Oriana Curls is a French Jazz , Pop and Cabaret Singer-Songwriter based in London. Her talent as a songwriter and her impressive four-octave range voice has already allowed her to work with some of the best musicians, writers and producers throughout London.
Having been trained classically in violin, piano, opera and ballet, she has a strong Italian and Spanish family background and was also born in Strasbourg near the German border, which makes her a multilingual singer. Being influenced by classical, jazz, Latin and French chanson, she sings about love and relationships, she seduces, moves and entertains the audience with jazzy up-tempo numbers and romantic soaring ballads. Combined with her charming gypsy violin playing and dance movements, she is very reminiscent of the most renowned French names (Edith Piaf), adding some timeless songs to her repertoire. Oriana has released her first live acoustic EP in 2014, available on all platforms. Her debut album has just been mastered at the legendary Abbey Road Studios and is set for release later in 2016.
1. How did you get to where you are as a singer-songwriter?
It’s been a long and tough journey at times! Moving to London was definitely the biggest step I had to take to get things started, and I don’t regret it. It‘s then been all about building my self confidence, developing my skills and network…The more you do it, the more you’ll meet people with who you artistically connect and everything becomes more natural. I think that living in the right city and being surrounded by the right team is crucial as it can help you evolve much faster.
2. What is your typical day like?
When I’m not gigging or on set, I spend most of my day organizing my projects and gigs: calling people and sending emails is a huge part of it. I also try to look after myself as much as I can with exercise, relaxation and nice food. I love keeping my sites updated and sharing what I’ve been up to with my followers via social medias, especially on Instagram!
3. Who or what inspires you?
London is an inspiring city filled with very talented people coming from very different cultural backgrounds. Strong and independent female artists always inspire me, as well as romance. I’m French after all!
4. How would you describe your personal style?
French, fun and vintage!
Photographer: Paul Soso www.paulsoso.co.uk
Photographer: Paul Soso www.paulsoso.co.uk
5. How did your Jazz band, Oriana & The Charmers come to perform in front of celebrity audiences?
We are regularly invited to perform at private events by agencies and promoters, or by venues that we have contacted directly. It just happens that some of those events are attended or organized by celebrities! We’ve been lucky to perform in front of people like Nicole Scherzinger or Sir Tony Robinson amongst others.
6. What skills or personal attributes do you think are most important to being successful in the music industry?
I think no matter how talented you are, you need to be able to see yourself as a business, develop your product with the best possible quality and sell it to the right people. There is space for absolutely everybody if you know how to do that!
7. What have been some highs in your music career?
Meeting and being coached by Marcella Puppini (founder of The Puppini Sisters) was a key moment in my life as it felt like I was finally really connected to my musical family. Finding the right producer (Koby Israelite) has been so important to me as sound is such a massive part of any artist’s musical personality! Having my songs mixed and mastered by Grammy award winning producers (Helik Hadar, Geoff Pesche) was also an achievement. Performance wise, being able to sing in buildings such as The Royal Albert Hall, or at The Eiffel tower have been unique experiences.
Photographer Credit: Taz Rahman www.amonochromedream.com
8. Do you ever get discouraged working in the music industry?
I wouldn’t say that working in the music industry has ever discouraged me at all! It’s all about taking everything as a challenge. The difficulty lies more in the fact that there is no real formula, so you really have to find what works for you, and find your own unique way to get where you want to go.
9. What is your dream gig? Is there anywhere that you'd like to perform that you haven't as yet?
I would really love to go on tour around the world! It might be in venues, jazz clubs, house concerts, just go on a journey, share moments with my audience and come back with a whole new perspective.
10. Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians?
Always listen to yourself and write music that you believe in and that represents who you are. Talk to people, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Be patient and perseverant. Stick to your beliefs but accept that this is not a straightforward road and that you might have to compromise at times or push your limits.
11. What's next for you? Do you have any tour dates planned?
My first album has just been mixed at Abbey Roads Studios. Now I need to get the artwork done and organize the release at the end of the year. I am planning to go on tour next year.
Interview by Glodeane Brown
You can watch Oriana's videos here: YouTube
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