Simona Kara: Live at The Middle East Upstairs!

Don't Miss this fantastic opportunity to see Simona Kara, along with Jane Kristiansen and Mariam Kubursi, live at The Middle East Upstairs. Coming up this weekend, August 2. Be there by 8:00 because you won't want to miss a thing! 

What can you expect from this show? I'm glad you asked. Simona was nice enough to answer a few questions for us about the the to prepare us for the event!

How did this show come to be?
I recently came back from study abroad in Valencia, Spain, and eagerly missed performing for my community here in Boston. Even though I had an incredible experience traveling in Europe, and indulging myself in new genres and music scenes, there is nothing like performing my music with my band. After 8 months, I’m so excited to be playing and performing here again! 

The Middle East Upstairs has always been a venue I’ve dreamed of performing at, ever since I came to Berklee in 2024. I wanted to perform there in August before the fall 2026 semester starts to celebrate the fact that I’ll be coming back to Berklee after being away since December. I’m so thrilled, and I hope whoever’s reading this will come watch :) 

What goes into creating the set list for this, or any, show? 
When creating a set list, I try to incorporate several different Pop-adjacent genres, with influences coming from R&B, Funk, and even Gospel/Jazz. I love to blend as many genres as I can because my original music doesn’t fit into one category. I definitely want the audience to feel that from the beginning of the performance. That’s why for this show, I’ll be playing songs from Lucky Daye, Erykah Badu, Sienna Spiro, Trash Panda and Ariana Grande’s discography. 

What is your favorite part about performing in front of an audience?
I love to perform because I like to make people feel. I want to be able to create a space where people can allow themselves to be fully entranced by the music and let go of their thoughts completely. For me personally, I feel like sharing my music with other people (especially other artists) can inspire them to then share THEIR art and express themselves too. 

I will be performing alongside Mariam Kubursi and Jane Kristiansen, two incredible singer-songwriters who vividly capture human emotion through storytelling in their music. I am SO excited not only to be sharing the bill with them, but to get to listen to their music as well! 

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Once again, if you can be there, be there!

You can follow this link for TICKETS

 

And be sure to tell Simona you saw her in Section 36!

Simona Kara Visits Section 36 Music!

Section 36 Music had another visitor! Simona Kara just released her debut single "Grounded", which is absolutely incredible! I am so glad that she wanted to visit with us to discuss the song, and a bit more. I'm sure you'll love what she had to say.

So, let's see what happens when Simona Kara visits Section 36 Music!

I absolutely love your debut single, “Grounded”. What can you tell me about it?

I originally wrote “Grounded” last October, then rearranged it several times until I felt it fully captured my vision. I’m proud of how far it has come, and I’m grateful I get to share it with you!

To me, “Grounded” is a depiction of longing for the parts of ourselves we must let go of in order to grow. There are moments in life where everything changes suddenly; our setting, friendships, relationships, mental state, as well as our perspective on the world. We are then faced with handling all of this while exiled from the boundaries of our comfort zone. When experiencing this feeling, I struggled to express it authentically. I was lost in my thoughts, unable to ground myself and face reality. So, I booked a practice room and let my mind wander as far as possible.

My hope is that whoever listens to “Grounded” can interpret it in their own way and, in doing so, feel its emotional energy.

Do you have a favorite memory from the recording process?

I do! During one of the final vocal recording sessions, my producers and I decided the song needed a final touch. With only 20 minutes left in the studio, we wrote and recorded an ascending vocal line for one of the choruses. That moment was exhilarating for us, as this small edit gave the entire song a new life. I remember us all shouting, “No, it needs more! Keep adding!”, and with each take, it just kept getting better and better. It was SUCH an adrenaline rush, I’ll never forget that moment!

You are attending Berklee College of Music? What made Berklee the right choice for you?

Truthfully, I have never pictured myself somewhere other than Berklee. I first learned about it when I was 13, and when I attended the 5 Week Program years later, my mind was made up. I was captivated by the variety of music styles you can study here and the range of majors offered. At Berklee, students are able to dive deep into music business, music engineering, production, songwriting, performance, film scoring and more. When researching other colleges, I came to the realization that Berklee is the most academically and socially diverse music school I could attend. I was so inspired by this, that I am now a double major with Vocal Performance and Professional Music, specializing in Music Business, and Production. I’ve always wanted to take advantage of the many resources Berklee has to offer.

Who or what would you consider your greatest musical influences?

Growing up, my biggest stylistic and vocal influences were Whitney Houston, Tori Kelly, Ariana Grande, Yebba and JoJo. These incredible singers shaped much of my musical journey as a kid and teenager, and I have learned how to riff, run, harmonize and interpret pop melodies solely from listening to them. The other musical influences in my life are my parents, as they are Jazz Musicians and raised me in an environment immersed with music. I most definitely would not be the musician I am today without them as well! In terms of songwriting, I don’t tend to look to a particular artist or person for inspiration. Instead, I draw more from blending different genres and styles and seeing how they complement the final product of a song.

What Disney song would you most want to cover?

I’ve always wanted to cover ‘A Whole New World’ and ‘Into the Unknown’! These are my most favorite Disney songs to sing, mainly because the musical arrangements of both are so beautiful.

What are your immediate musical goals?

Great question, I have so many! My most immediate goal is to focus on my education so that I have the tools and preparation needed to succeed in this field. The music industry is challenging to get ahead in, so I want to make sure I can find my right direction and confidently thrive in my career. Another goal I have is to push myself further out of my comfort zone every day and to put myself out there as much as possible. I’m constantly reminding myself that feeling self-conscious and second-guessing my judgement will only hinder me from becoming who I want to be. It is so important for us young artists to unapologetically BE WHO WE ARE! To make the music we want to make, to collaborate, to perform and to find our unique path, drive and pace. 

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I can absolutely support those goals!

As always, I want to thank Simona for visiting with us, and for sending along the pictures to accompany the interview. 

I'm sure you’ll all want to follow her and see what she has going on. I would follow her on Instagram and Spotify to make sure you don't miss a thing. 

Thanks again, Simona, and good luck reaching your goals!