Biography

Viktoe Lazlo (real name Sonia Dronier) was born in Lorient, France to English mother from Grenada and French father from Martinique. She attended Europe-school in Bruxelles, Belgium majoring in the study of Art History and Archaeology. She works as a photo model and singer and speaks English, French, Dutch, German, and Italian. She used to dance jazz and ballet and used to play the violin.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

The only site for all viktor lazlo's fans. Official biography, discography, tours, photos, TV shows, solos and others performances (duets with James Ingram, the count Basie orchestra...), concerts, covers of stewie wonder, sting, Christopher cross..., stage and theater, Billie Holiday tribute...

Most of the time dressed in splendid robes by the famous French designers (Thierry Muggler...), this female singer brings out a lot of records filled with easy-listening music. Her music reminds of nightclubs and prewar American films, and is mostly a mix of jazz and more mainstream pop influences.

Born in France, her parents originating from Martinique and Grenada, growing up in Belgium, viktor lazlo has been at the cultural crossroads all her life. Raised in English and French at home, at the European school she attended, she learned Italian, German, Dutch and Spanish. Attracted to the performing arts since her childhood, she learned the violin and followed dance classes. While going to the university to study history of the arts, she was drawn into the Brussels music scene and started to sing with various groups just for the fun of it. After a brief spell as a model, her musical career really got going when Alain Chamfort picked the unknown Viktor to sing the title song he had composed for a French movie ''Backdoor Man''.

Then she met a Belgian producer in a club and they started working on her debut album ''She''released in 1985, established her as a much sought-after star(The album became an overnight success, and fell just short of platinum in Belgium. It went on to sell over 100,000 copies in Germany and 60,000 in Japan. "Pleurer des rivières" (a cover "Cry me a river" of Julie London) and The classy blend of Latin, pop, soul and jazz was shown to perfection on her first hit ''Sweet, Soft and Lazy'', which gained worldwide attention. Her husky, seductive voice, stunning attractiveness and inimitable musical personality brought her success right from the start, especially in such territories as the Far East, Japan, Continental Europe and Canada. In 1990 she recorded with Boris Bergman, who writes her the album "Club Désert" with Serge Gainsbourg and Bernard Lavilliers. She developed her unique style on subsequent albums : ''Viktor Lazlo'' (1987), ''Hot And Soul'' (1989) and ''My Delicious Poisons'' (1991). On those records she collaborated with a very varied - to say the least - bunch of composers and musicians : Chris Rea, the Count Basie Orchestra, James Ingram, Stephan Waggershausen, Johnny Griffin, Bernard Lavilliers, Toots Thielemans.

1987, she presented the Eurovision Song Contest and was considered the winner by many ...

In 1990, she had already made her acting debut in ''Signe de Feu'', directed by Italian Nino Bizarri, and in the comedy ''Boom Boom'', by Spanish director Rosa Verges. Over the next years, the music took a step back. She starred also in an episode of ''Commissaire Moulin'', a very popular french TV series. In 1994 she shot a film in Tahiti with French stars Gerard Jugnot and Jean-Marc Barr: ''Les Faussaires''. In 1995, she appeared in the successful French TV-series ''Sandra, princess rebelle'' which aired on TF1. She played a part in a German TV-movie (in German ! ''Unser Man)''. And to finish the year, she played in 2 more French films : ''Tous pour un'' and ''Mardi, 15 heures, Vanneau''. However, the music is finally claimed its rightful place back. A tour in Germany with Maggie Reilly and Juliane Werding made Viktor realise that she missed music very much. So, if for the past few years Viktor had been concentrating on filmwork, the urge to sing and go on tour became very strong again since the direct contact with the audience has always been a powerful motivation.

During 1997, Viktor has been a regular in the Saturday night TV-show ''La fureur ...'' for french TV. She also recorded 2 songs for the German TV series ''Der König von St Pauli'', and ''Besame Mucho'' for a German film. Her CD ''Back to front'' was recorded at Compass Point in Nassau (with Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare, plus Bernie Worrell as the rhythm section) produced by Eric Clermontet, a French producer with an impeccable track record. With musicians of that calibre, it is clear that rhythm and groove are very important elements of the new songs. But Viktor would not be Viktor if the lyrics were not about love in all its aspects . Songs have been provided by a.o. Albert Hammond or made in collaboration with Andre Manoukian and Art Mengo, with Viktor writing a lot of the lyrics .

Spring 1999 she released a duet with Biagio Antonacci ''Message'', which became gold in Belgium and was breaking in France. Later that year, as well as during a part of 2000, Viktor used another of her talents, and made her debut theaterwise in Paris in play entitled ''Hotel des deux mondes'' written by Eric Emannuel Schmitt, and directed by Marcel Roussel. The play was the event of that theaterseason in Paris with Viktor in a leading role. For which she got very good reviews in the French- and international press (Herald Tribune, Variety).

Since than, Viktor has been working on 2 records simultaneously. One is the soundtrack of her show entitled ''Loin de Paname''Polydor France released the soundtrack in the meantime.

Her performance of "Billie Holiday" - a tribute", is a huge success in Europe since 2011. Since 2014 she is celebrating her 30th anniversary of her career.In 2015 her third novel is printed, in the meanwhile preparing her new show on stage "3 femmes (3 woman" tribute to Billie Holiday, Ella Fiztgerald and Sarah Vaughan.

About her mysterious artist name , she later told Bettie Mellaerts in De Morgen : "I've been wondering for 15 years already why I chose Viktor Lazlo as a pseudonym: it took me years to figure it out: My parents had a daughter, but wanted a son. My mother cried when I was born, not another girl ... That's the sort of thing you carry with you in your life, and I did that with my name. I wanted to confirm the male part of me, to cover my female side: Sonia stayed at home, was introverted, shy, loved to cook, sat in front of the fireplace; While Viktor stood on stage, was brave, vindictive, played the role everybody wanted her to".

- IMDb Mini Biography By: jean-christophe