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SALIO brings a soulful sound to pop, With her fusion sound, SALIO’s songs are a raw and vulnterable approach to pop music

January 23, 2020
Salome Korkotashvili is a Georgian singer/songwriter best known by her stage name SALIO. She remarks that at five years of age she, “… used to sell tickets made for unrehearsed performances in my sitting room which some neighbours were generous enough to attend.” 

She was first professionally recognized after writing her Georgian song 'Varskvlavebi' - 'Stars' in English - at nine years of age. She also states that during her younger years, 
….myself and my younger sister used to play journalist interviewing singer but I would always be the singer and force Elene to be the journalist….sorry Elene I know I was mean.
Born in Tbilisi - and focusing on her musical education through attending the Conservatory - by the age of 15 she was the lead vocalist and composer of Georgian band Paparazzi which had a number of music and video releases, performing during the 1990’s. After shortening her name from Salome to SALIO due to perceived international difficulties in pronunciation, she began work with Tbilisi-based producer Beka Japaridze and started performing live under the SALIO moniker. With notable performances at Open Air Festival, Tbilisi and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival the video release of 'Let It Shine' in 2013 has become the song she is most quickly identified with in the English language. This video release was followed up with the video 'Number One Boy' from the same studio footage recorded by her friend and videographer, Yugo Morris.
Her first official release as SALIO was 2016 single 'Wayside' on British label Day Release Records. Recorded, written and produced in London by Jonathon Holder of JHGT and mixed by British producer Andrew Hunt, Hunt was subsequently awarded a Music Producer's Guild Award for Breakthrough Producer of the Year in part for his work on the five tracks which constituted the 'Lost World' EP. The 'Wayside' video which depicts the difficulties of a woman struggling to make her way in the world was premiered by the Daily Telegraph Online. The title track of the EP was awarded second place in the Pop/Top 40 category of the Unsigned Only Music Awards in 2017 and for her later release of ‘Keep On Dancing’ she won Best Electro Act, 2017 awarded by Wigwam Radio. 

After acclaimed performances at Vice pub, The Old Blue Last and The Bedroom Bar in Shoreditch, London, SALIO was invited to perform at the Black Sea Jazz Festival in 2017 to perform the ‘Lost World’ EP to a home crowd.

She then made a graphic video release of the song 'Where The River Flows' commenting, 
The song is about the futility in questioning death through life. There is nothing definite to be found in any books or through any experience, only questions. The only answer we truly have is that we will find out for ourselves, first-hand, in due course.
After being selected from over 2,000 applicants to work with Stephen Antonelli and Nathan Lanzino, she created the much more acoustically charactered ‘Studio Sessions’ EP at Songbuilder Studios, Baltimore. It was released through Bentley Records in August, 2017.
Working with Nate and Stephen was amazing. The song ‘Lonesome Tales’ was written and recorded within an hour. It was so much fun. I just walked in the studio and Nate was playing on his guitar so I started singing and within a few minutes we were penning lyrics and recording the song. It was a truly fun and magical moment in time for me.
Bass player, Deon Estus, of Wham! fame and platinum-selling jazz saxophonist, Dean James, started making arrangements to record with her. The natural beauty in her voice broke Dean’s heart….literally. Just days after the recording session he was in hospital for a quadruple bypass operation. 
 Tony Coluccio, a man who has worked with greats such as Bette Midler, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson then asked her to record in New York City. Tied in with a quick secretive Sofar performance and a cameo at renowned Small’s Jazz Club, it seems that no matter where she goes, those who appreciate true ability will find her. Whilst performing in Georgia, British Jazz Singer, Joss Stone, collaborated with SALIO as part of Stone's Total World Tour. 

Stone released the video of them performing one of SALIO’s childhood works in her native Georgian tongue with a small acoustically focussed Georgian band at Petra Fortress in Batumi, Georgia. The video was released in February of 2018.

SALIO then went on to perform at Open Air Festival to a crowd of over 10,000 people. 
Singing to a home crowd of that size was electric. I was so nervous but as soon as I sang that first note the crowd erupted and the set was amazing. I couldn’t see where the crowd finished it went back so far. It was a truly great honour for me. 
In March, 2019, SALIO’s longtime friend, Babi, died after a long battle with cancer. She wrote the song 'Dreamer' in memory of her and created a video commemorating her death which was subsequently posted in remembrance of her.
It was just heart breaking losing Babi. Seeing her battle with her health for so long and then her life just to disappear so quickly was awful. I can’t really listen to ‘Dreamer’ any longer because of the emotion it creates.
 Her most recent video release, ‘Yeah’, secured her as one of five winners from over 6,000 entries to be invited to perform at Mad Cool Festival, Madrid, Spain on July 12th, 2019. She describes the experience as one of the best events of her life not only due to the festival and its talents but also because of Madrid, a place which has seemingly warmed to her and certainly her to it.
I love Madrid and Spain. The people are so warm and friendly, there’s a joy in the culture there. The festival was a huge experience and to see so many great artists such as The National, Noel Gallagher, Jon Hopkins and Lauryn Hill all in the same place was amazing. I had the privilege of meeting Jorja Smith which was wonderful, she’s a really cool person. I learned so much about performing seeing these seasoned professionals on stage, especially from guys like Iggy Pop who even at his age has the most incredible amount of energy to truly rock the crowd at all moments.
Though she was featured in recently released Lifoti's January/February 2020 issue 11, you can check it from below link's for your country:

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