Advertisement
As a collection of musicians who take inspirations from the distinct sounds of Billie Holliday and Paul Simon, Sonia Dada's music does not fit into one particular genre.|
On their third album, My Secret Life, the multi-ethnic Chicago-based octet delivers music that ranges from the acoustic, smooth-sounding "Get to You" to the computer-based, psychedelic "Green Eyed Ester," fusing jazz, gospel, rock and R&B.
"We are playing from our wide-ranging musical background," Dan Pritzker told JAMTV. "There are no limits" Pritzker, who plays guitar, said that Louis Armstrong and the Beatles are among the sounds that influence his work.
Other members of Sonia Dada also take inspirations from music of different genres. Michael Scott, lead singer, not only listened to Al Green and sang gospel songs when he was a child, but he was also a fan of Led Zeppelin. "It's interesting. He's a black guy who really got his blues foundation from the British white guys," Pritzker said. "Instead of just hearing Muddy Waters, he was also listening to Led Zeppelin's rendition of Muddy Waters."
While fans of Sonia Dada are pleased with the multiform sound, some critics have said that the band lacks character and tries to appeal to the mass audience through a superficial, diverse-sounding album. Pritzker, who writes most of the songs and melodies, said that the band is not trying to get exposure by attracting every radio format; rather, he said that the band allows each song to develop on its own.
"I live song to song. I'll bring something in and the band basically yields to the material." Pritzker said. "We do the song styles naturally."
Offhand criticisms are nothing new to members of Sonia Dada. Michael Scott and Paris Delane used to sing on "El" stops in Chicago. In fact, Sonia Dada's inception was in 1991 at the Red Line Chicago stop. While on his way to a Cubs game, Pritzker saw Scott, Delane and former band member Sam Hogan harmonizing to "Jesus on the Main Line." He invited the trio to his recording studio and the band released its first album, Sonia Dada, one year later.
Sonia Dada recently completed its three-week tour in the East Coast and is now working on a video for "Don't Go Giving Your Love Away." The band will start touring again on the Fourth of July, where it will play in Chicago at Grant Park for a WXRT-sponsored show. Sonia Dada will then head east, playing shows in Milwaukee, St. Louis and Kansas City also in July. (Peter Photikoe)