Artists

Sonja Kristina - Pioneering Rock Vocalist Of Curved Air Audio Interview

Rock/Acid Folk/ Progressive/Electronica / London

Known as the first female lead-vocalist of a heavy rock band, Sonja Kristina first appeared on a stage at the age of thirteen. Her first professional gig was at a Folk Festival in Southgate, London a year later. This then lead to a series of appearances on a children's TV show "Song and Story". Sonja continued playing in folk clubs such as the Troubadour in Earl's Court while at the New College of Speech and Drama. She began writing her own songs at that time, and had acquired the services of the same manager as Buffy St. Marie. She was booked into a number of well-known venues, among them the Marquee Club, as "Sonja".

In 1968, Sonja auditioned for and won the part of "Crissy" in the London stage production of the rock musical "Hair". Sonja then sang with The Strawbs following the departure of Sandy Denny. Mark Hanau, the manager of Curved Air, had seen Sonja perform and suggested she audition for the band. The sound came together almost immediately, and the five-piece Curved Air was born. Kristina married Police drummer, Stewart Copeland in 1982, having met him while he was first road manager and then drummer for Curved Air from 1974 to 1976. The two divorced in 1991.

Curved Air had a changing line-up over its nine albums (1970 - 1976 and again in 1990), Kristina was the only member to take part in every line-up. Since 2008 she has returned to the group, performing in a series of Curved Air reunion concerts. Since the original Curved Air of the 1970s, she has performed solo, including her involvement with the acid folk movement in London in the early 1990s, culminating in her critically acclaimed Songs from the Acid Folk in 1991, and in the eclectic multi-media duo MASK, along with her musical partner, Marvin Ayres.

We caught up with Sonja at her home in London and she talks candidly about record contracts, band managers, how to structure your revenue stream as an artist, and how to continue to thrive in all stages of your music career. Listen, learn, and enjoy!

On the web:

Sonja Kristina

Sonja Kristina Facebook

Official Curved Air Website

Curved Air on Reverbnation

Curved Air Facebook

MASK

MASK Facebook

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