Dennis A. Amith interviews Kristine Sa (2002)

     Poetic. That’s the word I use to describe Kristine Sa, the young Toronto-based Asian American singer/songwriter.

     Kristine has been capturing the attention of fans online all over the world with her music and elegant songwriting. Her fashion and image is similar to popular female Asian stars and she has a songwriting, music and poetic background that some people may compare to American artist, Jewel.

     Kristine recently released an album titled “I Never Knew” which features many tracks consisting of pop, electronic, dance and R&B. What attracted me to her music is her beautiful and emotional songwriting which is evident in her new album.

     Although new to many following the Asian American music scene, the 19-year-old is not new to music. Music has always been a part of Kristine's life. Coming from a musical family, her sister, Tam Doan, rose to stardom as a singer in the Vietnamese community. During her early childhood, Kristine would spend her childhood watching her sister perform and discovered at an early age that she too had a passion for singing.

     In her early teens, Kristine's dedication to music led her to join several of her friends to form a female music group and at the age of seventeen, she was introduced by a friend to Nemesis Records CEO, Kingmin, who signed the talented teen immediately.

DENNIS: What kind of atmosphere did you grow up in and were you brought up with a strict Asian upbringing? KRISTINE: My family is stricter than your average Canadian/American family, but over the years have picked up a lot of western attitudes.  They are quite liberal from what I find in Asian parents. As for getting into the music industry, they are very supportive as long as I continue with my education. DENNIS: What moment or what experience made you want to pursue a life in music? KRISTINE: There wasn’t really one specific moment. I feel like it’s been a progressive journey for the last 19 years.  DENNIS:  When you were a child, what did you want to grow up to be?

KRISTINE: (laughing) I went through the “doctor” phase, the “teacher” phase, and of course the “superstar” phase. Those are the main three that I can remember. Where have those visions taken me now? (Laughing) Who knows?

DENNIS: What kind of person were you in elementary school or high school?
KRISTINE: I was the shy goody-two-shoes type in elementary school. Through high school I was the extra-involved kid that was a part of every club. So basically I am a total school nerd in every sense.

DENNIS: There are many Asian stars from Canada that are now actors and actresses in Hong Kong, Japan and the Philippines. Would you like to pursue a life in television or even movies in Canada or internationally?
KRISTINE: Actually, my main loves have been dramatic arts and music so the answer is yes. I’ve been into drama, acting and theatrical performance all my life so if I had more chances to be involved in any kind of dramatic arts I would jump at it.

DENNIS: You currently living in Ontario, Canada. What does Canada have that America doesn’t?
KRISTINE: Free healthcare! You can get as sick as you want. Plus, we have moose all over the place. I’m just kidding for those who really have no idea what Canada’s like. Please don’t tell your friends that Kristine Sa said that. Really, it’s just a beautiful place that I call home. For me personally, I have a history with Canada. I grew up here and it feels like home. No other place can fulfill that.

DENNIS: I don’t know much about Ontario, Canada but let’s say a friend came to kick it with you. What locations or where would Kristine Sa show a friend a good time in Ontario?
KRISTINE: I’d probably take them to see Niagara Falls from the Canadian perspective. It’s beautiful. I’d take them up the CN tower to have a look over the city. You get a great view. And last but not least, I’d take them to Chinatown. It’s dirty and it smells and hey, what would Chinatown be like without those qualities? I love it. Toronto’s Chinatown is definitely a place they shouldn’t miss out on.

DENNIS: Where would you and the person go for the best bubble tea in your area?
KRISTINE: It’s crazy here. There are bubble tea joints every few blocks in my area so I couldn’t choose but I could just take them to every one of them and have them choose for themselves. After that, they’ll never want to hear the word “tapioca” ever again.

DENNIS: Who are your favorite Canadian music artists? Are you a big fan of Bryan Adams?
KRISTINE: Am I? I love Bryan Adams! “Please forgive”, “Everything I do, I do it for you” and “Have you ever loved a woman” are my favorites. He seems like quite a romantic. I also am a Sarah McLachlan fan, as well as Alanis Morisette, Nelly Furtado, Lara Fabian, Jann Arden and the infamous Celine Dion.

DENNIS: I know very few Asian Canadian musicians in Canada.  Are they getting any airplay or is it only in certain metro cities?
KRISTINE: I have heard a few Asian groups on my local station in the past few years: Ora and 11PM. However, I still don’t feel that Asian artists get enough airplay and/or recognition anywhere in North America.

DENNIS: Well, Canada has been in the media lately with the Figure Skating situation in the Olympics and Canada winning the gold medal in hockey. Are you into those types of Winter sports? KRISTINE: No actually, I am not but I did watch the end of the hockey game and I did get a little teary-eyed with the rest of my country. It was a beautiful moment. We've been in the shadows for so long! I hope to have that feeling with an Asian artist on the Grammy's or the Oscar's one day. DENNIS: Do you have any role models in the music industry? KRISTINE: Well, I look up to my sister. I also admire Jewel very much. Strong, talented women like her I find very inspiring. DENNIS: Is there an artist or producer, dead or alive, that you would love to work with? Who would that be and why? KRISTINE: I am big fan of Moby's work. He doesn't seem to have anything new out at the moment but I believe he's just somewhere hiding out with brilliant new stuff. If anything, I love to get a chance to work with Moby.

DENNIS: What is the most satisfying part about being an Asian Canadian artist?
KRISTINE: I believe it's the multiculturalism that I get to embody. I get to be Asian and Canadian all at once. Plus, I am a woman to add to that! It really is liberating to have many cultures because you get to taste the world from so many different perspectives.

DENNIS: What is the most frustrating part about being Asian Canadian artist?
KRISTINE: Sadly, it's hard not be just a "Canadian" artist, or even better an "American" artist. To have the word "Asian" attached to your label, there are certain stereotypes that follow. The music industry right now appears to have no paths ready for an Asian American artist so that's the most frustrating part I find: to walk barefoot through a path that doesn't exist yet.

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