Just myself, and sometimes guest singers for shows, as well as my mandolin player, drummer, stand-up bass player, and ocassional burlesque dancers, guitaritsts and accordionists.
Influences
Charles Aznavour, Jacques Brel, Marlene Deitrich, David Bowie, Marie Laforet, Serge Gainsbourg, Ennio Morriconne, Abdel Halim Hafez, Tchaikovsky, Nina Simone, Dusty Springfield, Scott Walker, Natacha Atlas, George Dalaras, Tom Waits, Kurt Weill, Pedro Almodovar, Simply Red, Dalida, Barbara, Joe Dassin, Marianne Faithfull, Harry Belafante, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Amalia Rodrigues, ABBA, Eurythmics, Khaled, Yves Montand, Billy Idol, Michel Sardou, Amr Diab, Moby, Rufus Wainwright, Johnny Cash, Seal, Sinead O'Connor, Marilyn Manson, Edith Piaf, Robert Plant, Dead Or Alive, Madonna, Bonnie Tyler, Claude Nougaro, Georgio Moroder, Claude Francois, U2, Rachid Taha, Leonard Cohen, Eros Ramazzotti, Sly & The Family Stone, Paolo Conte, Phyllis Hyman, Sufjan Stevens, Diana Ross, Yianni Poloupolous, Pet Shop Boys, Camilo Sesto, Mark Lanegan, Caetano Veloso, Jobim, Sade, Cole Porter, Chico Buarque, Alexander Vertinsky, Burt Bacharach, Amy Winehouse, Maria Bethania, Don McLean, Frank Sinatra, Morrissey, Richard Swift, Fiona Apple, Enrico Macias
Sounds Like
Jacques Brel, Rufus Wainwright, Leonard Cohen, Charles Aznavour, Jobim, Kurt Weill, Pet Shop Boys
World pop music influenced by French, Greek, Latin, American, Russian, Klezmer, Singer/songwriter, Arabic, Persian, Cabaret, Catholicism, music for the 21st century.
Old world European cabaret meets new world meets pop, dance and electronica
Amazon.com's editorial review of my album: Promis' sepia-tinged debut album mixes the stories and melodies of old French and European cabaret, with the urban realities of life in Los Angeles in the early 21st century, with modern electronic production, and the end result is an eclectic, almost mini-opera of tales of lost dreams, unfulfilled expecations and relationships gone astray. In the end, however, the music winds up being hopeful, humane and honest. As one of the songs says, in the end, everything bad just "winds up a song."
This Chilean-born songwriter who divides his time between Europe and Los Angeles began playing in Los Angeles' cabaret and burlesque scene of the early 00s, in places such as the Hotel Café, the Gardenia, Vitello’s, the Vermont, Bordello, Tangier, M Bar, the Other Side and the legendary and now-defunct Bricktop’s, as well as in a variety of restaurants and shows. In Fall 2005 his songs (including "The Street") were featured in the musical "Night Of The Black Cat," a take-off on French cabaret, and in early 2006 he self-released his first album "Promis," which drew heavily from that style of music. Also in 2006 he played his first show in Paris, recorded a song ("For Respect") for a French record label compilation and was an entertainer for the "Ghetto Gourmet" underground restaurants.
In May 2007 he released his second album "Promis 2" which drew heavily from different styles of international music. He also sang on a Beijing Chinese New Year television show, played L.A.'s annual Fete de la Musique and his song "Drinking Alone" made it onto XM Radio. In October 2007 his song "With Some Of Us Blessed" was featured on the benefit album "A Drop Of Rain: Songs Of Strength And Hope For Darfur.”
In 2008 his song "It's A Fire!" from his first album was featured in the independent art-house film "Marta's Sex Tape." More varied performances began to pop up, from playing 1930s styled sets for the Hollywood Women's Club to more theatrical shows for the Antebellum S&M Art Gallery in Hollywood.
In 2008 he released his third album Promis III, co-produced by British-born Ian Matthews, which blends his songs with Ian's electronic and dance production. He took off to Paris for the summer as that is where he has found his largest fan base, and embarked on a summer tour throughout France, Belgium and Greece, playing small cabarets throughout the continent.
He rang in the New Year for 2009 in Fairmont, Minnesota, doing his career's first New Year's Eve show. In January 2009 he released his fourth album "Life Is Grand!" produced and co-written by Turkish-born Ayhan Sahin. In March 2009 he was featured in the musical "Cabaret Mediterranea and Drag Arabia," staged at Highways Performance Center in Santa Monica, CA and featuring his songs "My Benefactor," "One Kind Word" and "Home."
In 2009 his song "Drinking Alone" was featured in the independent American film "The Graduates," and his songs "Memories & Souvenirs" and "With Some Of Us Blessed" were featured in the independent Argentine film "Love Equation."
His biggest success came in Spring 2009 when he headlined the Festival de Printemps (Spring Festival) in Valence, France, and later, in May, played the very famous Paris concert venue Cafe de la Danse, opening for his friend Syrano, and exposing his music to the biggest audience he has thus far had.
Later in 2009 he also played in Los Angeles' annual Thai cultural festival at Barnsdale Arts Park (due to a Thai friend...)
His music is influenced by the international singers that existed and thrived until about the late 1970s…when singers and songwriters could sing songs that sounded vaguely French, Greek, Arabic, Gypsy, Latin…and be able to move from genre to genre, and style to style, while still retaining a sense of who they were.
TEASER FOR MY FOURTH ALBUM "LIFE IS GRAND !" FEATURING THE SONG "I PROMISE"
LIVE at the Other Side singing "Those Were The Days"
Every morning, every night, sometimes in the middle of the day... Escaping into dark, quiet corners to relieve myself Sometimes calmly, sometimes furiously... shamelessly Three times again today, is no surprise Laughing every time... seeing what I'd do to satisfy I want to take you up on all your offers... let you try Fulfill all the scintillating needs inside Heavenly wings and spitfire tongues taste like lullabies!
Salut voila le 1er clip de la KonarTeam "Tout me fait rire" extrait du cd 5 titres "KONARLAND" qui sort le 17 decembre 2009.(bande annonce) J'aimerais bien savoir ce que tu penses de notre univers , et si t'aimes FAIS TOURNNNNEEEEERRRR" ;)
Thank you so much for the friendship and also for your beautiful songs and the attractive sensibility in your vocals and in your play of guitar and piano,mandolin,accordion,violin,nice musicians,good rythmic,big emotion. Pleasant and long musical journey.
(Comme je vois tu aimes beaucoup de styles musicaux dont les chansons Françaises et Belges...)
