Artists in New York, Part IX, Sonia Montez

It's been a while but I want to bring back a very popular feature here on 'Streetcred', the artists in New York series.

Sonia Montez, is a wonderful young lady I have been trying to catch up with for a while. Finally Clara Lofaro, introduced me to her at a birthday party and I got to hear as Clara put it "her big ass voice".

Sonia..

  At age 6, in San Juan, Sonia studied voice and violin. Not cool, so she taught herself how to play her mom's guitar!

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Sonia: 
       As for New York and Brooklyn:
I moved to Brooklyn in '98, and spent most of my youth hopping through NYC's subcultures. I've lived here half of my life; this is a beautiful city that way, it has had the unique ability to allow me to expand my higher consciousness, free of judgement or constraint. It cradles that sort of thought process while at the same time letting me fall on my ass more times than I care to remember. It's also the place where I feel most comfortable taking all of my creative influences, no matter how absurd or silly, and experimenting with them, because, whether I ultimately consider myself successful or not it's a constant learning experience. Where else could I sing backup in a rock show, then play in an all female mariachi, then do one of my own shows, followed by singing salsa and Merengue in a Latin group, then do a corporate top 40 tunes band gig, then do a jingle spot for a company in Asia, and compose a score for a film. I'm simply never bored, musically speaking, and I love taking on challenges.

 I asked Sonia the two questions I ask everyone..
Q: If you were leaving the planet and you could only take one album with you which would it be?

Sonia: 
      Oh, that's mean... I've always been partial to Pinkerton by Weezer, it's such a raw "fuck it all" album. It would probably be really cool to blast Getchoo while going through a wormhole, which I'm assuming is the way I would be traveling, possibly from alien invaders.

Q: If you could perform with anyone who would you choose?

Sonia: 
   She's passed, but Mercedes Sosa, all the way. I've given this a lot of thought, actually. The power and pure emotion in her voice is so embedded in my brain, even though I never got see her live, just to stand next to her while she sang, I think, would've been amazing. I've never heard anyone sing songs about revolution and love and life the way she sang them. It's like she had the strength and sadness of all the indigenous people in the Americas within her larynx.

Sonia Montez

                                     

Sonia:
  I think I've played a bit of everywhere in NY, and not a lot of everywhere else. In the 90's I played The Bottom Line and The Baggot Inn (which both closed a while back), some other now closed hip venues, and, of course Sidewalk Cafe. Then, as a freelancer in my 20's I played Highline Ballroom, SouthPaw, The Blue Note, Union Pool, etc. I've also played Rockwood (of course) and The Living Room, Parkside Lounge, Trash Bar, Puppets Jazz Bar (which I think might have closed too). Last summer I played the acoustic stage at a music festival in Southampton with Chairlift, Best Coast, and Patti Smith (Escape 2 NY).

Sooooo....NYC, here is another Indie Artist, talented, creative, experienced, that you need to get out and support!

My thanks to Sonia for taking the time to share a bit of another New York Experience with us!!



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