INSPIRING WOMEN
HPW’s Inspiring Women series profiles remarkable Greek-American professional women whose stories of success inspire and encourage us to achieve our own career goals and aspirations.
ANGELINA ALEXON
Singer, Songwriter and a Dancer
Angelina Alexon is a fresh new POP singer/songwriter who is exploding on the music scene. She possesses a 5 octave soprano vocal range and sings in 8 different languages. Her range, as well as her vocal tone and power are often compared to two of her biggest inspirations Mariah Carey & Celine Dion.
She recently moved to Las Vegas where she has been performing regularly on the Vegas strip at Casinos, including: the Paris, Bally’s, Sahara, Aria , the Strat and the Golden Nugget. As noted by the press, including the Las Vegas Review Journal, she has been the only young female artist performing consistently on the famed Las Vegas Strip since the Vegas Reopening in August 2020. Over the past few years, she has performed throughout the US in various music festivals such as the Super Girl Pro Festival in San Diego at the Radio Disney stage, Mesa Music Festival in Arizona, The Jersey Shore Music festival, SpringBoard South Fest in Houston, the Winter Music Conference in Miami, etc. She has also performed in many prestigious live music venues, such as The Cutting Room in Manhattan, The Mint in LA, The Smith Center in Las Vegas as well as at the iconic stage of MGM Park Theatre for the AFWerxFusion event of the US Air Force.
Angelina’s new POP single “Private Paradise” is currently being considered for several GRAMMY® categories and her Music Video, which she co-directed and self-produced, has earned several awards and nominations at film festivals such as Venice Shorts, Golden Sparrow International Film Festival, Rome Music Awards, New York International Film Awards, Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival, Las Vegas Screenwriting Film Fest and more.
Angelina is also an accomplished dancer, obtaining her graceful movements and passionate Latin moves from years of formal training in Ballroom & Latin dancing. Many music industry veterans, who have had the opportunity to see her perform have been nothing short of awe struck. The legendary Ivan Mogull after seeing her perform for the first time in Manhattan stated that “ Angelina is not only very talented and beautiful but a wonderful performer, take it from me her Star will shine very bright”. He became an instant fan and saw her performance a number of times thereafter.
Contributor: Frederica Bolgouras
What is your passion?
My passion is to accomplish what I came on this earth to do which is to share the message of love through my artistic creations. I express my emotions and thoughts by writing and performing music. I love singing, acting, dancing and I tend to be a perfectionist at my work.
What motivated you to pursue a career in singing and songwriting?
From very young, I noticed my gift in singing and songwriting as I was creating melodies. I was hiding this from my parents in Greece as they were very strict in terms of my pursuing a singing career. I would write songs in English, so they wouldn’t understand what I was writing if they would have found my notes. They did not know I could sing till I was 15 when they attended a teacher’s meeting at my Junior High-school (in Thessaloniki, GR), where everyone was raving about my voice from the Christmas ceremony when I presented my original Xmas song at school. My parents were shocked to hear this, and it was awkward when I had to confront them. Eventually, they embraced it and accepted it. I also ended up winning a singing contest in Thessaloniki, Greece when I sang Celine Dion’s “Power of Love” a capella, as they didn’t have the background music. When they announced that I was the winner, I looked at the sky and that was the moment I knew it was my call to pursue a career in music.
Congratulations on your new recording and Grammy consideration for Best New Artist, Pop Solo Performance and Record of the year, “Private Paradise”. How exciting for you and others who have worked with you! Describe your goals moving forward in the 2022.
Thank you. Yes, it’s a big deal for independent artists to be considered for the major categories such as Best New Artist, Record of the Year etc., and an even bigger deal if they are nominated. That’s thrilling and a game changer that opens the path for independent artists. Although we don’t need awards to know our worth in this artistic journey, it sure helps to further our career goals. I am very excited with the awards and nominations on my “Private Paradise” music video (which I co-directed and self-produced), from several film festivals such as Venice Shorts, New York International Film awards, International Music Video Awards, Los Angeles Lift Off Film Festival, Las Vegas Film and Screenwriting Festival and more! As far as the goals/plans for 2022, this upcoming year looks busy and exciting with regular shows on the Las Vegas Strip. Once again, I will be singing new music in several languages (as I sing in 8 languages including Greek of course) and new cool collaborations.
Who has inspired you the most in your life?
My grandmas. I loved both of my yiayias. Each one inspired me with different qualities. I miss them to this day very much, but they are always a part of me and live in my heart. As far as artistically, I’d say Mariah Carey. She’s an impeccable vocalist and songwriter. I discovered her music later in life because in Greece it was hard to explore American music. I also have a 5 octave range as she does, and I love doing the whistle notes. You can hear some (whistle notes) in my “Private Paradise” single at the outro as well as my prior singles “Down For U” and the “The Old Us”.
Tell me about your most proud accomplishments?
There are many and therefore difficult to just choose one. For example, I was really happy to showcase my different skills in the viral video of mine “One Girl 15 voices”, where I did singing impressions of 15 pop stars such as Ariana Grande, Celine Dion, etc. That was the video that put me on the map as I earned several major write-ups because of it. It’s a skill that only a few singers in the world can do.
Another project that I got to accomplish is the “one song in 5 languages” video. This is where I showcased my original song “All We Need” in 5 languages, switching to a different language for each verse in a 3 minute video. (Originally written by me).
Furthermore, I was super proud to showcase my Greek heritage in the viral comedy skit video “What it’s like to have a Greek friend” which I co-starred along with social media star Markian. I came up with the idea and script.
As far as live performance, it would probably be when I sang at the US Capitol in Washington DC before Congress for a ceremony related to the relationship between Greece and the United States.
Last but not least, I cannot wait and I’m super thrilled to publicize more of my creations.
What impact has your Greek heritage had on your aspiring career?
Well, I’d say coming from Europe I see things differently. Just because my native tongue is Greek, when I was little, I wouldn’t understand English, but I would be fascinated with sounds and hook melodies. That’s also a reason I feel that my strength is melodies first, when it comes to composing songs and then words. Since I went to a private school in Greece, I had intense education in the Ancient Greek language, and Latin which made me understand and decode more languages. I learned Spanish in one month because I understood the functionality of Latin very well and because I loved it as a language (sonically sounds clear just like Greek). I loved communicating and believe the ultimate form of communication to people’s hearts is touching their soul through music; but if I achieve doing that also in a language they understand that’s even better. That’s another reason why I loved taking on new languages.
In addition to being Greek and living in Greece during my childhood, it gave me qualities such as being genuine, kind, strong and passionate for what I do. It gives me the extra spice that others can’t compete with. Ha Ha.
Are you involved with the Greek community?
Of course! While I was living in New York, I was involved with the Greek community a lot. For example, I performed at Athens Square Park in Astoria and other events. Now since I live on the West coast, I am mainly involved with the California Greek community. In fact, last month I was more than happy to support the Greek festival of San Juan Capistrano by performing.
Given the COVID pandemic, how are you handling the stress this has caused and which wellness and coping exercises and mechanisms would you recommend?
Well, this whole pandemic literally changed the whole world and our perspective. Many lives were lost, people got super scared, isolation worsened the physical and mental health of people and we all probably put on extra pounds by not moving as much & by watching TikToks.
Business and creative wise, I did well despite my European tour getting canceled. I did a lot of songwriting, live streaming and I also partnered with Global Citizen for an online concert to help find solutions against the fight for Covid-19. I was also named “the only female artist that had regular shows on the Las Vegas Strip during the Las Vegas re-opening from the summer of 2020 until now”, as noted by news organizations such as Vegas Review Journal, Dash Radio, etc. I stayed busy, so I didn’t stress as much. The thing that bothered me the most though is that I couldn’t travel to Greece during that time to see my loved ones, and I also lost my grandpa due to Covid. I’m still recovering from that.
The time that we had for ourselves during the pandemic, pushed us to discover more about ourselves and our capacities. Others learned that they can succeed by creating their own businesses, others started new hobbies etc.
As far as wellness mechanisms, I recommend focusing on breathing exercises, listening to music, maintaining a healthy diet and communicating with friends and family. That’s at least what I have been doing to keep my body and mind in the right place.
Given young Hellenic Professional Women who would like to follow in your footsteps, what advice would you give to them?
First off, great questions and I really enjoyed this interview. I’m truly honored to be included in the inspiring Women’s Series to encourage and inspire other Greek young women. I’m all about empowering women and supporting fellow Greeks.
Being a woman is harder whether in entertainment or in other professions because to gain the respect, you have to work a thousand times more. For us they see age as an issue, looks as an issue, etc. And yes, it still happens. What I generally suggest is to always do research on matters you are interested in and make sure that you have the proper knowledge and plan ahead. This will give you the best chance to win at anything. Work smart and strategically but don’t lose the heart and passion. Kindness and love are always the best weapon. Finally, never quit.
Who has inspired you in your career? Let us know at info@hellenicprofessionalwomen.org
