PINA KOLLARS

Pina Kollars is an Austrian-born female folk rock singer. She is usually only known as Pina.

Pina's contribution to Afro Celt Sound System's Go On Through album was heard by Peter Gabriel's and he released her first album, Quick Look, on his Real World Records label.

Pina Pertl was born and raised in Vienna. As her mother was only 16 when she was born, Pina grew up in her grandparents' house as part of an extended family. After brief attempts to study medicine and law at the university, Pina, who by this time was already an accomplished classical guitarist, decided to pursue music as a career. She also met and fell in love with Helmut Kollars. Pina then packed up with her husband and her baby daughter Luise and permanently relocated to southwestern Ireland. She made a name for herself on the Irish festival circuit, but unfortunately her marriage with Helmut fell apart, and Pina was left juggling her musical ambitions with single parenting in a foreign country. Eventually she made the acquaintance of the Afro Celt Sound System, who asked her to sing with them on a track called "Go On Through" for their 2001 album, Volume 3: Further in Time. When the band played the album back to Peter Gabriel, their boss at Real World Records, Gabriel declared "Go On Through" to be his favorite song on the album, even though he himself guested on one of the other songs. Gabriel then wasted little time tracking Pina down and signing her to his label.

In 2007, Pina finished her studies of nutritional therapy and has continued her academic study since so that she is now ready to enter a dissertation on postnatal depression for a masters degree course.

Also in 2007, Pina moved back to Vienna from Ireland,

It is rumoured that Pina has written some new songs and still has a deal with Realworld but cannot say any more at present.

Pina now finds solace in her splendid isolation. Sheltered from the vagaries of fashion, she has looked inwards rather than outwards for inspiration. With her stormy personal life acting as 'the motor that drives my songwriting', she has developed a distinctive style - and the striking results can be heard on Guess You Got It, her second album.