Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristina Danga.
Kristina, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I grew up with a very dynamic mix of music. My father, who was a professional trumpeter in Albania, noticed that I had an ear for music at the very early age of 4. He introduced me to the piano, and shortly after I began classical training in both piano and violin performance. One could say I have a rather “eclectic” taste in music. Besides classical music, I grew up listening to a lot of Euro-Dance, House Music, Albanian music, Bee Gees, Michael Jackson, and your typical 90’s boy bands. I was instantly attracted to any and all music that could make me get up and dance.
Between the age of 10 and my senior year in high school, I spent most of my time playing organ for local churches, chamber music groups, orchestras, and putting on my own recitals with my younger brother who is an outstanding classical pianist. Following high school, I drifted from my intensive classical training and started experimenting with other genres, untimely finding a home in house music. In college, I pursued two majors ( Neuroscience and Music). After just two years of trying to manage my work load, I realized It was difficult to pursue a career as a concert pianist/violinist and diligently focus on my studies at the same time.
I met face to face with my reality at the time and made a decision that would allow me to excel in both fields without burning myself out. As a Cancer Researcher by day and violinist by night, it gives me great pleasure to say it was well worth it after all. Giving 100% of yourself in two very different fields and having minimal time to yourself can be very challenging but experiencing pure joy from doing what you’re most passionate about every day is what I find most rewarding about my career.
My passion and hunger to continuously make and share music with my audience is what keeps me working harder and harder every day. My love for melodic driven dance music and classical training has encouraged me to develop my own high-intensity shows. I’ve played gigs around Massachusetts, such as, Faneuil Hall, Copley Place, Bastille Kitchen, and more. Just recently, I performed for Eminem at Boston Calling Music Festival with String Candy Music and the country’s largest Albanian Festival, which drew in a crowd of 10,000 people.
My current projects include a collaboration with Surefire Creative Studios on the Michael Faltley film “Little Bit of Tear,” which screened at both the LA International Film Festival and Baton Rouge Irish Film Festival. As well as a feature on Major Label Turkish artist Sansar Salvo.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My music and performance style provide a window into my world, personality, character and energy as an individual. Music is subject to interpretation, but for me, my music represents passion and the feeling we experience between the interaction of noise and silence.
I think one of the most substantial influencers of my music would be my upbringing in an Albanian household. My parents brought so much of their culture and traditions with them when they moved to America, ultimately impacting so many parts of my life. Throughout the years, I’ve been exposed to a never-ending line of family parties and get togethers. So many of my family traditions include the gathering of individuals in one place, where they can socialize, enjoy each other’s company, and eat copious amounts of food in the midst of dancing, loud music, chaos, and overly passionate conversations about anything and everything (as most Albanians are known to have).
The music we make is really a product of our experiences and how they’ve shaped us along the way. It is a product of what we feel, what we want others to know, and what we may not necessarily want to share directly with words. My music, in one aspect, serves to bring people together, just as I experienced when my loud family of somewhat 50+ relatives would wreak chaos (which really means dancing, having passionate arguments and singing) all under one roof. The most special moments in my life are when I spend them with the people I love most and it truly shapes my music. The reason behind why I make electronic dance music is very simple: It makes me happy. You can listen to electronic dance music on your own or with a group of people, but its real purpose is to make people happy and If I can do that simply through creating art, that is all the satisfaction I need to continuously do what I’m doing. The music we make can be difficult to explain at times, but If I could put all of this into a few words, I wouldn’t, I would just turn this into a song (wink wink)
What would you recommend to an artist new to the city, or to art, in terms of meeting and connecting with other artists and creatives?
My best advice for people who are looking to connect with other artists would be to continuously put yourself out there, get involved, talk with other musicians, and go to concerts. You don’t have to wait for the perfect moment-use persistence and find what motivates you to work hard.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
You can support and interact with me on my website, Instagram, and Facebook. If you want to check out my music and mixes, feel free to check out my Soundcloud. My upcoming EP “Zeal” will be out on Tunes, Spotify, and Amazon Music coming August 2018.
Contact Info:
- Website: KristinaDanga.com
- Email: kristinadangamusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/KristinaDangaMusic
- Facebook: facebook.com/kristinadangamusic
- Other: Soundcloud.com/krisdanga
Image Credit:
Eda Stefani, Scott Raymond
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