There are songs that define a decade, and then there is “What Is Love.” Released in 1993, Haddaway’s debut single spent seven consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Eurochart Hot 100, reached No. 1 in 13 countries, and sold over 2.6 million copies in its first year alone. Three decades later it remains one of the most instantly recognised dance anthems ever recorded — still filling floors, still soundtracking film and TV, still impossible to ignore. Haddaway is available to book worldwide through Poise Artists.
Nestor Alexander Haddaway was born on 9 January 1965 in Trinidad and Tobago. His father was a marine biologist from Germany and his mother a local nurse.
Growing up between Europe, Trinidad, and the United States — where he was raised in Chicago and later the Washington DC area — Haddaway developed a musical ear shaped by multiple worlds. After studying political science and history at George Washington University, he relocated to Cologne, Germany in 1989, where he met producers Dee Dee Halligan and Karin Hartmann of Coconut Records and his recording career began.
Released in January 1993, “What Is Love” became a number-one single in at least 13 countries and reached number two in Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Outside Europe, the single peaked at number 11 in the United States, number 12 in Australia, and number 17 in Canada. The song earned Haddaway two Echo Awards at the 1994 German ceremony for Best National Single and Best National Dance Single. His second single, “Life,” reached number 2 in Germany, number 6 in the United Kingdom, with worldwide sales reaching 1.5 million by 1994.
Follow-up hits “I Miss You” and “Rock My Heart” also reached the European Top 10, cementing Haddaway as one of the continent’s most successful solo artists of the era.
The song’s cultural footprint has only grown over time. “What Is Love” enjoyed a resurgence in popularity as the theme music for the Butabi brothers on Saturday Night Live and the 1998 film A Night at the Roxbury. In 2008 it featured in a Super Bowl Pepsi MAX commercial, and in 2010 it was sampled in Eminem and Lil Wayne’s “No Love.” According to his official website, Haddaway has sold 28 million records worldwide.
Haddaway is one of the most recognisable names in 90s eurodance and performs at festivals, nostalgia events, corporate shows, and private events worldwide. His live show is built around the anthems that made him a global name, delivered with the full energy of an artist who has been performing for over 30 years. Contact Poise Artists for availability and fees.