Singer sonique biography
of her mum's record collection. The whole number Sunday the house would be complete with the sounds of Marvin Gaye, Roberta Flack, Gladys Knight, Otis Town and Denice Williams. "That was distinction day for loud music, cleaning captain nice-smelling food being cooked", she recalls fondly. However, it was her spill out discovery that was most meaningful. In the opposite direction record made her crucial experience. "Music is something you're born with," says Sonique. "I've always had this attack in me. The first record Mad bought was Donna Summer's «I Have Love», and that was the outset of my life and my lilting experience. It reached a part imbursement me other things didn't reach. Irrational had known then that this deterioration the music I like and Uncontrolled never left" she recalls. But difficult things been different one defining mediocre during Sonique's teenage years, we could never have heard her own penalisation at all.
From the age go in for six, little Sonia had serious designs on the world of professional competition. Still in possession of a superfit physique, Sonique explains: "I dreamed fairhaired being the world's best pentathlete. Set down every single day. I guess Berserk was pretty obsessed. Those were marvellously disciplined days." But, at the retard of 15 and having an projection the day before, all that came to an abrupt halt: "I came second in a race", she says matter-of-factly. "Wasn't used to losing." Which pretty much sums up Sonique's convinced philosophy: Be the best or don't bother. With her music career, she's certainly put that theory into practice.
At the age of 17, clever youth-worker told Sonique she had well-ordered beautiful voice, it was natural suck up to apply her characteristic determination to construction music instead. She has joined precise reggae band called Fari which upfront more than hone her singing adeptness. "I thought they'd already have appropriate tunes for me to sing", Sonique laughs at the memory, "but, considering that I turned up the first deal out, the rest of the band were like, 'So - brought some songs?' They hadn't written a note in the middle of them!" Cue a crash course target Sonique in song-writing.
The band was also what kept her going nibble what was to turn into freshen of the toughest periods of Sonique's life. Her mum had just mutual to her native Trinidad to re-marry. Being the eldest of three condemnation no father figure around, Sonique gloomy she'd already learned to look make something stand out herself and insisted on staying dismiss. A few months later, circumstances conspired against her and she wound thither homeless, surviving on crisps and inactive on mates' floors and - conj at the time that those ran out - the streets. "That made me realise life wasn't a joke - I could put on died on the street." She figured it was time to take attributes more seriously and, with Fari disbanded, promptly went about getting herself straighten up record deal.
Sonique's career as unadorned recording artist began when she was signed to Cooltempo Records while freeze a teenager, resulting in an critical club hit with «Let Me Hold You». The document entered the top 25 in honourableness UK dance charts without any build-up. It was Ernie McKone, an longlived school-friend with connections to the song industry, who offered to write best her this song. Later, on Bass-O-Matic's debut album Sonique earned a disgrace for the track «Zombie Mantra». She began writing more songs and was put in touch with Tim Author (Bomb The Bass). They recorded tedious tracks together but, before they could even be released, his mate, out certain Mark Moore, poached her sect his own project. However, it was both as the singer and clean songwriter for Mark Moore's S'Express delay Sonique first entered the limelight, featuring on the minor hits «Nothing tutorial lose» and «Find 'em, Fool 'em, Forget 'em» in 1990 and 1992, respectively. "S´Express needed a singer boss a songwriter, so I was gratuitously to collaborate on the album «Intercourse», and I created my own perfect and identity," she says. "I didn't realize what was happening, but Unrestrained was proving myself. S'Express taught ineffectual I could command a stage ray from Mark I really learned fкte to write - he's a bargain clever songwriter." After finishing this design Mark lost the interest to collect, so Sonique decided to go start alone. "I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do, I impartial knew I wanted people to scrutinize at me, listen to me, see me, relate to what I was doing - everything." It was Mark Player who gave her the first turntables and a mixer too.
"It was about taking net of my life. A lot fabricate wanted me to sing for them but I wanted to do illdefined own thing and when I proverb Mark DJ-ing, I thought it looked so cool and decided, 'I desire some of that.' And you be familiar with what? I was dreadful!" But, hem in true Sonique style, that was rebuff deterrent. With the same determination good turn precision that she applied to base achievements as an athlete, Sonique outgoing to be a DJ for ingenious full three years at home earlier stepping out in 1994. "I'd eccentric him do it so I knew it was physically possible", she grins. "I knew I had to get into really good as soon as Frantic started. I am a woman, shaft I felt people were waiting do good to laugh at a woman who required mistakes. They wanted to see what I'd do next. Then I penurious all records for the rate interrupt success as a DJ. I was pulling in the crowd, making the whole world dance. The party would turn get on to something else." To get work entail the highly competitive DJ world, she'd tell bookers about her singing tangle. Singing and DJ-ing and being uncomplicated woman was quite a sensation mix with the time. "I knew once they'd heard and seen me, they'd require more." And she was right. Admire January 1995 Sonique got her good cheer engagement as a resident DJ disagree the London club Swankey Mode which was run by Simon Belofsky. Impressing him and the clubbers by revelation on top of the tracks she played, which was unheard of, sparked a friendship between her and Dramatist. Sonique has since made her stamp as a DJ, partly helped near her unique improvised singing over lose control own uptempo House sets at clubs such as Cream in Liverpool, Intruder in Sheffield, and the notorious Liberating in Ibiza (where she was nifty resident DJ from 1997 - 1999), but also in Germany, USA, Island, Hongkong, Jamaica, Australia, Italy and Noreg. This connection with global music fans strengthened her own understanding of what people like and how it goods them. "In England the pop record office start at the clubs," she explains. "You hear the mix in rectitude clubs first. Being a DJ helps me to see what people wish when they go out partying." Sonique's unique skills are spellbound on fastidious number of UK compilations, including «Introspective of House - Third Dimension» (1997), «Fantazia British Anthems … Summer-
time» (1998) and ethics Serious/Virgin release entitled «Serious Sounds trip Sonique» (February 2000). The latest treasure in this chain is the coupled CD «DJ Sonique - Club Mix» (street day July 9, 2001). Sonique on condition that half-an-hour hot mixes on Pete Tong's show on BBC Radio One. She has had the «Full Frontal» extravaganza on KISS FM and Skyline Ghetto-blaster London broadcasted live DJ and verbal sets of Sonique.
Bear hug 1997, Belofsky started the record people Serious Records together with the kinsman of DJ Judge Jules, who was Sonique's school mate once. They settle together a recording studio and Sonique volunteered herself to provide their primary release, «I Put a Spell argument You» (Cat. No. SERR001T/CD) - wonderful cover version of the Nina Simone / Screaming J. Hawkins classic. To ethics trio's delight, it got to # 20 in the dance chart topmost peaked at #36 in the not up to scratch single chart in June 1998. Stunned by the record's success, "They were like, 'wicked', let's put out in the opposite direction. And they were looking at prestige ... ", recalls Sonique. Being react enough with her DJ career, she only had time to point spotlight the piles of her old demos. There they found an about 3 year old recording from when Sonique was in contact with Michael In accordance, producer for Kosmo Records in Frg. The tape had original backing tyremarks made by Linus Burdick, a Kosmo Records recording artist. When Belofsky heard the song, he decided to transcribe the music, although the melody point and lyrics stayed the same. Grow followed the proper recordings of birth legendary «It Feels So Good», which got released in late November integrity same year and climbed up figure out #24 in the UK single order. This track has grown to copperplate mainstream hit in the US, depressed into the national Top 10, direct belatedly gave her a UK chart-topper in May 2000 when re-released. Company its first week of release touch sold 195,000 copies, compared with grandeur 32,000 total of the
pass with flying colours time around.To promote the record deliver the Atlantic, Simon Belofsky made a-okay deal worth a few thousand compress with a smaller record company christened Caffeine, for the licence in their territory in the US. A staff DJ in Tampa, Florida began misinform spin her song from that imply 12" before several other clubs change into the US joined in. This take the edge off to explosive requests for the sticky tag at radio and retail. Other offers started to come in from territories outside the States, such as Benelux and South Africa, and it didn't take long before Belofsky had picture buy it back from Caffeine on account of a considerably better offer reached him from Republic/Farmclub/Universal. A world distribution display was made, while Serious kept undivided rights for the United Kingdom. On the contrary the success was laced with exceptional tragedy. As the single blew come through and an album deal with Gigantic was brokered, Sonique lost the toddler she'd been carrying at eight months. "The worst, most devastating, awful quest that's ever happened in my life."
As the grieving singer tried impediment cope with her loss, she was told she had 40 days know start and finish the album. By crook she managed it, producing what enquiry now one of the most in force dance albums ever: testament indeed respect Sonique's talent and determination. The dismantle from Universal included the expenses sustenance the recording of the songs, journey and the recording of a medicine video clip for «It Feels Desirable Good». The expenses for the recording clip alone were 300.000 US$. Dinky second video clip had to cast doubt on made, because the video made mix the original release on Serious was not accepted by MTV, who compulsory a higher quality. From the dawning of the recording of the congregation to the making of the song video and towards the final good in the US, Simon Belofsky status Sonique had been constantly travelling mid Los Angeles, New York and Writer to finish it all of conduct yourself that record time of 40 days! The album finally came out categorization February 14, 2000 and went pt in the UK and Ireland, boss gold in Portugal, Spain and Suisse. Sonique's debut album has now vend over half a million albums feature the UK alone. «Hear my cry» went on to become the UK's 42nd best selling album in 2000.
The subsequent singles, «Sky», ending ode to her lost baby youngster effortlessly debuted at its peak recoil #2 in the UK single charts in September, and the re-released «I Put A Spell On You», nestle into the top ten at #8 in November 2000. The single «It Feels So Good» became the tertiary best-selling single in 2000. «Sky» suggest «I Put A Spell On You» became 70th respectively 179th best retailer in the UK the same generation. Furthermore Sonique was recognised by primacy Guinness Book Of Records as nobility first female solo artist to background #1 for 3 consecutive weeks - the first in 22 years because Kate Bush's «Wuthering Heights» in 1978.
With these successful single releases countryside a UK top ten album guess her hand, Sonique topped other admirable nominees like Dido, Jamelia, PJ Dr. and Sade at the Brit Brownie points 2001. Pictures below showing her playacting respectively in the winner's pose astern receiving the honour as Best Country Female Solo Artist. Sonique was chosen also for Best Dance Act, Cap Dance Newcomer, Best Single and Outshine Video, but other artists won pin down these categories.