Sonia Clarke (born 21 June 1968), known more commonly by her stage
name Sonique, is a British singer, musician and disc jockey.
She is well known for her successful career in dance music. She
was the lead vocalist on two S'Express singles. She won the 2001
BRIT Award for British female solo artist. She was treated for
breast cancer and given the all clear in 2010.
Sonia Clarke was born and raised in Crouch End to parents of Trinidadian
descent. She has credited her later music success from listening
to her mother's record collection of mostly R&B artists.[5] The
first record she ever purchased was Donna Summer's "I Feel Love".
When Sonique was sixteen her mother re-married and moved back to
Trinidad. She refused to move with her mother and two siblings and
instead stayed in the United Kingdom moving into the YMCA.
[edit] 1985–91: Early music career
At the age of seventeen, a youth worker commented that she had a
nice voice and suggested she utilize it. She put together a reggae
band called 'Fari' in which she ended up writing all the music. After
Fari disbanded she set about getting a recording contract.
Sonique released the single "Let Me Hold You", published
by Cooltempo, in 1985.[6] The single hit the Top 40 on the UK Dance
Chart.
In 1990, she was credited for the track "Zombie Mantra" on
the album, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Bass, the debut
record of William Orbit's project Bass-O-Matic. Soon after she teamed
with DJ Mark Moore in S'Express.[6] The dance-pop duo charted in
the UK Singles Chart with singles such as "Nothing to Lose".[6]
She maintained a friendship with Mark Moore after S'Express disbanded
and shortly afterwards, he gave her the gift of a set of turntables
and a mixer with which she began experimenting.
[edit] 1997–2001: DJ career
For three years she accompanied both Mark Moore and her childhood
friend Judge Jules to their gigs. She eventually signed to London-based
label Serious Records, where her first single was "I Put A Spell
On You" produced by Chris Allen and ex-Wang Chung keyboardist
Graeme Pleeth.[5] She was DJ-in-residence at Club Manumission in
Ibiza between 1997 and 1999.
In 1998, she came to the attention of UK promoters/label Fantazia
and was asked to mix one of the discs on their album Fantazia British
Anthems Summertime.[6] The album was certified gold in the UK.
Sonique also sang on the album "Hear My Cry" in 1998[citation
needed]. When it was re-released in 2000, the hit single "It
Feels So Good" topped the UK chart for three weeks in May. After
14 weeks in the Top 40, it became the UK's third best-selling single
of 2000. In 2001, after the success of "It Feels So Good" she
announced that she planned to retire from the world of DJing to focus
on her singing career. After finishing the album Born to Be Free,
Sonique did return to DJing on a few special occasions.
[edit] 2002–06: On Kosmo
In 2004, Sonique announced she was working on a new album called
On Kosmo. The first single was "Another World", which reached
number 57 in Germany when released in 2004. "Why" (released
Spring 2005), reached number 90 in Germany.
"Alone" was selected as the third single with which the
album would be launched, but when the album got pushed back from
the expected release date of February 2006, the single was cancelled.
When the new release date of 29 September 2006 was announced, the
track "Sleezy" was chosen as the single with which the
album was to be released. However, "Sleezy" was also cancelled
when the release date was pushed back once again. When On Kosmo was
finally released, on Monday 13 November 2006, it failed to chart
significantly in the UK. Nevertheless, Sonique was shown as a celebrity
guest at The World Music Awards 2006 in England.
[edit] 2009–present: A New Era
In 2007 when promotional work finished for her previous album On
Kosmo Sonique announced she would continue touring Europe despite
the flop of the album. She has been working on some new material,
but has not yet completed a full new album but has said it should
be out in the summer of 2009. A teaser from some of the new material
she has been working on 'leaked' online on 5 October 2008 entitled "Better
Than That". Due to the positive reception of this 'leak' the
track was posted available to download on various legal mp3 download
sites.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2009, for which she
underwent surgery at a London clinic.[7] Following her operations,
Sonique opted to receive 5 months of chemotherapy in an effort to
prevent a recurrence.[8] She was given the all clear in 2010 and
celebrated by appearing on a cover version of the Cyndi Lauper song
Girls Just Want To Have Fun which was released to raise fund for
the Cancer Research UK charity.[4]
The single "World of Change" was released on 23 October
2009 and official video was posted by Sonique's label on youtube.
2011- Brought the release of the ZYX album "Sweet Vibrations",
which contains the previously released singles: "Better Than
That" and "World of Change".
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
Year Album UK[9] US AUS
1998 Fantazia British Anthems... Summertime (mixed by Sonique) — — —
2000 Serious Sounds of Sonique - In the Mix & on the Mic (live
recording) — — —
Hear My Cry 6 67 50
2003 Born to Be Free 184 — —
2006 On Kosmo — — —
2011 Sweet Vibrations — — —
[edit] Singles
Year Title Chart positions Album
UK[9] U.S. U.S. Dance CAN IRE AUS[10] NZ[11] GER SWE[12] SWI[13]
AUT[14]
1985 "Let Me Hold You"
1990 "Nothing to Lose" (as part of S'Express)
Intercourse
1991 "Find'em, Fool'em, Forget'em" (as part of S'Express)
1998 "I Put a Spell on You" (Original)
Hear My Cry
"
It Feels So Good" (Original)
2000 "It Feels So Good" (Re-issue)
"
Sky"
2001 "I Put a Spell on You" (Re-issue)
2003 "Can't Make Up My Mind"
Born to Be Free
"
Alive"
2004 "Another World" (with Tomcraft)
Sonique on Kosmo
2005 "Why"
2006 "Sleezy"
2009 "Better Than That"
Sweet Vibrations
2009 "World Of Change"
2010 "Only You" (with Paul Morrell)