Indie Artist Spotlight
February 1, 2012
Sonia Rao
Artist Sonia Rao combines her soulful voice with piano, singing her
original songs. Some are haunting, some are joyful, some are gritty
and raw, but all feature Sonia’s incredible voice and honest lyrics.
Fans are struck by how deeply personal her songs are; in listening to
her lyrics, one feels they are hearing her innermost thoughts and
feelings. These intimate stories, combined with Sonia’s striking
voice, draw listeners to her music. Following her recent appearance on
NBC’s The Voice, Sonia released her debut album, ‘Calm Her’ in August
2011.
Growing up in New Jersey with first-generation immigrant parents,
Sonia says that her parents have challenged her decision to pursue
music every step of the way, a process that has helped her clarify and
articulate why playing music is so important to her. Since childhood,
Sonia searched for a way to express herself that “felt like enough”.
From painting to dancing to acting out, nothing felt like a deep
enough expression of her emotions until she wrote her first song in
the spring of 2010. Sonia says, “Once I wrote that first song, I spent
the rest of that year in San Francisco writing in my little
multicolored room, drinking insane amounts of coffee, introducing my
classical violin to the blues and country, and collaborating with as
many musicians as I could.”
Sonia says that her parents have challenged her decision to pursue
music every step of the way, a process that has helped her clarify and
articulate why playing music is so important to her. Since childhood,
Sonia searched for a way to express herself that “felt like enough”.
From painting to dancing to acting out, nothing felt like a deep
enough expression of her emotions until she wrote her first song in
the spring of 2010. Sonia says, “Once I wrote that first song, I spent
the rest of that year in San Francisco writing in my little
multicolored room, drinking insane amounts of coffee, introducing my
classical violin to the blues and country, and collaborating with as
many musicians as I could.”
‘Calm Her’ was the result of an amazing fundraising effort in which
fans, friends, and fellow artists from The Voice, raised thousands of
dollars to help Sonia create her album. When asked about the
inspiration for the album title, Sonia says, “I wrote the title track,
‘Calm Her’, about society’s attempt to stifle the intuitive, creative,
and sexual energy of women. What I am trying to say with this song,
with this album, and with my own actions is that society will never be
able to suppress something as enormous as the feminine, and thus, it
is impossible to ‘Calm Her’.
fans, friends, and fellow artists from The Voice, raised thousands of
dollars to help Sonia create her album. When asked about the
inspiration for the album title, Sonia says, “I wrote the title track,
‘Calm Her’, about society’s attempt to stifle the intuitive, creative,
and sexual energy of women. What I am trying to say with this song,
with this album, and with my own actions is that society will never be
able to suppress something as enormous as the feminine, and thus, it
is impossible to ‘Calm Her’.
As she sings about in the delightful track “Here, Now,” Sonia is
grateful for all of the support in her life and feels incredibly lucky
to be living her passion. You can hear her music on iTunes and find
her performing in San Francisco and Los Angeles at venues such as The
Hotel Café, The Viper Room, and Yoshi’s.
For upcoming shows, tour dates, and music, go to soniarao.com
grateful for all of the support in her life and feels incredibly lucky
to be living her passion. You can hear her music on iTunes and find
her performing in San Francisco and Los Angeles at venues such as The
Hotel Café, The Viper Room, and Yoshi’s.
For upcoming shows, tour dates, and music, go to soniarao.com
Sonia Rao On “The Voice”
NBC
Sonia Rao Live At 90.7 KPFK.
Sonia Rao”She”
