Home
Singing Lessons

Biography

Gallery

Singers Resume
Model/Acting Resume

Vocal Files

Bands & Session work

Concert dates

Press kit

Film Licensing

In the News

Links

Contact

Online Store
Go to Fragrances World
BIOGRAPHY

Aziza Poggi is a cross over artist hailing from the Midwest who sings rock, classical, opera, musical theater and is a recording artist on top of running her own studio as a Voice Instructor & Talent Coach. She has been seen in Metal Hammer, Classical Singer, and Vocals Magazine. She also has toured the country and in Europe at Metal Female Voices Festival (as a soloist and with her band Aria Flame), Femme Festival in Eindhoven (which headlined Lacuna Coil) along with performing at classical recitals and concerts. Her former metal band Dendura, had done film scoring for Comedy Central's web series "Monsters Ballz" in which they remade composer Edvard Grieg's “In The Hall of The Mountain King” along with opening for nationals Epica, Scar Symmetry, Fuel, Doro Pesch, and more. Dendura and her current band Aria Flame also worked with Grammy Producer Neil Kernon.

Aziza loves to research and honed in on her craft when she decided to become serious about singing by taking lessons from prominent coaches and instructors such as Pamela Moore (guest singer on Queensryche's album and on select live performances for "Operation Mindcrime"), Mary Zimmer (White Empress, Luna Mortis on Century Media Records), Melissa Ferlaak (EchoTerra, Visions of Atlantis on Napalm Records), to international opera singer Nicholas Loren through local opera sensations Dale Schriemer, Diane Penning and Grand Rapids Community College Music Co-Chair Dr. Stephen Barton. She believes if you want to be great at it, you must fuel your brain with all the knowledge you can with your desired craft.

Aziza career has also expanded into recording projects where she was chosen to sing for doom metal band Amarna Sky (featuring Karl Sanders on guitar from the death metal band NILE (Nuclear Blast Records). She also has former acting experience and film work experience where she educates her career-minded students on the business as well. Some of the former films she worked for were "61" HBO Films, directed by Billy Crystal, and "Hardball" Paramount Pictures with Keanu Reeves and Diane Lane.

Aziza has found her balance by observing traditional rules with classical training and creating her own. Her influences range from Muse, Tarja, Nightwish, Korn, Nevermore, and Judas Priest to Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica to classical artists Renee Fleming, Maria Callas, Andrea Bocceli and Anna Netrebko. Aziza formerly was an honors student at Grand Rapids Community College and is currently expanding her knowledge in music and education at Berklee College of Music where she is working on the fundamentals needed to pursue her singing and teaching into full time. Aside from music, Aziza is also a perfumer and candle maker, making her own fragrances in her private laboratory.

Aria Flame Biography
Aria Flame is an American neo-classical symphonic metal band with European flair hailing from Michigan. Utilizing operatic and rock style vocals, powerful guitar riffs and solos, symphonic keyboards and intricate bass and drums, the members of Aria Flame are truly professional performers. Their musical compositions are characterized by eerie diminished chords, occasional circus-like melodies, well formed bass and percussion. The lyrics describe ones journey from being taken into the darkness only to be reborn as the mythological phoenix. The word Aria comes from the classical word meaning “song” and the word “flame” represents the phoenix. Combining the two words reflects the combination of styles in their music.

Aria Flame was formed after the disbandment of singer and composer Aziza Poggi’s former band Dendura. Dendura was a successful Egyptian themed metal band that was heard on The Comedy Central network, seen in magazines such as Metal Hammer, and opened for international touring acts such as Epica, Doro Pesch, Edguy, Scar Symmetry, Unexpect and The Agonist.
Aria Flame was created in spring of 2011 by singer and composer Aziza Poggi and drummer Erik Sales. Guitarist Daniel Cruzan joined the group in early 2012. Keyboardist Joop De Rooij (ex-Magion) was added to the group late 2014 and will participate on select USA concerts and all European dates and bassist Kevin Turner joined in late 2015.
From their inception, Aria Flame has enjoyed success with Aziza becoming a member of Eve’s Apple (a worldwide community of professional metal singers), opening for international touring acts such as Delain, Xandria, and Trillium, releasing a music video for their song “Divine World”, and releasing their debut EP in 2014 titled "A World of Silence”. The EP was mixed and mastered by Grammy award-winning producer Neil Kernon (Judas Priest, Nevermore, Queensryche, etc.). Following the debut release was an accompanying performance in Europe's prestigious “Metal Female Voices Festival" which introduced the band to a worldwide audience sharing the stage with Therion, Leave’s Eyes, Diabulus en Musica, Serenia, and more.
2015 was a big year for Aria Flame. We were able to take the world by storm working with Dark Fortress Pictures on our latest music video “Realm of Hate.” Our year opened sharing the stage with Amanda Somerville’s “Trillium,” we added show dates in Europe (The Netherlands and Belgium) touring with Skeptical Minds and performing at the international female fronted event, FemMe. Finally, our first US tour with Mercy Isle took us through some great cities and landed us rocking out at the DeLand Rock and Music Festival (headed up by Seven Kingdom’s, Camden Cruz). Aria Flame has received stellar reviews from Sonic Cathedral, Powerplay Rock Magazine, Metal-Temple and has been seen in many international magazines being praised for their unique sound and performance.
"...a score of 10 out of 10." "...It’s not often we have an American release that can compete with the best from Western Europe. . .or Eastern Europe. This one can. In a word, this is killer material, maybe the best American production I’ve ever heard. And on a par with the best material in the genre anywhere in the world."
-Doctor T, Sonic Cathedral.
Currently, the band is working on their new album due out in 2022 titled SunRiser.

Members:
Aziza Poggi- Vocals and composer
Daniel Cruzan - Guitar and composer
Trevor Antonidies - Bass
Erik Sales-Drummer


Dendura Band Bio
Dendura, an Egyptian inspired progressive metal band that combines the vocals of Aziza Poggi and the virtuosic guitar player Paul Stein. Together, the band transcended the boundaries of progressive metal to create a mysterious and unforgettable sound. In April 2006, Dendura released New Life, their debut album that attracted several film directors who licensed tracks for Perception, InZero, and the award-winning film Broken. Dendura also penned a metal version of In the Hall of the Mountain King for the Comedy Central series "Monsters Ballz" and appeared on the ABC affiliate WZZM 13 news Take Five with Stephanie Webb in Grand Rapids, MI. In 2007, New Life gained distribution through Sonic Cathedral, one of the largest online stores for female vocal music. By August, it became one of Sonic Cathedral's top-ten best-selling albums and the band caught the attention of KillZone Records who signed them shortly after. Then in early 2012, Dendura released themselves from KillZone Records, and some of their favorite shows with Epica, Scar Symmetry, then disbanded.
In addition, Dendura has tracks on three CD compilations: The official ProgPower 2007 festival compilation, the Bootleg compilation for WGRD 97.9 FM in Grand Rapids, MI, and the Sirens sampler from Sonic Cathedral released in the Fall of 2008. Dendura has performed with Epica, Scar Symmetry, Edguy, Light This City, Unexpect, Blacklist Union, Egypt Central, and Lennex. They have also performed in St. Paul, MN, at the all female fronted metal festival, Flight of the Valkyries and filmed a music video with award winning director, Mike Madigan, for a song that would of been featured on their sophomore album. They received international exposure in metal magazines such as, Metal Hammer and ProgPower. Then in 2009, Aziza was featured on a track with Nile guitarist and co-founder Karl Sanders (Nuclear Blast Records) for recording project Amarna Sky. As Dendura grew in popularity, fans eagerly awaited the release of their album "A Divine World" with Grammy winning producer Neil Kernon (Nile, Dokken, Nevermore, Queensryche, Judas Priest). Unfortunately, of matters not in their control, it was not released.
Aziza is currently working on a new album with her new band Aria Flame with former Dendura members, Paul Stein and Greg Cloon.

Dendura has performed with Epica, Scar Symmetry, Doro Pesch, Edguy, Light This City, Unexpect, The Agonist, Blacklist Union, Egypt Central, and Lennex. They have also performed in St. Paul, MN, at the all female fronted metal festival, Flight of the Valkyries and filmed a music video with award winning director, Mike Madigan, for a song that would of been featured on their sophomore album. They received international exposure in metal magazines such as, Metal Hammer and ProgPower. Then in 2009, Aziza was featured on a track with Nile guitarist and co-founder Karl Sanders (Nuclear Blast Records) for recording project Amarna Sky. As Dendura grew in popularity, fans eagerly awaited the release of their album “A Divine World” with Grammy winning producer Neil Kernon (Nile, Dokken, Nevermore, Queensryche, Judas Priest). Unfortunately, of matters not in their control, it was not released.

© Helcanen