Anya – from “Nikita” to Solo Artist
You certainly remember her: Anya was the Russian girl in the video for Elton John’s hit “Nikita”. Despite the image created in the clip, Anya is not Russian. She grew up in Singapore and, at the time of this interview, was living in England, where she was beginning her career as a solo singer.
“Elton John still supports me”
Anya:
“My first single, ‘Moscow Nights’, was a curious failure. The sudden success of the video meant that I could no longer simply pose for photographs; I had to decide whether I really wanted to become a professional singer.”
“The other girls were jealous”
“I was born in Singapore. My father is Dutch and my mother worked for a large international company. Because of her job, we moved there. I grew up in a large house and had a very sheltered childhood. The girls in the neighborhood thought I was strange and many were jealous of me. I never stayed overnight at anyone else’s house, and that was normal for me. Singapore was always a good place to live.”
“When I turned eighteen, I went to England. I did not stay in Singapore because it is very difficult to work in the music industry there. In England I found my first songwriters. Even so, I continued going to school because my mother felt it was important. I didn’t like it, but I had to accept it.”
“In Elton John’s video I looked older than I really was. Singing came very naturally to me. The clip was a very relaxed experience. As a singer, you might expect support from someone like Elton John, but I never counted on it. I simply thought, ‘let’s do it and see what happens.’”
“When my single started to sell a little, I was surprised, because there were other girls who sang much better than I did. Today I already have several songs ready. ‘Moscow Nights’ has been released, and now I am working on a full album. I want to show who I really am.”
“I am twenty years old, I sing, and I want to learn, experiment, and grow. My friends and my family support me very much. If the public response is even slightly positive, I will already be happy.”
Featured single at the time: One Word
INTERVIEW – EDITORIAL DETAILS
Interviewee: Anya Major
Magazine: Joepie
Publication date: March 22, 1987
Country: Belgium (Flemish pop music and youth culture magazine)
Journalist: Not credited in the original clipping
Source: Joepie magazine, March 22, 1987 issue (archival clipping)
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