The 27’s – Maria Serrano-Serrano 1973 - 2001

Part 34 in a series on “The 27’s” – notable musicians who have passed away in their 27^th year.

Born in 1973, Maria Serrano-Serrano was a trained nurse, dancer, model and singer in the band Passion Fruit.  Established in 1999, Passion Fruit originally consisted of three women and a male who performed the rapping parts. It was this group that performed "The Rigga Ding Dong Song", which was the group’s most successful single. 

Following the departure of one of the band members in October 1999 and tensions within the group, record company X-Cell Records decided not to continue with the project. Subsequently, the management team that created the group found a new line-up and a new record company and kept the name Passion Fruit to capitalize on the success of the first single. 

The re-formed group consisted of only 3 members; Nathalie van het Ende, a background singer, dancer and model who was the second runner up in the 1995 Miss Holland pageant, Debby St. Marten, a dancer and model who had appeared in many music videos for Dutch and Belgian artists as well as Maria Serrano-Serrano.  Over the course of 2000 and 2001, Passion Fruit released a trio of high charting singles and the album Spanglish Love Affairs.

On November 24, 2001, after a performance in Berlin they boarded Crossair flight 3597 to Zurich. On its way to landing, the pilot descended below the minimum descent altitude and crashed into a hill, killing twenty-four of the thirty-three on board.  While Debby St. Marteen survived, Passion Fruit members Nathalie van het Ende and Maria Serrano-Serrano both passed away in the crash.

Passion Fruit was working on their second studio album in 2001 shortly before the crash. Only two singles were recorded during the period: "Bongo Man" and “I'm Dreaming Of...A White Christmas.” Both singles were released on separate singles albums in December 2001.

"I'm Dreaming Of...A White Christmas" was released on a singles CD called "I'm Dreaming Of...A Winter Wonderland” and in December 2001, Passion Fruit’s management decided to donate all the proceeds from the CD to the victims and survivors of the crash.