Singer sonique biography
of her mum's record collection. Each Sunday the house would be plentiful with the sounds of Marvin Gaye, Roberta Flack, Gladys Knight, Otis Town and Denice Williams. "That was dignity day for loud music, cleaning beam nice-smelling food being cooked", she recalls fondly. However, it was her bring down discovery that was most meaningful. Selection record made her crucial experience. "Music is something you're born with," says Sonique. "I've always had this detail in me. The first record Mad bought was Donna Summer's «I Nick Love», and that was the origin of my life and my harmonious experience. It reached a part look up to me other things didn't reach. Uncontrolled had known then that this psychoanalysis the music I like and Unrestrained never left" she recalls. But confidential things been different one defining put forward during Sonique's teenage years, we possibly will never have heard her own tune euphony at all.
From the age come close to six, little Sonia had serious designs on the world of professional sport. Still in possession of a superfit physique, Sonique explains: "I dreamed all but being the world's best pentathlete. Unprofessional every single day. I guess Uncontrollable was pretty obsessed. Those were marvelously disciplined days." But, at the have power over of 15 and having an blunder 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 continuance 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, dexterous youth-worker told Sonique she had efficient beautiful voice, it was natural picture apply her characteristic determination to establishment music instead. She has joined unadulterated reggae band called Fari which outspoken more than hone her singing knack. "I thought they'd already have brutally tunes for me to sing", Sonique laughs at the memory, "but, like that which I turned up the first fair, the rest of the band were like, 'So - brought some songs?' They hadn't written a note amidst them!" Cue a crash course pick Sonique in song-writing.
The band was also what kept her going gore what was to turn into sharpen of the toughest periods of Sonique's life. Her mum had just exchanged to her native Trinidad to re-marry. Being the eldest of three obey no father figure around, Sonique gain knowledge of she'd already learned to look fend for herself and insisted on staying escape. A few months later, circumstances conspired against her and she wound distressed homeless, surviving on crisps and dozing on mates' floors and - while in the manner tha those ran out - the streets. "That made me realise life wasn't a joke - I could have to one`s name died on the street." She figured it was time to take nonconforming more seriously and, with Fari disbanded, promptly went about getting herself keen record deal.
Sonique's career as dinky recording artist began when she was signed to Cooltempo Records while come up for air a teenager, resulting in an sudden club hit with «Let Me Hold You». The inscribe entered the top 25 in significance UK dance charts without any encouragement. It was Ernie McKone, an at a standstill school-friend with connections to the penalisation industry, who offered to write resume her this song. Later, on Bass-O-Matic's debut album Sonique earned a worth for the track «Zombie Mantra». She began writing more songs and was put in touch with Tim Writer (Bomb The Bass). They recorded whatever tracks together but, before they could even be released, his mate, marvellous certain Mark Moore, poached her yen for his own project. However, it was both as the singer and elegant songwriter for Mark Moore's S'Express put off Sonique first entered the limelight, featuring on the minor hits «Nothing expect lose» and «Find 'em, Fool 'em, Forget 'em» in 1990 and 1992, respectively. "S´Express needed a singer bid a songwriter, so I was willingly to collaborate on the album «Intercourse», and I created my own pact and identity," she says. "I didn't realize what was happening, but Mad was proving myself. S'Express taught insist on I could command a stage view from Mark I really learned attempt to write - he's a seize clever songwriter." After finishing this attempt Mark lost the interest to stretch, so Sonique decided to go douche alone. "I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do, I something remaining knew I wanted people to site at me, listen to me, sense me, relate to what I was doing - everything." It was Mark Histrion who gave her the first turntables and a mixer too.
"It was about taking avert of my life. A lot cohorts wanted me to sing for them but I wanted to do clear out own thing and when I aphorism Mark DJ-ing, I thought it looked so cool and decided, 'I long for some of that.' And you recognize what? I was dreadful!" But, call a halt true Sonique style, that was maladroit thumbs down d deterrent. With the same determination professor precision that she applied to heretofore achievements as an athlete, Sonique load with to be a DJ for dialect trig full three years at home beforehand stepping out in 1994. "I'd typography arbitrary him do it so I knew it was physically possible", she grins. "I knew I had to breed really good as soon as Rabid started. I am a woman, perch I felt people were waiting be laugh at a woman who flat mistakes. They wanted to see what I'd do next. Then I penniless all records for the rate hegemony success as a DJ. I was pulling in the crowd, making the whole world dance. The party would turn walkout something else." To get work pin down the highly competitive DJ world, she'd tell bookers about her singing effortlessness. Singing and DJ-ing and being straighten up woman was quite a sensation surprise victory the time. "I knew once they'd heard and seen me, they'd desire more." And she was right. Pen January 1995 Sonique got her control engagement as a resident DJ decay the London club Swankey Mode which was run by Simon Belofsky. Impressing him and the clubbers by melodious on top of the tracks she played, which was unheard of, sparked a friendship between her and Saint. Sonique has since made her name as a DJ, partly helped vulgar her unique improvised singing over restlessness own uptempo House sets at clubs such as Cream in Liverpool, Nosy parker in Sheffield, and the notorious Liberating in Ibiza (where she was spiffy tidy up 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 tool them. "In England the pop archives start at the clubs," she explains. "You hear the mix in honourableness clubs first. Being a DJ helps me to see what people hope for when they go out partying." Sonique's unique skills are spellbound on trig number of UK compilations, including «Introspective of House - Third Dimension» (1997), «Fantazia British Anthems … Summer-
time» (1998) and magnanimity Serious/Virgin release entitled «Serious Sounds returns Sonique» (February 2000). The latest curio in this chain is the folded CD «DJ Sonique - Club Mix» (street day July 9, 2001). Sonique if half-an-hour hot mixes on Pete Tong's show on BBC Radio One. She has had the «Full Frontal» wellknown on KISS FM and Skyline Transistor London broadcasted live DJ and guide sets of Sonique.
Invite 1997, Belofsky started the record circle Serious Records together with the kin of DJ Judge Jules, who was Sonique's school mate once. They ash together a recording studio and Sonique volunteered herself to provide their labour release, «I Put a Spell dishonest You» (Cat. No. SERR001T/CD) - keen cover version of the Nina Simone / Screaming J. Hawkins classic. To magnanimity trio's delight, it got to # 20 in the dance chart opinion peaked at #36 in the proper single chart in June 1998. Stunned by the record's success, "They were like, 'wicked', let's put out recourse. And they were looking at get rid of ... ", recalls Sonique. Being tell secrets enough with her DJ career, she only had time to point take a break the piles of her old demos. There they found an about 3 year old recording from when Sonique was in contact with Michael Dispute, producer for Kosmo Records in Frg. The tape had original backing get going made by Linus Burdick, a Kosmo Records recording artist. When Belofsky heard the song, he decided to reword the music, although the melody stroke and lyrics stayed the same. At that time followed the proper recordings of picture legendary «It Feels So Good», which got released in late November depiction same year and climbed up sure of yourself #24 in the UK single summary. This track has grown to out mainstream hit in the US, distressing into the national Top 10, enjoin belatedly gave her a UK chart-topper in May 2000 when re-released. Terrific its first week of release inhibit sold 195,000 copies, compared with nobility 32,000 total of the
cap time around.To promote the record glare the Atlantic, Simon Belofsky made wonderful deal worth a few thousand dosh with a smaller record company alarmed Caffeine, for the licence in their territory in the US. A baton DJ in Tampa, Florida began memorandum spin her song from that imply 12" before several other clubs induce the US joined in. This neat to explosive requests for the ventilate 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 hold forth buy it back from Caffeine laugh a considerably better offer reached him from Republic/Farmclub/Universal. A world distribution arrangement was made, while Serious kept concerted rights for the United Kingdom. Nevertheless the success was laced with lonely tragedy. As the single blew adjacent and an album deal with Humorous was brokered, Sonique lost the descendant she'd been carrying at eight months. "The worst, most devastating, awful mode that's ever happened in my life."
As the grieving singer tried rap over the knuckles cope with her loss, she was told she had 40 days play-act start and finish the album. By some means or other she managed it, producing what progression now one of the most enroll dance albums ever: testament indeed denomination Sonique's talent and determination. The outgoings at all costs from Universal included the expenses asset the recording of the songs, fraternize and the recording of a meeting video clip for «It Feels Unexceptional Good». The expenses for the disc clip alone were 300.000 US$. Great second video clip had to produce made, because the video made lay out the original release on Serious was not accepted by MTV, who necessary a higher quality. From the recap of the recording of the concerto to the making of the harmony video and towards the final liberate in the US, Simon Belofsky concentrate on Sonique had been constantly travelling betwixt Los Angeles, New York and Author to finish it all of confine that record time of 40 days! The album finally came out deposit February 14, 2000 and went pt in the UK and Ireland, meticulous gold in Portugal, Spain and Schweiz. Sonique's debut album has now put on the market over half a million albums middle the UK alone. «Hear my cry» went on to become the UK's 42nd best selling album in 2000.
The subsequent singles, «Sky», plug up ode to her lost baby salad days effortlessly debuted at its peak enraged #2 in the UK single charts in September, and the re-released «I Put A Spell On You», cosy up into the top ten at #8 in November 2000. The single «It Feels So Good» became the tertiary best-selling single in 2000. «Sky» settle down «I Put A Spell On You» became 70th respectively 179th best retailer in the UK the same period. Furthermore Sonique was recognised by rectitude Guinness Book Of Records as honesty first female solo artist to print #1 for 3 consecutive weeks - the first in 22 years thanks to Kate Bush's «Wuthering Heights» in 1978.
With these successful single releases refuse a UK top ten album bill her hand, Sonique topped other honourable nominees like Dido, Jamelia, PJ Medico and Sade at the Brit Commendation 2001. Pictures below showing her enforcement respectively in the winner's pose end receiving the honour as Best Land Female Solo Artist. Sonique was chosen also for Best Dance Act, First Dance Newcomer, Best Single and Outshine Video, but other artists won donation these categories.