About Charlene Soraia
Charlene Soraia [b. 1988; full name, Charlene Soraia Santaniello Jones] grew up in the London suburb of Sydenham (Lewisham) and is known primarily as a singer-songwriter of acoustical music. As with several other successful U.K. pop artists over the past decade or so, Soraia studied at the BRIT School (London School for Performing Arts & Technology), which includes among its illustrious musical alumni such performers as Amy Winehouse, Adele, Jessie J, The Kooks, and Rizzle Kicks.
It was at the BRIT School that Soraia formed a rock band, Retrospect, although she had been a self-taught guitarist from her preschool days and previously appeared at open mic nights as early as age 16. She also spent some time at school as a member of a psychedelic blues band, having subsequently admitted that one of her earliest musical influences was the 1960s British band of that same genre, King Crimson. Additional musical inspirations include David Bowie and Pink Floyd, plus The Beatles.
During her time at BRIT she released several EPs, the first of which was titled “Long Hair, Short Memories” as a member of Retrospect. She also created a solo EP, “Lemonade,” that was more useful to her as a demo than in commercial release. Several other solo works followed during the years 2008–10, but it was not until fall 2011 that she began to enjoy widespread popularity. The breakthrough moment for Soraia was her cover of the song “Wherever You Will Go”—written and first recorded in 2001 by the American group, The Calling—which appeared as part of a U.K. television campaign for Twinings tea. The song later anchored her debut studio album, Moonchild, which was released on Peacefrog Records in November 2011.
