Related - Michael Cretu

Michael Cretu

"Don't be afraid to be weak
Don't be to proud to be strong
Just look into your heart my friend
That will be the return to yourself... the return to innocence..."
(Enigma 'Return To Innocence')

Michael Cretu produced Oldfield's "When The Night's On Fire". Both musicians are friends. They were meeting each other when they lived on Ibiza. From this friendship came some kind of exchange of musical ideas. Many of musical ideas by Cretu can be heard on "The Song Of The Distant Earth". Some delicate Mike's guitar playing influences can be heard on Enigma's fourth album "The Screen Behind The Mirror" (2000). In "Between Mind & Heart" by Enigma you can hear the same sample that in "Sunlight Shining Through Cloud" by Oldfield.
He recorded together with Boney M in 1978 and 1979. In the 80's Michael Cretu directed the artistic career of very famous in Europe singer Sandra. They had a lot of huge disco hits. They got married in 1988.

Discography.
Solo albums:

Die Chinesische Mauer (1985);
Invisible Man (1994).

Together with Tissy Thiers on vocals as CaT:

Belle Epoque (1988) - with Simon Phillips on drums.

First album mysteriously signed by Enigma caused some speculations. Until it was clear, who is the author there were also some opinions, that it may be new album by Mike Oldfield.
Enigma was a pioneer of some very successful style of producing music by mixing Gregorian chants with modern arrangements. Later on Enigma "invited" sampling world music and mixing it with electronic arrangement. This path found many followers all around the world (Deep Forest, Adiemus, Era). Third album seems to be the best work of Enigma, although it didn't contain as many hits as the previous ones did.

Albums by Enigma:

MCMXC A.D. (1990) - with "Sadness" and "Mea Culpa";
The Cross Of Changes (1993) - with "Return To Innocence";
Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi (1996);
The Screen Behind The Mirror (2000) - with "Gravity Of Love".

"If you want then start to laugh
If you must than start to cry
Be yourself don't hide, just believe in destiny."
(Enigma 'Return To Innocence')