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NASIA CHRISTIE was only three years old when she told her dad that one day she was going to be a famous singer and sing to the whole world. She can't remember wanting to be anything else.
Perhaps the biggest inspiration for Nasia was her mother, who paid her dues as a jazz singer at a famous nightclub called Isadora in Famagousta in Cyprus. However, with the advent of war and the Turkish invasion, Nasia's parents fled the town and entered Larnaca as refugees and this is where Nasia was born.
When she was six years old, still in Cyprus, Nasia knew she wanted to be a singer. She'd put on makeup and dress up in her mother's stage costumes and put on a show for the neighbourhood, belly dancing and singing for them. She gathered all the kids in the village and cast them in her musical and with a megaphone, Nasia directed and of course, was the star "I was a six year old megolamaniac", she recalls.
At the age of 7, Nasia and her parents migrated to Australia. First stop Melbourne where Nasia went to school. Attending the Language Centre to learn English, she remembers teaching the other kids all the rude Greek words, "we got in a lot of trouble for that" she recollects.
Her love of music continued and she found herself hooked on MTV, singing and dancing and imitating all her favourite artists which included Gloria Estefan, Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul and Madonna. For her, singing was always associated with the stage and dancing and acting.
At the age of ten, Nasia's parents split and this had a lasting impact on how she viewed the world "from an early age I knew what it meant to be happy and I could see that they weren't, this helped me accept my parents decision".
Nasia and her mother moved to Sydney where her mother went back to work as a singer in Greek club restaurants. From there it was an itinerant lifestyle, moving from school to school. However, for Nasia, it was an exciting time as it was at the peak of her mother's career, who was well known in the Greek community. Nasia got to attend all the rehearsals and watch every show. She was there to see all the behind the scenes dramas "I saw the hard work and what it actually takes to survive in an entertainment industry and how competitive it is,but I fell in love with it and it instilled a big desire in me to succeed in this world".
"My mum taught me to stand strong, to believe in myself and have faith in my abilities. She taught me to have the confidence to make the kind of choices that would make me feel proud. The entertainment industry is tough. You have to know who you are and be strong and hold onto that".
Nasia wrote her first original song when she was about 5 "It was just a verse and chorus, it was about a butterfly coloured silvery- blue and I named the song that. She was so beautiful she made me want to write a song for her. I rehearsed a dance routine and performed it all for my family. Chasing butterflies was a big pastime for me".
At 15 and after settling in Sydney, Nasia turned from writing poems to lyrics for songs. She joined the school band, formed jam sessions at lunchtimes and had so much fun through her love of music that she started writing original songs and performing in and out of school. She landed a spot as a dancer in a Brazilian extravaganza which toured internationally and studied performing arts at the well known "Brent Street Studios". This opened the doors to musical theatre and she landed a role in the stage production "Bye Bye Birdie" at the Newtown Theatre.
She spent all her spare time gigging, singing and dancing, even taking in teaching jobs in private schools.
"I soon got fed up with the whole covers thing and decided I wanted to put a band together and rehearse other musicians to play my own songs which was a more fulfilling experience for me and the rest is history".
Although Nasia has written a swag of songs for her album, she has decided to release a cover of Lynsey de Pauls 70s hit, Sugar Me as her first single.
"I fell in love with the song in Cyprus and when I saw the faces of those young girls bopping to the track with me, I liked the way it brought a smile to their faces. It affected me and I wanted to sing the song and put it back out there".
"Brian Canham produced the track. He's the lead singer from Pseudo Echo. I loved the 80s sounds he brought to the table. He helped get the direction right for the record for me".
"I am excited about the single and I hope the song will find its audience and I get to go on and record the rest of my album and go out there and take it to the people".
"I want to make people happy. Theres so much going on in the world thats negative and I want to bring a bright ray of sunshine. Art is supposed to lift us and take us to a place we cant go in our normal lives every day. I want to take people to a happier place..where anything is possible."
My second single 'PRAY' was written with a friend of mine and brilliant musician Ney Arrua. This song was inspired by four real life stories of teenagers I know well, and was written in the memory of Jerry Ngaronoa who was killed in a hit and run in Casula June 12,2008 before his 16th birthday. This song is for his little girl and for all the young people out there who need to restore their hope in this world. Through love, faith and education we can make the world a better for everyone. Let us live each day like it is the last so that we can love like never before, dream like never before and truly live like never before. We learn to experience life to the fullest and we can start today.
Sugar Me is available for download on itunes and other digital shops.
For more information regarding this release please send an email to this inbox. C
