Her voice is instantly inscribed on the hard disc of our inner music harmony as soon as we get to hear it.
Katerine Duska
With unique raw material
Text: Marni Hatziemmanouil
The Greek-Canadian singer and songwriter Katerine Duska, through her assertive presence in the international music stage, her maturity, the stature of her voice’s timbre, as well as her devotion to follow her own path in music, has cast a spell on her audience.
Born in Montreal, Canada, she first came to Greece at the age of 16 along with her family. After graduating from high school, and while studying at the Athens University School of Law, she was also working as a saleswoman, a waitress and a teacher of both English and French so as to finance her studies in classical guitar, a musical instrument that she always considered an ideal match for her songs. “My family had little to do with music, therefore it took them a while to process and accept my choice,” she confesses.
“I chose to walk down this road and I soon started attending monody classes; I also had classical singing courses for a brief period of time. I was never into Law, to be honest. After giving it a chance for a few years, I quit Law School and decided to turn solely to music, never looking back from that point on.” Over the last years, Katerine Duska has been living and working between London and Athens. “In London I found my creative team. I write and record songs almost exclusively there. However, I feel at home both in Athens and in Montreal, visiting the latter as often as I can as my family returned there. I don’t get a sense of belonging in either of these places, a thing that comes with both a positive and a negative side.”
Katerine Duska’s songwriting method is both individual and collective, depending on the moment and the circumstances. “Over the last years my two main companions in this journey have been David Sneddon (Lana Del Rey, Lewis Capaldi) and Leon of Athens. I feel very lucky to have formed a team with these two, as one completes the other. Among her collaborations she singles out the song “Babel”, “a two-language duet where I teamed up with Leon of Athens. This song was written following an invitation to perform for Grammys’ Global Spin. I am immensely proud of this work. I always wanted for my music to travel worldwide. So far I have been lucky enough to perform in many of my dream festivals in the US and in Canada, and travel across half America. The year 2022 has been truly unforgettable. Over the last couple of years I have been working on my new album, and I’m looking forward to my next live shows.”
The Greek-Canadian singer and songwriter feels at the top of her game as an artist. “I have found my voice as a singer and a songwriter, but I also feel I have a lot to explore and offer. After all, music is a gift given to every person’s life. It’s no easy road and it takes a lot of vigor to endure the bumping along the way. It has some moments of magic too, no question about it, but on the whole it’s a marathon with hurdles keep coming up your way. It takes persistence, resilience, patience and faith. Countless times you’ll find yourself to have fallen down, trying to find the strength to get back on your feet. It’s a choice you must consciously abide by every single day of your life, a choice full of sacrifice that requires a strong stomach. All people who devote themselves wholeheartedly to music are bound to be equipped with some kind of madness, but also with an overall worldview and a stance in life.”
Music is a gift given to every person’s life. It’s no easy road and it takes a lot of vigor to endure the bumping along the way. It has some moments of magic too, no question about it, but on the whole it’s a marathon with hurdles keep coming up your way. It takes persistence, resilience, patience and faith. It’s a choice you must consciously abide by every single day of your life, a choice full of sacrifice that requires a strong stomach. All people who devote themselves wholeheartedly to music are bound to be equipped with some kind of madness, but also with an overall worldview and a stance in life.
Already having an noteworthy stint in music under her belt, having also represented Greece in the 2019 Eurovision contest with the song “Better Love”, the Greek-Canadian singer points out that “nowadays labels matter less and less. At last, on a global scale we’re living in a time where originality gets the better of commerciality. Taking a careful look at the current A-list names of the world music scene, one immediately notices the lack of a particular trend or tendency. Music gets more and more inclusive, and I find that really exciting.”
As for the Greek music scene, here’s what she has to say: “I have always felt like the black sheep. I could not fit anywhere. I was too alternative for the mainstream audience and too mainstream for the alternative audience. However, I made no effort to make my way into any target group. I did exactly as I pleased, as that’s what I’m looking for in other artists as well. I don’t wish to write songs based on what I presume the audience would want to hear, or what’s trending now. I always want to portray an inner truth, a sense of spontaneity and a genuine need for expression. Don’t get me wrong, I too want to be applauded, to be liked by the audience, to see my work receive recognition, but all these things need to happen on my own terms.”
Pop, jazz, soul, blues, rock, folk, r&b, dance are the music genres that have influenced her, but the key element in her work is no other than the constant exploration of new fields. “I incessantly experiment with new sounds under the wider pop umbrella. I am a child of my time. I want to live in the here-and-now, I want to know my turf, both on an international and a local level. If something is not inspiring, though, I just walk by. I am always in search of anything new, but if I find nothing fulfilling there, my interest fades out, whether it’s the talk of the town or not.”
When asked about her recent involvement with acting and the musical genre, the Greek-Canadian singer replies as follows: “It came unexpectedly in my life. One day I received a call from Minos Theoharis, who planned to stage Hedwig and the Angry Inch, claiming that I would be the ideal casting for Yitzhak. I tried to tell him that I’m not an actress, but he insisted. I was also a fan, but as soon as I realized how much he adored the play, it did not take me long to accept. The play was staged both in 2023 and in 2024. It was a one-of-a-kind experience for me, as well as a collaboration made in heaven. I was honored to be a part of this effort. I would love at some point to join forces with Minos and Leon of Athens for the purposes of an original musical.”
Wrapping up our talk, we ask her about her future dreams. “What each and every one of us perceives as a dream is something that gets constantly shaped and reshaped along the way. And the moment you get to touch it, you instantly crave for something new. Real artists never rest on their laurels, and many times loneliness is unavoidable. I do dream of having a concert at Herodion. I have performed twice as a guest, and it was an experience that cannot be put into words. I hope to play my little part as part of the bigger picture. To inspire other artists to create free of fear, fully embracing their own personal glance, without compromising on their aesthetic’’.
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