Candy Dulfer

Dutch saxophonist Candy Dulfer, trained from a young age in Amsterdam’s club scene, sits at the crossroads of jazz, funk and pop. Born in 1969 and the daughter of saxophonist Hans Dulfer, she began playing as a child and formed her band Funky Stuff at 14, which quickly brought her onstage with international artists. Candy Dulfer came to wide attention in the late 1980s with the track “Lily Was Here,” a duet with Dave Stewart, before launching her solo career with the 1990 album Saxuality, a jazz‑funk record with pop touches that was nominated for a Grammy. Albums such as Sax-a-Go-Go (1993), Big Girl (1996), Right in My Soul (2003), Candy Store (2007), Together (2017) and We Never Stop (2022) continue that aesthetic—marked grooves, direct melodies and R&B references. At the same time, Candy Dulfer has multiplied stage and studio collaborations, notably with Prince, while maintaining an active role as a leader through international tours, festivals and club dates. Over the decades she has developed a distinctive sound centered on the alto saxophone, where accessible improvisation and structured writing remain closely linked.