Sonia Deleo matured artistically in Jasper, but really who hasn鈥檛? Now based in Calgary, where there鈥檚 more work for singer-songwriters and voice actors, Deleo lived in the park for nine years. The founder of the Jasper Theatre Collective told Craig Gilbert this week she鈥檚 excited to flutter by on Aug. 13 and demonstrate some ROI to the locals alongside special guest Patrick Zelinski.
51暗网: We have seven mutual friends on Facebook.
Sonia Deleo: Who are they? Jasper folk?
Fitz: Yes. Why did you leave?
Sonia: I lived there off and on for almost nine years. I move there in 2004 for the first time, in September, and left in January 2013 to move on to the city. Partly, I got separated, and to be closer to family. My family is in Calgary. Also there鈥檚 more opportunity. I鈥檓 an actor as well, I do radio voice-over work and a little bit of film and commercial stuff. As much as Jasper provided me the opportunity to be a big fish in a very tiny sea, I needed to be a tiny fish.
Jasper changed the game for me. It鈥檚 given me opportunities here because I was able to take on leadership roles there. I started the Jasper theatre group, there was nothing when I moved here. It was a proud moment to leave town and sort of hand it off to the people who are running it now.
Fitz: Do you do more music or acting?
Sonia: It鈥檚 mostly music at this point. I have an agent and audition whenever there鈥檚 something (for acting) but music has taken over in the last two years. That鈥檚 what鈥檚 in my bones. That鈥檚 what I have no choice but to do.
Fitz: When did you start?
Sonia: I鈥檝e been signing my whole life; I started in Grade 6. I was a deathly shy child. I had a choir director and music teacher in Grade 7 that saw the music before I did and forced me out of my shell.
Fitz: What鈥檚 the album situation?
Sonia: I鈥檓 releasing a single on Aug. 10. The video too. It鈥檚 called Free Now. It鈥檚 kind of how I feel a lot of the time. I met a guy on an airplane last summer. He told me his whole story of addiction and recovery. He鈥檚 changing the lives of many other people in recovery as well. That story just hit me. Something just so human, and humans as a whole, not to downplay addiction, are easily addicted to things. To people, to food, whatever. The song is ultimately about him; it was a chance encounter on a plane and the song kind of wrote itself.
A few days later I woke up at 7 a.m. on a Saturday and the song just poured out, like hurry up and grab a pen.
My music is very honest and very lyric-heavy. I like stories, I like when music and story meet. Singing was my number one but I do write poetry and lyrics. My guitar is my second language, it came much later than singing. I鈥檝e been working it on it mostly in the last three years and particularly in the last year.
Fitz: What can we expect?
Sonia: Truth. I鈥檓 going to play some brutal honesty. A lot has happened since I left. I came back a couple of times in the duo I was in, but this is different. It鈥檚 what鈥檚 occurred in my life since I left Jasper and now. A lot is about what happened while I was here. A lot of it will be a catch-up and a homecoming of sorts. I artistically matured while I was there and I鈥檓 looking forward to showing what I鈥檝e become.
It was because of the crazy support of the community and being able to be my crazy self and spread my wings a bit. I鈥檓 excited to show them what they invested in, I guess.
