Greek-Canadian singer and songwriter, Katerine Duska, joins hosts of Eclectic Soundtrax Skunk Manhattan and Victor Ramos from her home in Montreal, shedding some light on her impressive music career. A “late bloomer” and initially a self-trained singer, Katerine began her musical career after exploring various academic options, including law school. Her debut album “Embodiment” was released in 2015 and quickly gained prominence when her songs “One in a Million” and an Arctic Monkeys‘ cover “Do I Wanna Know” reached over two million views on Youtube. The viral success helped facilitate a deal with Minos EMI, a Universal Music Company, and in 2018 her single “Fire Away” was selected for the official ‘Nescafe Canada’ television and radio ad campaign.
Duska gained further international recognition when she represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019.
The competition, held in Tel Aviv, featured artists from 41 countries and was “like a master class on performing arts”. The theme of the contest was ‘Dare to Dream’, with a focus on unity, diversity, inclusion and confidence. Katerine performed her 2019 single “Better Love” and placed 21st in the grand final. She states, “Love has nothing to do with gender; it’s a very pro-human song.” Co-written by Leon of Athens and David Sneddon and produced with Phil Cook, the song received extensive international airplay, charting in over 40 countries and making the Global Viral Top 50 chart on Spotify and topping Greece’s iTunes Charts. That same year, she was a coach and mentor on the Greek hit talent show The Final Four and released “ANEMOS”, featuring friend and musical colleague, Leon of Athens. The song reached the top three of Greece’s Viral Top 50 chart on Spotify.
Throughout the pandemic, Katerine released several singles, including “Sanctuary”, “Athenian Skies”, “Of Time” and “Muse”, all of which culminated into a five-song EP. Call Me Nyx was released in 2022 and was followed by a string of shows in the United States, including several performances at the prestigious Austin-based festival, SXSW.
In this Eclectic Soundtrax episode, Katerine talks about some of her influences, ranging from pop and rock artists Gwen Stefani and the Red Hot Chili Peppers to soulful jazz greats, like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone. She also cites R&B influences like Lauren Hill and a plethora of Greek music. Her musical and vocal style blends the powerful and pensive with the uplifting and empowering, and Duska’s trademark soulful rasp has earned her comparisons to such vocal titans as Adele and Amy Winehouse. The trilingual vocalist — who splits her time between Athens, Montreal and London — believes in seeking beauty in her surroundings and experiences, and strives to incorporate a positive message in her music. We highly recommend exploring her audio and video catalogue!
Katerine Duska links: Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube
About the podcasters
Skunk Manhattan:
Skunk is a musician, primarily known as the frontman and guitarist for eclectic heavy-rock band A Good Rogering. Since moving to Austin in 2004, he has recorded and performed with a wide variety of bands and solo artists over a career spanning more than 20 years and has shared the stage with notable acts, such as Skid Row, Marty Friedman, Uli Jon Roth, George Lynch and Metal Church among others. Skunk not only works as a performing musician and recording artist, but also as a producer and music teacher. With two decades of insight into what it means to be a professional musician and a passion for not only music, but comedy and general chatter, Skunk was quick to jump at the opportunity to co-host a podcast with longtime friend, Victor Ramos.
Victor Ramos:
A Texas native, Victor’s early musical influences are a mixture of classic rock albums played by his Vietnam vet father and a whole lot of ‘the Fab Four’ via his Beatles-loving mother. Sprinkle in some classic country and Motown, and you have a man that would say “¿que?” when other Tejanos would ask what his favorite cumbia was. After a stint in the Marines, Victor moved to Austin in 2000 and began working in the tech industry. He met Skunk in a Spanish class in 2005 and the two discovered a shared passion for not only beer, but music. After years of collectively attending concerts and talking music, the idea to start a podcast centering around such topics seemed like a logical endeavor.
Eclectic Soundtrax links: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Partners & sponsors: Top Shelf Music | Yay+ | 5 Iron Woodworks | Tregan Guitars | Godin Guitars | Ernie Ball
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