Sonia Malkine, an accomplished chanteuse, joined Woodstock’s folk singing establishment in the late 1950s. Together with Eleanor Walden, Sam Eskin, Billy Faier, and several others, she co-founded the Woodstock Folk Festival in 1962.
Sonia was born in France in 1923, the daughter of Anarcho-Syndicalist activists. When the Second World War broke out, she and her family fled Paris to Toulouse. In 1943 Sonia joined the Spanish Resistance, which fought alongside the French underground forces. She worked until 1945 as a messenger for the Resistance.
Through her mother, May Picqueray, Sonia met and married Georges Malkine, the French Surrealist painter. Together they immigrated to the United States. One day Sonia’s mother came to visit the family in New York City. She learned that Stella Ballantine, niece of her old friend, Emma Goldman, lived in Woodstock, NY. The Malkines visited Woodstock and decided to relocate in 1951. At first, they stayed on the Maverick, but in 1952 they moved to the Woodstock hamlet of Shady.
In 1958 Madame Malkine was invited to a party at Sam Eskin’s, a folklorist and folksinger, on Chimney Road in Woodstock. During the party, Sonia wandered into Sam’s kitchen to put her glass in the sink. Suddenly Ed Chavez approached, asking her point blank if she was a singer. Sonia tried to put him off, but he wouldn’t take no for answer. So Sonia began to sing “Robin,” a thirteenth-century folksong from Jeu de Robin et Marion. After finishing three verses, she realized that the house was dead quiet. (Sam had silenced his guests in the living room so he could hear her sing properly.) When she finished, he swept into the kitchen and buttonholed her immediately. He peppered her with questions about her singing. “Where do you sing?” he asked. She replied that she sang in the shower, in her kitchen, and to her children. Next, he asked if she knew a lot of songs. She admitted that she knew quite a few French folk songs. He insisted that she return to his home within the next few days so that he could record her. She did so, and together they recorded seventeen songs in short order. These formed the basis of her first album with Folkways.
Soon Sam was booking her locally for gigs at the Polari Gallery, the Woodstock Playhouse, Saratoga Springs’ Café Lena, and New York City’s Carnegie Hall. Eventually, Malkine had her own radio shows on WKNY and WBAI. In 1967 she starred in her own series on PBS’s Channel 13. She has performed throughout the world: in Paris, Hong Kong, and Australia, among other locales. Sonia continues to perform to the present day, albeit closer to home.
~ Weston Blelock
I was thinking of Sonia, remembering when she sang at Focal Point in St. Louis, many years ago. I still play the one album of hers that I own. I love her singing. So I decided to google her name to see if I could find out anything about her now. I especially love “Robin” and “Le Vin Galois” because it sounds like running horses.
Hi Roberta,
Earlier this week I contacted a member of Sonia’s family. Hopefully in the next week or so she or Sonia herself will respond to your email. All the best,Weston
Thank you, Weston, but, as you see, I still have not heard from anyone. I also remember a story that that she told on herself. She said that she frequently practiced her music sitting on a hillside behind her home. One time she suddenly realized that there were many birds quietly sitting around her. She was surprised but we weren’t.
Thanks, Roberta for sharing that charming story. Sonia has not been feeling well of late. All the best, Weston
Hi Roberta,
I spoke to Sonia Malkine a short time ago about your posts. She was hurrying out the door to a birthday party, but took a moment to chat. She said that the Focal Point concert was certainly a long time ago, but she was “very flattered” that you remembered it. She suggested that if you liked her first album you might like her second one of French love songs. If you’re interested in receiving a copy post a request through this website and we’ll put you in touch with Sonia. All the best, Weston
A treasure, and so is her family! The tradition is carried on splendidly by Gilles – keep teaching! a thousand bijoux