Spread The Word: First You Don't Have The Right To Cry, Then The World For Kristina Maria
Tuesday, 02 December 2014
Written by Katie Territt
Canadian songstress Kristina Maria is already being hailed in certain circles as a modern twist on Celine Dion, and it’s not hard to join the dots and see why.
She’s managed and mentored by Vito Luprano, the same man who brought us Dion, while her recent single, You Don’t Have The Right To Cry, showcased some stunning vocals and hinted at bags of talent.
Maria is out to make her mark on the UK after enjoying some success back home, and we caught up with her to find out all about a rising star.
You Don’t Have The Right To Cry is out now. Tell us about the song.
I didn’t co-write this particular song as I normally do but even so, it’s actually one of my favourites. It’s so beautiful and I have this real connection with it. My producer played the song to me in the studio and I had a real tear in my eye and fell in love with it immediately.
It’s a song about this guy who is leaving me and then he comes back and says: “I messed up - I want you back.” And I say: “No, go away! I’ve cried so much because of you and so, no you don’t have the right to cry and beg for me.” I know I’m worth much more than that. Everyone has been through that, right? It’s essentially an empowering song and everyone relates to it.
The video has had something like a million views. So that’s your proof that a LOT of people relate to that song.
I know, right? It’s amazing. I love the video. We have great dancers in it too, who play a key part. It’s an emotional video and the dancers are going through the journey of a break up. And, hey, my band is in there and they are so cool and look great. I love them. Really cool people.
What influences your songwriting?
It’s a mixture of things but mostly it’s a day in the life of Kristina Maria. I say that because I really do put myself out there through my music and it’s therapy. It’s the way I express myself and how I spill out my feelings and emotions. There’s a song of mine called Move Like a Soldier which is about a woman who has an alcoholic boyfriend and she would do anything to help him. So she ‘moves like a soldier’, with precision, so she can help him get out of it.
This was my inspiration: I had been watching a drunk-driving documentary on TV which moved me and made me very emotional. So the next day I walked into the studio in LA, went to my co-writer and said I wanted to write a song about it. So I can be inspired by emotional things and also from silly things too. For example, I have another song about Spring Break called Where The Sun Don’t Shine. Inspiration can come from anywhere.
Surprise us - is there anything you like musically that we wouldn’t expect?
I love rap. I can’t rap to save my life – I’m a horrible rapper - but in the car I rap like crazy. I really love it. Daniel Radcliffe doing it on that TV show was rad, I was so impressed! Other than that I enjoy a little bit of everything. I love jazz greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James. I listen to everything. It depends on my mood.
When can we expect an album in the UK?
We are working on it, but for now I am concentrating on my single. Possibly two or three singles first, and then an album later on.
Would you like to tour the UK?
Absolutely! Are you kidding? I love it here. I can’t wait. As soon as I can.
You’ve enjoyed success in Canada - the plan must be to emulate that across the globe?
Of course, I want to be better and ‘spread out’. It is the ultimate goal to be successful worldwide. But I still feel new to this. It’s not so new but it feels like it. I am still learning - I am like a sponge and soak it all up and I want to learn and grow.
What has been your favourite show so far?
In Morocco they have this event called The Tolerance and they have it once a year, it’s huge. Two years ago I had a hit in France with a French artist and we’d been asked to perform at this festival which was in Agadir. It was on the beach too. There are a lot of other artists there and we all sing for tolerance and world peace. There were around 200,000 people as far as the eye could see. It was insane, such a cool feeling. Being part of that was amazing.
What does the future hold?
The ultimate goal is to become known worldwide. But right now it’s about spreading the word about the single. I just hope people love it as much as I do.
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