Cristal Snow

’A calling is stronger than you. There is nothing you can really do about it: you can’t’ avoid destiny. I have fallen over and over again; I have counted up my failures every time a door has been slammed in front of my face and the answer has been ‘no!’ But when it’s destiny, a calling, you just get up, dust yourself off and you try as many times as it takes. You bang those doors until your knuckled bleed, until a door opens and the answer is finally ‘Yes!’.’’ - Cristal Snow, May 2007 In the past six months Cristal Snow has become a hot topic in the Finnish music scene. He makes some people mad, he drives teens crazy but most importantly he makes people dance and feel. Cristal’s debut single Pump It Up gave much promise of what was ahead. The video immediately ended up on MTV’s ‘Fresh’ rotation and was one of the most requested songs of Radio Energy’s daily top 10-list. The next single Cristal Clear managed to top that, rising to the A-play list of Finland’s biggest radio station: YLEX. But who is Cristal Snow? Cristal Snow’s first grade teacher labelled him as too wild and noisy - I remember doing a Christmas pageant on my first year in school and there was a huge, black cauldron on stage and every student got to take one thing that was part of Christmas and drop it in the pot, you know, cookies, cinnamon, snow, good will and all that. There were around 30 students. I was the only who wasn’t allowed to take anything into the damn pot. I had to sit the front row while my teacher held my hand. People have always tried to control me and here lies the result, Cristal laughs Raised in Kankaanpää, a small town in Finland, Cristal felt all his life to be way too big for his small town. So he packed up his bags after high school and moved to New York City to attend City College Of New York. - I wanted to sing, act, write, direct, design clothes, become a cop and own a kennel, but foremost I had always been really defiant about leaving for New York. Everyone kept telling me it wasn’t really possible; friends, guidance-counsellors. But like I say: everything is possible as long as you don’t give up. Attending College was rewarding: he won the Jacob A. Weisner Playwright Award two years in a row with his plays Death in Waiting and Valium (an accomplishment no one in the schools history had achieved.) He was also awarded numerous times for general excellence in theatre, directing and acting. - Life in New York was a dream. I got great job opportunities, met amazing people, began working on music; a dream that I had had ever since I was a kid and slowly began to make a career for myself. But as soon as it had begun, I had to pack my bags. Reluctantly Cristal had to return to Finland but determined to make the best of it, Cristal kept pressing on. In November 2005 Cristal won the Miss Drag Queen 2006 competition. “When they called out my name, I just burst in tears. Everyone thought it was hysterically funny. Little did they know that my tears were real. I was genuinely surprised. I had felt like the dark horse of the race: winning without a wig and not imitating ‘Cher’ After winning the title DJ guru Mr A. approached Cristal to start hosting the already legendary club DanceteriA. After the first night of working together Mr. A introduced Cristal to Heikki Liimatainen (Dallas Superstars, Heikki L.). He had a demo he had worked on with DJ Alimo (Beats and Styles) but they had not found the right person to sing it. - I sang the demo and a week later Helsinki Music Company offered me a recording contract. It all happened so fast that I still don’t really know what the fuck and how it all happened. It just all came full circle..All the years of prep work finally made sense: this is what I have been working so hard for; this was the reason.’’ - Now I am where I want to be. I have arrived on the station where my journey begins. My dreams have become a reality. I get to make music. A door has finally opened and I am ready to take on what ever comes my way: so bring it on!