"I’m all about energy, passion and contrasts" says Silya, whose music blends the the best of modern pop, soul, rock and cabaret with her unique, honest, raw powerhouse vocals.
Born and raised in Oslo, Norway Silya sang in the school choir and played classical piano from the age of 8. Being a warm blooded Norwegian she was also fascinated with rhythm. At 15, she started dancing , worked hard and majored in contemporary/jazz dance at The Oslo National Academy of Art while simultaneously being a member of several street dance companies doing shows for television and stage. “I had the biggest crush on Gene Kelly when I was younger. My friends would have posters of boybands, i had Gene on my wall. He made me want to be an entertainer. There's something so naive, romantic and amazing about those old Hollywood movies.”
Silya first found music success as lead singer in the successful groundbreaking Norwegian hip hop/pop group Multicyde. Signed to Warner Music they released 2 albums and had 3 #1 hits in Norway. They also toured Scandinavia and Germany. While she was in Multicyde, she was also doing musical theater, performing in shows like Cabaret, Chicago and West Side Story as a triple threat.
After Multicyde she started working with the production house Murlyn Music in Stockholm honing her songwriting skills. She caught the attention of Columbia Records and Island/Def Jam Records in New York. Signed with Columbia as a soloartist, she moved to NYC where she instantly felt at home and started writing with producers and musicians in NYC, LA, London and Atlanta including duetting with Cee Lo Green. The ups and downs of the musicindustry has lead to creating new paths. Her talents as a chameleon songwriter has caught the attention of other artists wanting to do her songs. She's had her songs covered by US ,Australian and European artists that have gone gold internationally. Among them the lead single "Sneakernight" for Disney Starlet Vanessa Hudgens sophomore album and lead single "Kiss your mama" for Australian popdiva Vanessa Amorosi.
After a stint of residencies at The Livingoom in NYC, she recorded the semilive album "Peel Away"i> released digitally on indie label Eusonia. A soulful organic record with experimental instrumentation showing a more 'artsy" side to Silya. "I love so many different styles of music. And i think it all depends on where u are in your life and that reflects the music you create. This was a great way to explore within the pop realm."
Early 2013 she put together a new band called Silya & The Sailors, steering her course as the captain she is on her own high seas. They've played clubs in NYC where she wanted to try out new twists on already written songs as well as testing out new material. In the fall of 2013 she competed in a televised music competition called "Stjernekamp" (Star Fight) where she won and now has the title "Norway's ultimate entertainer".
This opened many doors in her homecountry and she released a full lenght album this May through Sony Music Norway. The album, called "Unanchored", was recored at Degraw Sound in Brooklyn with her band Silya & The Sailors. Going for an unpolished sound and oldschool way of recording, it became an extention of the liveshows she's been honing in New York for the past year. Also her songs and albumperformance is much like her voice, raw and honest. The album has received wonderful reviews and she is selling out shows in Norway with her Norwegian livecrew Silya & The Rapscallions where she is touring this summer. She splits her time between NYC and Oslo.
-Source: Official website