Bio "When I go about writing a song I want to convey a message that there is something beyond this earth. There is this beautiful mystery rising above the everyday earthly sorrow that we all endure here. I want to touch a person's spirit when I play, and I feel that music has that power. If I am able to reach one person then I've done what I came to this world to do." Kristina has been performing locally in the Bay Area and beyond for over 15 years, and has recently been catching the ears and eyes of music industry insiders, as well as her own original and growing fan base. Her live performances feature some influences from Mahalia Jackson, Nick Drake, John Lennon, Alison Krauss, Edith Piaf, Stevie Wonder, as well as jazz standards and her own original compositions. Kristina has released one album titled ' A PRAYER', and is now working on her next second full length album titled 'The Song Has A Life Of It's Own'. Stay tuned for more information on the release of this CD. Past: Kristina was born on the Micronesian island of Agana, Guam in the little villiage of Oka, Tamuning on November 25th, Thanksgiving day. Born to Johnny Sablan, a 100% native Chamorro of Guam, and Bruni Parello, of half Sicilian, half Lebanese decent. Kristina's father is a singer/songwriter/ producer, and cultural activist of Guam. His years and contributions of keeping the culture of the Island alive through song, are appreciated and respected among the indigenous people of the island and beyond. Her mother BRUNI, is an Internationally renowned portrait painter and has an immense body of work. She made certain that Kristina had the background in Jazz music by taking her to many shows where Kristina would watch her mother sketch the musicians. She saw and met many of the greats like Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Abbey Lincoln, Shirley Horn and many more. Kristina grew up in a home that upheld a strong respect and discipline for the arts. There was much music and laughter in my early years with my parents in Hollywood. They were often entertaining friends at fun gatherings where we would all sit around and sing and play music. As the years passed, Kristina and her parents moved up to Northern California where Kristina spent most of her childhood and teenage years learning classical piano from her grandmother, singing and writing songs, and finally learning to play the guitar. "I have been very influenced by Jazz and the Bossa Nova music of Brazil, from my mother, mixed with the Island/Country sounds of my fathers music from Guam, throw in a ton of classical composers as well as 70's radio, and you have my background in what I grew up listening to". Reviews and Press: Palo Alto Daily News - May 8th, 2009 By Paul Freeman 'Sablan- 'The Song Has A Life Of It's Own' San Jose’s Kristina Sablan lifts the spirits of not only all who hear her lovely music, but also of her fellow singer-songwriters. Sablan and husband Darren Anderson created Firesign Entertainment, which books musicians — blues, soul, rock and jazz, in addition to acoustic singer-songwriters — into many Bay Area locales, including Santana Row, each weekend. They will be at Redwood City’s Little Fox for Thursday evening’s Hit Songwriters in the Round. Joining Sablan and Anderson will be Steve Krause and Travis Hogue. In addition to original compositions, each will perform a cover penned by a songwriter who inspired them. “We’ve always wanted to start doing a showcase to promote talented songwriters who need the spotlight on them. The Little Fox is such a beautiful listening venue, where people come in, sit down, be quiet and actually listen to the performers on stage. “It doesn’t have to be just loud rock bands or things you can dance to. People who can actually write songs that come from the heart deserve more attention. Most clubs just want stuff to have people dancing or background music. It’s sparse for singer-songwriters, so we’re trying to get that moving forward.” She and her husband are establishing the Firesign recording company, having just released Sablan’s own moving CD, “A Prayer.” “I wanted it to have a spiritual sense, reflective of something beyond this everyday world,” she said of the CD. Getting a fledgling company to blossom is a challenge. “When you do it out of joy, out of something you love to do, it may be difficult, but you also get great satisfaction from it.” The satisfactions of art were imbued in Sablan from birth. Born in Guam, she moved with her family to Hollywood at 3, then back to her mother’s hometown, San Jose, at age 8. Her father was a musician/singer/songwriter in Guam. Her grandmother, a classical pianist, taught her piano. Sablan’s mother, a painter, owns Bruni Gallery in Campbell. Sablan, who sculpts, said of her mother Bruni, “She’s been a big influence on me to pursue my dream. She was always very encouraging, very supportive.” She knows how fortunate she is to have that foundation. “A lot of friends had dreams of being musicians or artists, but they didn’t have the support of their families. Eventually, their parents would say to them, ‘You’ve got to go into the real world.’ And I see that these friends are marred by it, very conflicted.” As a child, Sablan’s mother took her to Paul Masson Winery (now the Mountain Winery), and toYoshi’s in Oakland, where she heard and met such greats as Abbey Lincoln, Diane Schuur, Carlos Santana and Miles Davis. From observing, Sablan learned the finer points of music. By 14, Sablan was experimenting with songwriting. “In the beginning, I thought I had to go by the book, by how they tell you to write a song. I used to get frustrated by all the rules.” After graduating from Cupertino High School, Sablan (who now teaches singing) studied at San Francisco’s John Ford School of Voice. Sablan picked up the guitar in her mid-20s and encountered innumerable performers at open mics and cafes around the South Bay. “They weren’t doing it for money, necessarily. They’re doing it because they wrote a song, worked on it, believed in it and wanted to share it with people. “The most important thing I learned was to be free with what I did musically and not think of it in commercial terms. Only then was the songwriting rewarding. The song has a life of its own.” Alife in music requires dedication. “You can break through with your art, if you focus 100 percent on it. We all have to pay bills, but if you commit to it fully, it can be what you want it to be. “It doesn’t have to be just a dream. You don’t just say, ‘Well, I’ll try it for five years and then stop, if I don’t make it.’ That’s silly. Musicians have to be very passionate people, very hardworking. They go wherever the gig might take them.” Sablan helps distinctive talents find gigs. “Every song on the radio sounds like the same singer. There used to be more interest in individuality. “Someday maybe there will be a surge of what there was in the ’60s and ’70s, when artists were put into the spotlight because they were unique and great and not just all the same. I hope for that to come back.” Album Review: Rhonda Goodman Review of Kristina Sablan’s A Prayer " This is the perfect CD to play on a Saturday or Sunday morning. A solo effort, Sablan’s voice seems to float above the softly-played, guitar- driven melodies. Her lyrics are deeply personal, hopeful, optimistic, and spiritual. Her music makes me think of the late John Denver." FCC clean. Try 1, 2, 3, 11