the brand.[13]

On 11 July 2012, it was announced that Ray and Anita will be working again with the Belgian producer, De Coster under the name 2 Unlimited.[14]

Departure from 2 Unlimited (2016-)
On 20 April 2016, 2 Unlimited announced that Anita Doth will be leaving the band to embark on a solo career. On 13 August, Kim Vergouwen, being Anita's replacement, was revealed to the public via Ray Slijngaard's Facebook page.[15]