Birdy is a teenage English singer-songwriter. She was born on 15th May 1996. Her real name is Jasmine van den Bogaerde, but her family and friends call her Birdy. She got this nickname when she was a baby because she opened her mouth like a little bird when she was hungry.

Birdy comes from a family of performers. “All of my family has the same passion for music and art”, she says, “so they understand my passion for it”. Her uncle, Dirk Bogard, was a famous English film star and her mother is a concert pianist. Birdy learned to play the piano at the age of 7, and began writing her own music when she was 8. In 2008, when she was 12 years old, she took part in a UK talent contest called Open Mic UK. There were 10,000 contestants and she won with her own song So Be Free. She was 14 when she recorded her first CD, Skinny Love. However, she did not write the song herself. It was a great success, especially in Australia and in 2011 it was used in The Vampire Diaries.

She has become famous all over the world. She has sung in several films and she has even performed in the Sydney Opera House. In 2013, Birdy performed at Sanremo, as a guest, with the song Skinny Love, and in May 2014, she sang as a professional guest star with one of the contestants in Amici. She was only 18 and the contestant was three years older than her.

Birdy is becoming more confident. She says, “When I was younger, writing and piano-playing were private and secret and although I love performing, I get very nervous before I start. Then, when I’m playing, I go into my own world and then I start to feel more confortable on the stage”. There are songs on the new album where she doesn’t play the piano. “I now stand up with a microphone for some of my new songs. It was terrifying at first, but I’ll get used to it”. What about school? She hasn’t been able to finish school. “It just became impossible to combine that with recording. I still see my friends, so it’s okay. And besides, I’m doing what I love”.

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Who’s Birdy?

How old is she?

Why was she called Birdy?

Why was her surname already famous?

What instrument does Birdy play?

Who writes the music and the lyrics of most of her songs?

What did Birdy do when she was 12?

What was the name of her first CD?

In which countries is Birdy famous?

10.Where did she perform in Italy?

11.Does she like performing?

12.How does she feel before going on the stage?

13. Did she finish school? Why?

14. Is she happy about her life? Why?