Rednight wrote: Haslam, but Kristina certainly didn't lack for looks. I just wonder what happened to the latter; is she now a housewife outside of 29 Palms, Calif. with a rug full of kids and all.

Nope ... I think. She still carries on with the band.

Dayvenkirq wrote: Rednight wrote: Haslam, but Kristina certainly didn't lack for looks. I just wonder what happened to the latter; is she now a housewife outside of 29 Palms, Calif. with a rug full of kids and all. Nope ... I think. She still carries on with the band.

Wasn't Sonja Kristina in the British stage production of Hair before Curved Air? Perfect grounding for prog in some respects.

richardh wrote: Wasn't Sonja Kristina in the British stage production of Hair before Curved Air? Perfect grounding for prog in some respects. Darryl Way met Francis Monkman in a record shop and they decided to form a band later inviting Kristina to join. There was a lot of record company hype surrounding them apparently. That's the sum total of my Curved Air knowledge. Tom, I've seen Christina and Magenta play live about 4 times. I first saw them at the London Astoria at a weekend prog festival just before Seven was released. They were the opening band and people were gradually funnelling into the venue so it wasn't ideal for them. I wandered in and immediately made eye contact with Christina as there probably only about 50 people there at that point. I was hooked by her and the music which was captivating. BTW you should check out her very nice solo album which is better than most recent Magenta albums imo.

Wow !! 4 times.......I'm so jealous - love her voice, love the music, and of course, she's hot. I've been told by Aussie Byrd (Michael) that her solo is a must. So I've got some Prog shopping to do.....

Yeah...so does Annie actually.  There are at least a fair few prog rock greats from the 70s who have aged well.  More so in the case of these second tier bands whose members did not enjoy the massive lifestyle that the likes of ELP probably did in their prime.  

Sonia Kristina's unique voice seems a little underappreciated. It blends in like magic with the other instruments. Annie's great too but there's also a lot of too precious Julie Andrews kind of singing that doesn't always work as well in rock.

Blacksword wrote: richardh wrote: Sonja had a bit more of a punk thing going while Annie is a prog angel. I love both although Sonja is the one I would have liked to meet That was pretty much what I was going to say..!

pretty much my thoughts on it.  I'll take naughty over nice any of the week and twice on Sunday!

BrufordFreak wrote: Joanne Hogg.  Elaine di Falco.  Carolina Prieto.  Anneke van Giersbergen.  Petronella Nettermalm.  I love Annie but when I want to console my soul these are the voices I want to hear.

Good call on Elaine Di Falco. Her performance on Empty Days' self-titled album is nothing short of sublime. Joanne Hogg also has a great voice, though Iona's music does not exactly float my boat. Anyway, if you want to treat your ears to something fantastic, give a listen to Ut Gret's marvellous Ancestor's Tale (released in the first half of this year), with Cheyenne Mize's career-defining performance. And, of course, both albums by MoeTar. Moorea Dickason is a true force of nature!

That being said, I like Sonja Kristina for her charisma, but voice-wise Annie is clearly superior, and her voice has also held up very well. Renaissance's classic albums make for a very rewarding listening experience, especially when one is in need of a break from more demanding fare.