Theresa Sokyrka (born 1 April 1981) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. On the second season of ''

Canadian Idol ''Canadian Idol'' is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show ''Pop Idol''. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore ...

'', she was the final runner-up to winner

Kalan Porter Richard Kalan Porter (born November 11, 1985) is a Canadian former singer-songwriter from Medicine Hat, Alberta, and the winner of the reality television series '' Canadian Idol'' in 2004. He started to sing at an early age and is classically t ...

Biography

Born in

Moose Jaw Moose Jaw is the fourth largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. Lying on the Moose Jaw River in the south-central part of the province, it is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, west of Regina. Residents of Moose Jaw are known as Moose Javians ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

, Sokyrka studied music at

Red Deer College , mottoeng = To Greater Things Through Learning , established = 1964 , type = Public polytechnic institute , president = Stuart Cullum , city = Red Deer , state = Alberta , country = Canada , students = 7,500 , undergrad = , campus = Ur ...

Red Deer The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of wes ...

, Alberta. She is drawn to the

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

more than other

musical genres This is a list of music genres and styles. Music can be described in terms of many genres and styles. Classifications are often arbitrary, and may be disputed and closely related forms often overlap. Larger genres and styles comprise more specifi ...

, and sings with passion and vulnerability. She loves to scat, adding flare and style to her songs. During an ''Idol'' taping,

Lionel Richie Lionel Brockman Richie Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He rose to fame in the 1970s as a songwriter and the co-lead singer of funk band the Commodores; writing and recordi ...

said there was "the soul of an old black woman living inside her". She comes from a very musical family, and she plays the violin, guitar, and piano. She was Saskatchewan Centennial 2005 Youth Ambassador. "... dozens of classrooms submitted their centennial stories, photographs and celebrations ... for an opportunity to have Theresa Sokyrka visit their classroom and perform for the entire school. ... 'Theresa has been an inspiration to many young people in our province and we're absolutely thrilled that our students have an opportunity to share their centennial message with the youth ambassador' " Sokyrka currently lives in

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

, Saskatchewan. Her latest album, released in 2013, is "Prairie Winds" which she recorded, mixed and mastered in Madrid, Spain in two weeks.

''Canadian Idol''

On the second season of ''

'', Sokyrka was known for

scatting In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. In scat singing, the singer improvises melodies and rhythms using the voice as an instrument rather than a speaking medium. ...

during her songs, the grace she showed during the judges' critiques, and her friendly personality.

Zack Werner Isaac "Zack" Werner is a Canadian artist, producer, entertainment lawyer and manager. Early life and education Born in Winnipeg in 1960, Werner attended the St. John's-Ravenscourt School. He received a B.A. from the University of Minnesota and ...

once said she was his favourite singer on the show from the first two seasons. A memorable comment made about Sokyrka came from judge

Jake Gold Jake Gold (born April 4, 1958) is an American-born Canadian music manager. He was a judge on the ''Canadian Idol'' television program. In addition to ''Idol'' participants, he has managed Canadian artists The Tragically Hip, The Watchmen, The C ...

; he said "Your future is so bright, I've got to wear shades" as he put on his sunglasses. Kalan Porter said it was great ending the show with Theresa, and that she had something really special to offer. The duet they performed during the finale, " True Colors", was arguably one of the most touching moments in Canadian Idol history. Songs that Theresa performed during the season included: Her standout songs on the show were " Summertime", "Good Mother", "Song For A Winter's Night", "Cruisin", "Ready for Love", and "Come Away with Me".

Discography

EPS

* '' Four Hours in November EP'' (2004)

Studio albums

''In addition to the above mentioned, Sokyrka was featured on Kalan Porter's album "

219 Days ''219 Days'' is the debut album of '' Canadian Idol'' winner Kalan Porter. The album was released on November 23, 2004 through Sony Music Canada. The album title refers to the number of days from his first audition to the release of his debut CD ...

" (2004). Also "Baby, It's Cold Outside" a single with Matt Dusk in 2007''

Radio Singles

* "Turned My Back" (2005) * "Waiting Song" (2006) * "Sandy Eyes" (2007) * "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (2007) * "Everything" (2010)

References

External links

Official website

Theresa Sokyrka Online – Lyrics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sokyrka, Theresa 1981 births Living people Canadian women singer-songwriters Canadian Idol participants Musicians from Saskatchewan People from Moose Jaw Canadian people of Ukrainian descent Canadian women pop singers 21st-century Canadian women singers Ukrainian-language singers