SOFIA KATSAROS- Singer • Songwriter • International Live Performer
Interview conducted September 09, 2020
By Dan Locke
What is your upbringing?
I am half Greek, half Colombian, born in New York. I relocated to Greece at the age of 10 with my family, and after I finished high school I moved to Athens and began my career as a professional singer, performing live on stage.
You moved from NYC to Greece; what do you remember about NYC?
My fondest memories as a child living in NYC are the holidays. On Halloween, dressing up and trick or treating with my mom and brother was always exciting. Afterward, we would go home and I’d separate the good candy from the bad and then dupe my younger brother to trade me; I’d offer 5 bad chocolates for 2 good ones. To him, it was a bargain (kids right?). Thanksgiving at my godmother’s best friend’s house was also always amazing because I’d get to see many dear friends and family, and the food was only gourmet (not kidding); a buffet with 30 dishes, 6 different dishes per course. Christmas was wonderful too. We would go to my aunt’s house for her Christmas Eve dinner party (best homemade Greek food in NYC). The house would be beautifully decorated with the gorgeous tree and lights and all the Christmas decorations, and we would laugh and open many presents. However, before leaving for my aunt’s house my mom would always forget her purse in the house, every year. Then, she would say, “I’m going inside to get my purse and I’ll be back in a minute.” As we waited patiently in the car with my dad, she would run in and get all the presents that were hidden inside the closet and put them under the tree. She would also eat a piece of the cookies and drink half the milk and chew on a carrot or two we had left out for Santa and his reindeer. Returning home after the Christmas Eve party, my brother and I could not believe our eyes… Santa had come and left us all many presents under the tree. He ate the cookies, drank the milk and the reindeer ate the carrots. The holidays were always memorable.
How did you discover music?
I discovered MTV when I was about 8 or 9 years old. I was amazed by the different music, the amazing voices, each singing in their own genre, the dancing and the awesome video clips. I would mimic the choreographies and would sing along to all the daily hits that I had memorized a day or two later, and would watch it as often as possible. I then decided that this is what I want to do when I grow up.
How did you start to write music?
I have many notebooks with poetry in them that I started writing ever since I was 14 years old, so I wrote lyrics from a young age. I began composing music when I started creating my original records in 2018, with my first single that I co-wrote with my producer, Alvin Anthony.
You got your bachelor’s degree from Deree, The American College of Greece, in communications with a focus on PR and advertising and a minor in foreign languages. How has it helped you with your career and how has music PR changed?
Communications, in my opinion, is a necessary tool for all professions; however, in the entertainment industry, it’s everything. I was always sociable and great at networking, but my education taught me a lot about the business aspect of communications and how it’s used to market a business, product, or service, so this was a great asset for me in my field. The minor in foreign languages helped me to gain a better knowledge of the French and Italian languages. I speak 6 languages and they come in handy as I travel all over the world as a performer, and I can communicate with many people in their own language, which is always better for them, and I also sing in many languages too.
What was your first performance like?
It was amazing. I was very excited to perform and had such a fun time doing it!!! I had my first concert in Corinth; my hometown here in Greece. I have a video of my performance there which I value like treasure, because I can always look back and see me singing for the first time, live in front of an audience as a professional performer.
How was your experience in creating your first single “With You Here Tonight” back in 2018, working alongside Alvin Anthony?
It was an incredible experience since I had the chance to work with multi-talented music producer Alvin Anthony. We both loved the idea to write the music and lyrics together for our first single, “With You Here Tonight”; an uplifting tropical house record. We first composed the vocal melody and then we wrote the lyrics. Alvin was great at giving me guidance in the studio when we recorded the song, and we both enjoyed the creation of this great record.
Tell me about your latest recording, “Aphrodite”?
Aphrodite is our second collaboration with Alvin Anthony. The track is a euro-dance song that’s directed towards, and dedicated to, women, in hopes of empowering them and encouraging them to fight against domestic abuse. Like the Greek goddess Aphrodite, all women are also powerful and should not settle for less than what they deserve, or become victims to abusive relationships. Our goal is to help all women understand they have an inner goddess Aphrodite that they carry inside them. It’s time to unleash your special powers and say NO to a partner that does not respect or treasure you, and say YES to a partner that knows your extraordinary worth and value, and who will treat you like the goddess you really are.
How was your experience in shooting the video clip for “Aphrodite”?
I was very excited and had an amazing time at the shoot. The director, Michael Patanas, owner of the production company Nighstories, was incredible as he is a professional cinematographer, and he captured my vision of Aphrodite with great success. My co-protagonist, Dimitris Nezis, that is also a singer/songwriter and live stage performer, is also a radio producer and an actor. He was able, with my guidance, to envision the actual character of the male roles in the song and he was on point in portraying them on camera. Everyone can find it on my “Sofia Katsaros” YouTube channel. I hope you all enjoy the song and video clip!
What are your feelings about streaming music? Digital vs. Vinyl?
The fact that music has become digital has definitely hurt the music industry financially, and this becomes more and more evident as the years go by. I myself used to buy CDs of my favourite artists in the past; now, I go online and stream or download their music. My feelings are ambivalent about this as on the one hand, as an artist, I may not be able to make as much profit as I could have when music was sold on CDs in record stores, however, on the other hand, the digital era offers many more possibilities for upcoming artists to be able to get themselves out there and have their own following, and be able to create a steady fanbase that will download and stream their music.
At the start of the virus, you released the single “Perfect”. Tell me about it.
Italian music producer Chris Keya and I decided to release our first single, “Perfect,” in April, at the beginning of the quarantine, in hopes of lifting the spirits of everyone as we were all facing difficult and uncertain times. It’s a fun dance song that speaks about the concept of true love and how it protects us from all evil and harm when it’s pure.
How do you feel that the Covid-19 virus is going to affect the music business in the future?
The virus and its repercussions have already affected the music business, as all of our live performances have been cancelled due to the precautionary measures in place to prevent its spread. I can only hope that things will get better for us, not only for the people in the music industry but for the entire world.
What have you been doing with yourself during the quarantine?
I have been writing new music, for the most part, however, I have also been listening to many new records by other talented indie artists, as I always try to support my fellow performers.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
I have discovered a new interest towards digital marketing and am trying to learn as much as possible, to be able to use this tool for advancing my music business.
95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. Which is your favorite streaming channel?
I own a television; however, I do not watch television. I watch Netflix in my spare time, to relax.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. What are you planning to do?
So far, I have not been live-streaming over social media platforms. I will announce it on my social media profiles if I do begin to live-stream my concerts.
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