Sasha Sokol

Sasha Sökol Cuillery (Mexico City June 17, 1970), known during her childhood and adolescence as Sasha and, from 1997 onwards, as Sasha Sökol, is a Mexican singer, actress, songwriter and television presenter. She began her artistic career as a member of the musical band Timbiriche.

Biography Sökol was born in Mexico City to a half-Mexican/half-Ukrainian father and a French mother. When she was still a toddler, her parents (Miguel "Happy" Sökol Garcia and Magdalena Cuillery) divorced and her mother married Fernando Diez Barroso, an executive at Televisa. As a child, she was known as Sasha Diez Barroso, but now goes by her paternal name, Sökol. She studied at the Colegio Peterson and later at the Centro de Educación Artística (CEA) of Televisa. At that time, the music and television producer Luis de Llano Macedo was seeking to create a Mexican version of the band Parchís, and Sökol held castings at the CEA.

Timbiriche Sökol was selected as one of the original seven members and that is how she started her singing career in 1982. Sökol recorded seven albums with Timbiriche, which earned 25 gold albums and ten platinum albums. Timbiriche earned her awards from El Heraldo and the TVyNovelas Awards. In 1984, with Timbiriche, Sökol participated in Vaselina as Sandy, the Spanish-language version of Grease. In 1986, she left Timbiriche and moved to Boston, Massachusetts, US to continue her acting studies.

Solo career

In 1986, Sökol enrolled at the Walnut Hill School for the Performing Arts. The following year, she released her first LP album, Sasha, which sold over a million copies in Mexico, making it one of Mexico's best-selling albums in 1987. Her first single was "No Me Extraña Nada", which was released with a music video. She was nicknamed "La Dama de Negro" (The Lady in Black) for her habit of dressing in said color. The biggest hit of the album was "Rueda Mi Mente", which peaked at number one on Mexican radio and remained there for several weeks. Sökol made her television solo debut in Siempre En Domingo, the biggest variety show in Ibero-America at the time.

In 1988, she released the maxi-single "Diamante," which went double platinum and was chosen as the theme song for the music magazine Eres. The title track of this EP was one of the year's biggest hits in Mexico. As the artists of the moment, Sasha and Mexican superstar Luis Miguel appeared together on the cover of the first issue of Eres magazine. In 1988, she also launched a television career with the series Tres Generaciones (TV Show) (Three Generations), also starring Carmen Montejo and Angélica María.

In 1989, she recorded a song titled "Detrás del Amor" for the compilation album Nos Vamos de Vacaciones, which also featured Alejandra Guzmán and Alix Bauer (another ex-Timbiriche). In November of 1989, Sasha released her second LP album, Trampas de Luz, which reached gold status.

In 1990, she recorded the song "Amor Amor" for the compilation album Juntos Ayer y Hoy, and the song "Noche de Ronda" for the compilation album El Estudio de Lara.

In November of 1991, Sökol released her third LP album, Siento. Earlier that year, she appeared in the Mexican soap opera Alcanzar Una Estrella II. The soap opera was such a tremendous hit that its fictional musical group, called Muñecos de Papel (Paper Dolls), which included Sökol, Ricky Martin, Pedro Fernandez, Erik Rubin, Bibi Gaytan and Angélica Rivera, released two soundtrack albums with music from the series. Because of demand from fans, the fictional musical group went on a 3-month national tour throughout Mexico and were nominated as "Revelation of the Year" at the second annual awards show for Premios Eres, where they won the coveted honor. Sasha was nominated as best actress in a leading role for Alcanzar Una Estrella II at the Premios TV y Novelas. Siento was one the best selling albums in Mexico in 1992, where it was nominated for female album of the year and album of the year (all album categories) at the Premios Eres.

In November of 1992, Sökol released her fourth LP album, Numero Uno, also known as Amor Sin Tiempo in the US market.

From the late 1980s to the 1990s, Sökol was among the most popular singers in Mexico and a few other Hispanic countries. Her most successful album has been her first, Sasha (1987). At that time, she was considered the top female pop icon in Mexico and her style was imitated by teenagers throughout Mexico, and led to the release of her own jewelry line and a perfume labeled "Fama."

In 1993, Sökol put her career on hold and put herself in rehabilitation for a cocaine addiction and an eating disorder (anorexia and bulimia). Months later, she formally made statements to the Mexican media about her drug addiction and rehabilitation. She publicly apologized to her fans for her disappearance and for all the rumors that were brought forth while out of the spotlight.

In 1995, Sasha starred in the Mexican soap opera, El Premio Mayor.

In 1997, she returned to the music scene with an album titled 11:11 (Once Once) that was released by Sony Mexico. This album is distinct to her fans as it is not of the pop music genre, but one that belongs to the traditional Mexican music genre, rancheras. In late 2014, Sasha, Benny y Erik released their first studio album "Vuelta al Sol" with "Esta Noche" as their first single.

In 2017, Sasha joined the original founding members of Timbiriche (line up included Sasha Sokol, Benny Ibarra, Alix Bauer, Erik Rubin, Mariana Garza and Diego Schoening) to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the group. The tour continued into 2018.

Discography

Solo albums 1987: Sasha 1988: Diamante 1989: Trampas de Luz 1991: Siento 1992: Numero Uno (Amor Sin Tiempo) 1997: 11:11 2004: Por Un Amor 2010: Tiempo Amarillo 2020: Yo Soy

Singles Sasha (1987–1988) "No Me Extraña Nada" "Rueda Mi Mente" "La Leyenda" "Guerra Total" "Tipico" Diamante (1988) "Diamante" Trampas de Luz (1989–1990) "Algo de Mi" "Muevete a Mi Alrededor" "Olvidalo" "Amante Sin Amor" "Detras Del Amor (Nos Vamos De Vacaciones)" Siento (1991–1992) "Corriendo Peligro" "Siento" "Todos Mis Caminos Van a Ti" (with Ricky Martin) "Justo en el Momento" "Tengo Miedo" "Cartas" Sasha (1992–1993) "Numero Uno" "Pica y Repica" "Piensame Sola" "Dimelo" "No Pagare" 11:11 (1997–1998) "Seras el Aire" "Ya No Te Extraño" "En la Ciudad" "Me Faltas Tu" Por Un Amor (2004) "Por Un Amor" "El Gustito" "La Cucaracha" Tiempo Amarillo (2010) "La Ultima Vez" "Luna de París" "Dulce Veneno" "Agua"

Compilations Combo de Exitos: Somos la Historia (2006) Solamente Sasha: Sus Exitos (2004) Lo Mejor de Sasha (2002) Cara a Cara (1997) No Me Extraña Nada: Linea de Oro (1995) Personalidad (1994) Sus Exitos (1991) La Coleccion (1990)

DVD Combo de Exitos: Somos la Historia (2006) Legado Musical (2005)

Reissues Sus Exitos (2004) No Me Extraña Nada (Sasha "1987") (2003) 11:11 (2009) 11:11 (2001) Siento (2001) Sus Exitos (1999) Sus Exitos (1996) Personalidad (1995)

Various artists compilations Esta Navidad – Various Artists ("En el Portal de Belen") (1987) Estrellas de Navidad – Various Artists ("Adelante Adelante") (1988) Tambien Para Ti Es Navidad – Various Artists (1989) Nueva Navidad – Various Artists ("Adelante Adelante") Nos Vamos de Vacaciones – Various Artists ("Detras del Amor" ) (1989) Juntos Ayer y Hoy – Various Artists ("Amor Amor") (1990) El Estudio de Lara – Various Artists ("Noche de Ronda") (1990) Mexico: Voz y Sentimiento – Various Artists ("Tu Desvario")(1991) Feliz Navidad Te Desean – Various Artists ("Rodolfo el Reno de la Nariz Roja") (1991) Muñecos de Papel – Various Artists (1991) Alcanzar Una Estrella II - Various Artists (1991) Boleros: Voz y Sentimiento – Various Artists ("Sorpresa") (1992) De Epoca: La Era de los 80's – Sasha, Timbiriche, Alejandra Guzman, Lucero, Flans ("Remix Medley: Con Todos Menos Conmigo / Las Mil y Una Noches / Eternamente Bella / Cuentame / Timido / Tu y Yo Somos Uno Mismo / Bazar / No Me Extraña Nada / Vete Con Ella / Me He Enamorado de Un Fan / Reina de Corazones / Corro, Vuelo, Me Acelero / Soy Un Desastre / No Controles / Besos de Ceniza") (1994) Navidad de las Estrellas – Various Artists ("Medley: Alegres Cantada / Se Feliz / Santa Claus de Noche Vendra – Sasha, Yuri, Alejandra Avalos, Susana Zabaleta") (1995) El Premio Mayor – Various Artists ("El Premio Mayor") (1996) Sony Dance Mix Vol. 3 – Various Artists ("Seras el Aire": Mijangos Club Edit) (1997) Vuelveme a Querer – Various Artists ("Noche de Ronda") (1998)

Collaborations Hey Tu – Aleks Syntek ("Te Quiero Asi" – Aleks Syntek with Sasha) (1990) Eres – Calo / Sasha ("Eres: Version Original" – Calo with Sasha) ("Eres: Techno Mix" – Calo with Sasha) (1991) Mixes y Remixes – Calo ("Eres: Techno Mix" – Calo with Sasha) (1992) Realidad – Fratta ("Las Flores – Fratta with Sasha) (1999) Basico 3 – Revolver ("Ay Amor" – Carlos Goñi with Sasha) (2006) Papito – Miguel Bosé ("No Encuentro Un Momento Pa´ Olvidar" Miguel Bosé with Sasha) (2007)

With Timbiriche 1982: Timbiriche 1982: La Banda Timbiriche 1983: En Concierto 1983: Disco Ruido 1983: Que No Acabe Navidad 1984: Vaselina 1985: Rock Show

With Reencuentro Timbiriche 1989: Los Clásicos de Timbiriche 1998: Timbiriche Clasico 1999: El Concierto 2007: Timbiriche 25 2007: Somos Timbiriche 25 en Vivo 2007: Timbiriche 25 Vivo en Vivo 2017: Timbiriche: Juntos

With Muñecos de Papel Muñecos de Papel ("Muñecos de Papel" – Sasha, Ricky Martin, Angelica Rivera, Pedro Fernandez, Alex Ibarra) ("Siento" – Sasha) – Various Artists (1991) Alcanzar Una Estrella II ("No Quiero Dejar de Brillar" – Sasha, Ricky Martin, Bibi Gaytan, Erick Rubin, Angelica Rivera, Pedro Fernandez) – Various Artists (1991)

Unedited tracks "El Breve Espacio" "El Premio Mayor" (ballad version) "Ser Es Humano" "Fama" (with Muñecos de Papel)

Unedited remixes "Tengo Miedo": radio remix (available on 12" promo) (1992) "Pica Y Repica": dance single (available on CD promo) (1993) "Pica Y Repica": dance mix (available on CD promo) (1993) "Sasha Mix": extended edit (available on CD promo) (2002) "La Cucaracha": Iguana mix (available on CD promo) (2004)

Acting

Theater Vaselina (Grease), as Sandy La Flauta Mágica, Narrator

Films Ámbar (1994), as Angélica Una Historia Viva (short)

Television shows Tres Generaciones (1988–1989), as Andrea (lead actress) Cultura en Línea (2001–2002), as herself (host) Big Brother VIP México (2005), as herself (contestant) Buscando a Timbiriche: La Nueva Banda (2007), as herself (jury member)

Telenovelas 1991: Alcanzar Una Estrella II as Jessica Lascurain (first-billed actress) 1995: El Premio Mayor as Rosario Dominguez (lead actress) 1999: La Vida en el Espejo as Gabriela Muñoz (lead actress) 2002: El País de las Mujeres as Ana (lead actress)