Friday 6 November 2015

On The Radar: XCLUSIVE! Interview with singer Eleni C

This week in XCLUSIVE! I caught up with London Cypriot singer Eleni C to find out about her music, love of performing live and her upcoming Westfield Presents showcase in the Music Cube!

How did your music journey first begin? I always loved to sing and I fell in love with performing and then music became as essential to me as breathing. However, it was when I first sang my own material that I first thought I want music to be my life. 

You've performed in many local festivals and events in North London, is it important for you to make a name for yourself in your local community? I love performing in local festivals and events as it enables me not only to share my music but to also give something back to my local community. 

You've been an opening act for Greek ska-reggae band Locomondo and also UK singer Little Boots how did that come about? As the winner of the international Cyprus Music Festival in 2013 I was offered the opportunity to be one of the opening acts for the Locomondo concert. I was thrilled to say the least and I truly loved the experience as it offered me the opportunity to sing to a completely different crowd that I was used to. 

Winning the Westfield presents Music Cube Competition in 2014 gave me the opportunity to be an opening act for Little Boots. Again it was an amazing experience being part of that show. I not only got the opportunity to perform in the Music Cube but I was also given the full VIP treatment, as well as having the opportunity to speak to various industry professionals, including Professor Green and various Kiss FM DJs. 

Who are your biggest influences and what has shaped you as an artist? My biggest influences would have to be Adele, Amy Winehouse and Sam Smith because their music is inspirational and the way they convey the emotions of their lyrics is enthralling. I am inspired by meaningful lyrics that make you think and feel. I believe the numerous live performances have enabled me to become the artist that I am today. 

How would you describe your music style? My music is Pop with minor influences from other genres. I like to fuse the old with the new and my own songs always have a message to make the audiences think, dance and feel.

You've had great success as a Westfield Presents artist – being one of the winners of the Westfield Music Cube competition in 2014 and also more recently named Artist of the Month (August 2015) – how did you first get involved in this event? To begin with I applied to become one of the Westfield Present artists and then I was offered the opportunity to enter the competition for the Westfield Presents Music Cube 2014. I was shortlisted as I was one of the artists with the most public votes and then I was chosen as one of the winners by a music industry panel. I also entered a competition, for the Westfield Presents Artist of the Month in association with Sennheiser for August 2015, and I was chosen as the winner by a music industry panel.

Any live performances coming up? My next live performance is in the Music Cube at Westfield London and I will be one of the opening acts for Dionne Bromfield, Stooshe and Foxes. The gig is this Saturday 7th November at 12pm and the tickets are free. You can book them using the link: https://www.musiccube.com I also have a few Christmas shows coming up including several at the Westfield Ice Rink.

What do you have in store for your audience? I have a brand new original song to perform. Also, for the first time I have my own branded merchandise and goodie bags for everybody that will attend the event.

What is your favourite song to cover and why? My favourite cover is “Clown” by Emeli Sande as she explained: "It's about trying to get into the industry, keeping faith in myself when I felt that many of the labels didn't have faith in me. It's about being called a clown or an idiot for wanting to chase after what you want, because people will always say you're rubbish and all the rest of it, but if you don't follow what you want to do then you won't achieve anything fulfilling." 

What keeps you coming back to perform in the Music Cube? Performing in the cube is such a privilege offered to few and I am currently the only artist that has had the opportunity to do so twice. The artists perform in a glass, soundproof cube, and the audiences listen wirelessly through Sennheiser Momentum headphones. This makes the interaction between the artist and the audience more intimate.

Greatest moment on stage so far? When I represented the U.K. in the International Cyprus Music Festival in 2013 with my original song “Leap of Faith” and I was crowned the winner for both Best Original Song and Best Female Singer. 

You also sing in Greek and have performed as one the BBC (British Born Cypriot) Idols with singing duo Martha & Eve - any Greek music aspirations on the horizon? I have a few original Greek songs written for me as well as a half English half Greek song that I am in the process of recording.  I love singing in Greek as well as French, Spanish and Italian but my heart definitely belongs to English music. Who knows what the future holds…
What is playing on you iPod at the moment? At the moment it is primarily Adele but I also love the new singles by Little Mix and Jess Glynne. However, the answer to this question does change every two weeks or so, as I find myself falling in love with different songs. Nevertheless, I forever play Christina Aguilera, Adele and Amy Winehouse on my iPod.

Any plans to record and release a single or album? I am planning to record live a new single that will feature in the Sennheiser music lounge. Also I will be going back to the studio to record new material with the prospect of releasing my first single in 2016. 

 Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years? I hope I will be on tour promoting my second album and having at least one number one ingle under my belt!




For the latest on Eleni C and her music check out these links: 
www.youtube.com/user/EleniCMusic 
https://twitter.com/Elenimusic 
http://Instagram.com/elenicmusic 

That’s all for now ~ More music & entertainment Xclusives next week!
Until next time… x Mwah

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