Post by davidhr on Oct 31, 2017 8:16:37 GMT -5
In conjunction with the publicity that Lara is getting for her appearance on La Voix in Quebec, the Canadian (read that Quebecois) promotion for her new album began this past week. ‘Camouflage’ officially became available in Canada, now on iTunes, or for example Archambault:
www.archambault.ca/disques/camouflage/fabian-lara/mqmcd2498/?id=2331061&cat=1884314
Lara provided a short video aimed at the Canadian market, at
www.facebook.com/Musicor/videos/10154953579278038/
or equally,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MiF5Wk7Pqk
Here’s (translated) what she said: “Hello to you all, this is Lara, and I want to announce that my album is finally available in Quebec, my album Camouflage. I’m very very happy to have this possibility, this chance, to present to you this album thanks to Musicor. We have this beautiful moment in English, it is the music that I made going to Sweden then the U.S. then Belgium, and I have wanted to present this album which tells of my vision of a little of what is happening today, and my note of hope on the subject of what’s happening today. Then, here it is, we are going to share Camouflage. I thank you in advance for your welcome and I hope to see you soon.”
As she noted, the album is being presented to the (French) Canadian audience through the auspices of ‘Musicor’, part of the Quebecor Group Sports and Entertainment company. The Musicor and Musicor Spectacles houses produce records, videos and shows, and Lara is now affiliated (once again) with that label in Quebec. The TVA Group is one of the company’s subsidiaries, and of course they produce ‘La Voix’. As to where Lara will “see" the Canadian public - it’s a bit tricky since there are no planned Canadian concerts – but Musicor could arrange something, perhaps a TV concert like PBS did for Lara with Sony’s backing. It would likely help their ratings for La Voix, and be of great use to Lara. Complete speculation, but we'll see...
There are various videos TVA is making available associated La Voix; unfortunately, those directly from TVA are only visible in Canada (e.g., videos.tva.ca/details/_5627289205001). The show made available pictures of the coaches, at:
www.facebook.com/cafinitbienlasemaineTVA/photos/a.185902834766621.37680.155534644470107/1656044994419057/?type=3&theater
and the Lara Fabian web site put together a set of the pictures, at
www.facebook.com/larafabianweb/photos/ms.c.eJxFzcENwDAIQ9GNKkwcB~_~_~;WCUq0uvTN8AbII~;pQFAPGnYQW0dVA6kG3UKLjrByoKqL4IDjg1sYlYup80PfWP~;EDTlfhNMTYkA9KfEFxdIlrQ~-~-.bps.a.1951144698234389.1073741836.246805652001644/1951144794901046/?type=3&theater
Lara was on the show “Ca finit bien la semaine’ with the other coaches of La Voix 6, and one can see it on youtube (thanks to Lara Fabian The Best), at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlL7I2Rxo6A
or equally, vimeo.com/240267642
with a bonus at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI8kevWbFzs
Lara repeated that it was a great gift to be back in Quebec, now with her family, and that she fit right in – which included the Quebecois accent and idioms. She mentioned that it is the chance to transmit what she has learned to those who will be around after she’s gone. As one can see, she gets on quite well with the other coaches. A set of those pictures can be seen at:
www.facebook.com/cafinitbienlasemaineTVA/photos/pcb.1656780544345502/1656760701014153/?type=3&theater
Lara also had a short interview at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_CHFz9QbZs
(or equally, vimeo.com/240208336?ref=fb-share)
where she was asked about significant songs she would sing, and she mentioned “Papa Can You Hear Me” and New York, New York”. She said so far she’s found the experience with La Voix to be magical; and she noted the importance of emotion for singing.
An article on Lara appeared in ‘Le Journal de Quebec’ (http://www.journaldequebec.com/2017/10/28/un-nouvel-envol). Here’s the translation:
-------------------------------------------------
A New Flight
Lara Fabian desired this album in English, conceived between Brussels, Stockholm and Los Angeles, which turns out to be an "artistic passport" for a world tour.
“"I have always mixed the languages in which I sing and write. This time it was the moment. Quite simply”, she explains.
Camouflage opens with the track ‘Growing Wings’, the story of a new flight, told on a disc with which the singer wishes to bring down the masks, "to open to who one really is," she says .
On the pieces, she reveals herself without shame. "It happened to me to wear a mask, to find my place, a space in which I would be easily accepted, understood or loved. I think it is an approach that we all do, but that makes us more unhappy, more isolated than we think," she philosophizes.
"Honest and Upright"
The woman who began her career in Quebec is particularly happy to put her bags here for several months with her husband and daughter to tackle the adventure La Voix. She will coach for the 6th season alongside Garou, Alex Nevsky and Eric Lapointe.
She had received several offers to do The Voice in Europe, but she always had to refuse because of her schedule.
As filming is already underway, what kind of coach is she? "I am an honest, upright, fair, empathic coach. What makes me return to my chair is a strong emotion which, very often, is triggered by someone with an injury. "
Younger, would she have participated in this kind of contest? "While running," she said. “I would have rushed. It is an exceptional showcase. It's an opportunity to be guided by caring people who have a lot of background or experience. "
A world tour
Even if she is here for several months, Lara Fabian will make a round trip between Quebec, Europe and the United States, since she will begin in February her world tour, the Camouflage World Tour.
In demand all over the world, from Turkey to Germany via Italy, about thirty dates are on the program, and those in Quebec have not yet been announced.
The album Camouflage is on sale now.
------------------------------------------------
And then there was an article in (7 Jours) (thanks to the Lara Fabian Greece site for the scans, at www.facebook.com/larafabiangreece/photos/pcb.796972893761139/796972750427820/?type=3&theater); here's the translation:
-----------------------------------------------
Lara Fabian who carries out a return in force on the international stage with a new album and an English show entitled ‘Camouflage’, will slip into a coaches chair on La Voix, on our screens in the winter of 2018. To fulfill her mandate, she settles again in Quebec, this province which for her is dear, with Lou, her daughter, and Gabriel, her husband. An agreeable parenthesis for the Belgian singer, who has been so touched by the terrorist attacks of the last years in Europe.
Lara, at this stage of your career, why do you have the desire to present an album in English?
LF: I’ve always oscillated between French and English. I’ve even done some multilingual albums. It’s been a long time since I’ve done an album in English, and I had the desire for it. I’ve collaborated on the album, as I’ve always done, but this time I have desired to position myself as a narrator, in observing what is actually happening on the Earth. We traverse a difficult time, particularly in Europe. I confess that on arriving in Quebec, I have remarked on this gentleness of life that we have become strangers to in Europe because of what we live there.
Why have you chosen ‘Camouflage’ by way of the title of your work?
LF: It is my favorite song on the album. It speaks of the masks that one decides to put on to mix with others. My album evokes this situation which touches us more than ever. I believe that we suffer a little too much on this planet to continue to disappear into them. It is necessary to continue to believe in our resilience. The spirit of this album, it is to sing standing, even under the rain. It is to advance even if it seems there is a wall there. I hope to have been able to transmit this desire for unification.
You show optimism!
LF: I’ve always had a good dose of positivism. I am someone with a sunny nature. Even when we are in pain or when life is hard, I tell myself that there must be something to learn.
You lived in Belgium. Did the events we know of trouble your quietude?
LF: My God! It’s scary, and for everyone! The subways, the airports, the places where one walks with our families are touched. At the same time, one must say that fear, it is contrary to life. It is necessary to get up in the morning, advance, not transmit this fear to our children. It’s necessary to continue to live despite all.
You return to Quebec to collaborate on La Voix. By its magnitude, is it a project particularly exciting?
LF: It arrived like a gift! It was the good moment. All was aligned. I adore Garou, Eric Lapointe has a beautiful heart, and Alex Nevsky is a love. It is a beautiful team. Frankly, it could not be more agreeable. I’ve settled in Quebec with my family. I will be there at least some months.
You find yourself happy in Quebec?
LF: The light! The gentleness and kindness of the people. The sweetness of life. It changes your life. I feel that one is a little less touched here than in Europe, that doesn’t mean that one is less conscious of what happens elsewhere, but I feel a certain quietude.
Husband and child follow you here then…
LF: Yes. I wouldn’t have supported being so far from my husband and my child for so long a time. I would not have been able to conceive making this trip without my family. As I am on tour, I’m not going to be here permanently, I intend to go back and forth.
How has your family welcomed this project?
LF: With a lot of love and enthusiasm, and with the spirit that is ours, that we do not separate, whatever happens.
Lou will pursue her schooling in Quebec?
LF: Yes, she’s already begun. She seems very happy, and, as her mom, that delights me.
I’ve read that you view your daughter as an artist in spirit.
LF: Yes, at nine years old, Lou is a creator. I don’t know what she is going to decide to create, but I can tell you that she is a child who adores cooking. She’s said often “I will be a chef”. I don’t know in what world she will be an artist but I am persuaded that she is one of them.
Your lover has accepted this adventure happily?
LF: It is certain that it is destabilizing leaving a place that one knows well. When one is in Europe, and one has never lived in North America, it could appear to be the end of the world. I have the good luck of having an extremely caring husband. He is my great support. Right away, he told me it was perfectly normal for us to make this big trip together. After two or three days in Quebec, he declared: “I understand what you mean, when you speak of the light and kindness…” It goes well. I am lucky that my loves are doing well: that permits me to leave in the morning to do La Voix with serenity.
You have on the contrary left your family behind in Belgium. Is that ripping?
LF: Yes, especially with my mother. When she was well, it wasn’t so important for her: she wanted me to be happy.
Your mother goes well, despite the challenges imposed by the disease? [Lara’s mother suffers from Dementia of Lewy Bodies, an illness that resembles Alzheimer’s).
LF: She does the best she can, and I honestly find her particularly good. It's her sense of humor that stands out most in this forgetfulness.
And your father?
LF: We are particularly close. He knows how much I love Quebec. He was the first to tell me to pack my bags, and to go there and enjoy myself.
Have you left many friends?
LF: Yes, but they will come visit me. When I lived here, there was always someone who disembarked. In all, I see the positive side. I have the chance of doing my profession, of living the experience, of La Voix, of presenting a new album, of leaving on a tour…I cannot complain.
Your tour will lead you around the world. How will you organize this with Lou?
LF: Lou is going to stay here, with my husband, but from time to time, she will come join me in Europe, for it is long, a tour. We organize ourselves as any family would organize itself so as not to lose the essential of its priorities. I would not be anyone without my relatives. I am a family woman, and it will always be my priority.
In concluding, you have other projects?
LF: My objective in life is to transmit. I want to open my school of song where one will speak of music, but also of professional strategies to develop to face our artistic work. I will be happy to become a pedagogue. My heart dictates to me to do this here. And, of course, to be happy as much as possible under the sun of Quebec, that I have the joy of finding again...
---------------------------------------------------------
As implied in this interview, one would not be surprised if Lara’s time in Quebec will not be just for the duration of this show, but for her future.
As for the U.S. : on Lara’s FB site, it is indicated that there will be five (and only five) concert dates in the U.S., dates we already knew about. Therefore the idea that this would be expanding because Lara is residing in North America now – and that she mentioned San Francisco and Las Vegas as locales she would be giving concerts – turns out not to be true. There are still three months to go, but as of right now, maybe ½ the tickets have been sold at the Beacon Theater in NY; about ¼ in Miami; about 20% in Chicago; and only a relatively few in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles. Of course, there’s been no U.S. promotion to speak of, either for the album or the tour. Hopefully that will change; we know there was little promotion for Lara’s last tour in the U.S., and the expectation was that this would be different, with her new management team and an English language album. So far it hasn’t been. There seems little doubt that Lara’s involvement with La Voix has superseded her promotion of the new album in the U.S., unlike in Quebec, where they can proceed in tandem (although, again, she still has no concerts scheduled there).
There are still some left-over, or continuing, promotional articles from Europe, e.g., one from Germany in (http://www.phenomenelle.de/kulturelle/lara-fabian-camouflage/). Here’s the (google) translation:
----------------------------------
Interview with Lara Fabian about "Camouflage" and Identity
Step forward: world-class voice with new album
On 10-6, Lara Fabian's third album in English appeared and her 13th studio album "Camouflage". The Belgian-Canadian singer has sold more than 20 million records worldwide. From 2018 she will be part of the jury in the Canadian version of "The Voice". Since the beginning of her career, Fabian has been advocating equality and acceptance, especially the LGBT community. With her single and the accompanying video "La Difference", she was the first woman in Belgium to record the subject musically in 1997. This concern also reflects the new album. Together with the legendary songwriter Sharon Vaughn and the successful producer Moh Danebi she wrote and produced twelve songs about identity, masks and "Growing Wings", the first single - almost all with earworm guarantee.
The mixture of electro pop and classical orchestration is a clear step in a new direction for Lara Fabian. And what a step: text, composition, arrangement and production give a very harmonious mixture and seem to show a new side of the artist. With each listening, the songs become more interesting and catchy. And whoever listens with open ears will be surprised by the dynamic. The current acoustic versions online are also more than convincing, and they show real craftsmanship, both vocally and instrumentally (you'll find videolinks in the end - it's worth it!).
World Tour starts soon
And there is good news for all who want more of it. The new tone and rhythm of Lara Fabian can be experienced live: beginning in the USA, she will give more than 40 concerts around the world. In March 2018 Fabian also comes to Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Despite a plastered deadline, the superstar took time to personally answer the questions of Phenomenal guest photographer Larissa in Berlin.
INT: Congratulations to the new album! "Camouflage" appears to me as a very powerful album, especially in the lyrics. What was the idea and inspiration behind it?
LF: People. Humanity and the time in which we are living. We are all also very much connected by pain. Mankind has already gone through many difficult times. I think fear is at the center of it. When I sat with Moh and Sharon in the studio, I wondered what would happen if we were to see it all in the role of the observer. What if we could offer an alternative version of these challenges and ultimately a gift from the turmoil?
There are usually several ways to deal with it. The most humane reaction is to react emphatically. Without a little distance or perspective, however, this can be incredibly painful. Therefore, we wanted to observe being resilient and so perhaps understand what is happening. With resilience I do not mean to take a step away and simply accept what happens, but to welcome and accept the happenings in a way. To make something better from this challenge, something that perhaps helps to increase our awareness. Perhaps this also changes the paradigms that are currently on our shoulders.
So many people go to the world in a new direction. They develop new systems, whether in business or agriculture, but also in simple things. In this direction I look. I would like to be inspired and build my music on it. From a lighter perspective, however, the entertainer will remain, which I am and with my music a reason for jumping and dancing.
INT: You speak French, Italian, English and Spanish, singing also in these languages, with mainly French-language albums so far - what led to the decision now again to make an album in English?
LF: It was time. And I knew how I wanted to make it. I like the English language very much, since the phonetics are so strongly embedded in the music, or enter into it.
INT: And how did the album work with Sharon Vaughn and Moh Denebi?
LF: During the writing process we sat in front of a blank sheet every day and shared our conversations, thoughts, feelings, experiences and our judgments about the world. Almost always a song came out at the end. We worked on Camouflage for about a year. By the way, I was still on the road, with my mother, as a wife. It was however an incredibly harmonious and enriching collaboration with the two.
INT: How did the constellation come about?
LF: Sharon is a legend. She is in the "Country Music Hall of Fame" and has worked with so many different artists. From Dolly Parton's biggest hit to Boyzone, she has done incredibly great things. She is almost 70 and you think you talk with a 45-year-old. She has made a lot of country music, but lyrics do not belong to a genre. They express sensation and intelligence. Sharon is really a gift.
Moh is an arranger and composer, also several times distinguished. It was quickly clear that it fits perfectly. Moh respects my musical past very much, after all, I can not suddenly become an electro-niche artist. He has mastered a mix between what I was, or what I am and what I am going to create. This clash is often needed. Many artists, such as Sting, Peter Gabriel or Annie Lennox, make this beautiful. They are always up-to-date over the years. That inspires me.
INT: You say what you were and what you are now. What are you going to do now?
LF: Oh I. I will. Maybe.
INT: And what does that mean?
LF: I love to share, to be open and transparent. I love wearing masks. At the same time, no more masks also needs diplomacy. For letting the mask drop, opting for honesty and transparency, which requires diplomacy, to pay attention to one's words. To interpose lovingly with one's words and wear a mask, there is a threshold. I will understand someone who has finally understood this fine line between clarity, honesty and spontaneity. At the same time, I take care of myself, dress things a bit in velvet.
INT: The title track "Camouflage" seems to speak precisely of this.
LF: Yes exactly. It is a paradoxical title for what the song actually stands for. This is also the case with "Perfect". The name stands for the opposite of what is at stake.
"Camouflage" is about the decision to drop the mask. Even if a mask is very helpful when you want to paste. I wanted to insert myself. Over time, I've seen how important it is to communicate. As much as you are original and want to preserve one's identity, there is a part in one who wants to share and exchange. This does not mean that you have to change or lie, but you can better fit and work with it. It's about balance. "Camouflage" is thus the mask drop, the risk to know and still do, for the sake of their own identity.
INT: And the song is for this reason also your favorite on this album?
LF: Yes exactly. But also because of the composition and the arrangement with strings and electro. It is a song where the hybrid of the album was really mastered. It has both.
INT: The videos for the first single, "Growing Wings" and "Choose what you love most" were both filmed in Iceland. How did it happen?
LF: Iceland is simply beautiful. It manifests the silence in space. It is a place where you do not think: You have to meditate. You're doing it already. The energy there ... It is right in the middle between America and Europe and is incredibly precious, amidst the seas and continents. The silence and the space you find there, I found very suitable for the two tracks.
INT: You have many other projects, such as your own label "9 Productions". To the soundtrack for the film "Cello" you contributed the song "Remember Me". 2015/2016 you were part of a picture series called "Imaginary Couples". For this, Olivier Ciappa photographed famous heterosexual persons as same-sex couples in mostly very tender, intimate poses. The results later prompted greater tolerance in public places. How did it come about and how was it?
LF: The idea behind it was always very dear to me. I am a fighter for identity. I do not associate with someone who does not understand the integrity of an identity. This goes further than a sexual orientation or decision. For me it is something that defines you, just as you have blue eyes or your size. It's about who I am. And how do I get there to who I am. Olivier Ciappa asks people. At the time of the shoot these were people perhaps heterosexual or not. Who knows. This is exactly what I love about Ciappa. This extraordinary elegance and intelligence is to develop love through identities without selecting the orientation. That is why he is feared. At the end of the photoshooting, he scares people. He manages to lead you to where it is only about identity, then nothing. When everyone sees the orientation, he sees identity. Many have a problem with this fine line. He is currently continuing the project in the USA and beyond.
Eva Longaria sees this just as I do. When she loves someone, she loves a person, a soul, no gender. It's not about whether you're a man or a woman, but who you are now and here. That counts for me. That is why I wrote many songs on these topics. "La Difference" is about, for example, homosexuality and "Deux ils, Deux elles" of identity. The community has embraced me for it. I have made videos and people asked who is this 27 year old, she is ... I am. Do not ask. And yes, I am married to a man, have a child. So there is no question. But why should there be any question? Can not we be easy? That's my question. I believe a lot results from fear. People react for fear. That is why they reject a lot. In the end.
INT: 2018 there will be a world tour with more than 40 concerts, five of them in Germany in March. Do you have any other plans?
LF: Yes! Just recently I was invited to be part of the jury in the Canadian version of "The Voice" for next year! I am looking forward to it. On Sunday I fly with my family to Canada for it.
INT: A final question: You have been successful in the music business for more than 25 years. What gives you the motivation to stay?
LF: Pleasure. If I have pleasure in what I do, it is a great feeling. Even if it is sometimes difficult, for example, with the many journeys. But then I come to such great places, get to know great people. This nourishes the soul and as long as it nourishes me, I will continue!
INT: Thank you very much for the interview. Everything very exciting.
LF: I thank you. It is wonderful to meet my German fans through you. Thank you.
INT: I look forward to seeing you again at the concert in Berlin in March!
---------------------------------------------------
Interesting picture(s) and photos of the week: pictures this time because several are drawings posted or linked to by the Lara Fabian Web site done by Romy Cardon
www.facebook.com/larafabianweb/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/1949879465027579/?type=3&theater
www.facebook.com/RomyC.Creations/photos/a.300111043381874.70386.296554223737556/1121301317929505/?type=3&theater
www.facebook.com/RomyC.Creations/photos/a.827090760683897.1073741826.296554223737556/1632792743447024/?type=3&theater
and then several by Michael Mathewson
www.facebook.com/larafabianweb/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/1949198171762375/?type=3&theater
www.facebook.com/larafabianweb/photos/pcb.1949160468432812/1949159695099556/?type=3&theater
(click to see several others in this mode)
Also, three from Lara’s publicity photos for La Voix, first from the ‘Lara Fabian est ton autre’ site,
www.facebook.com/larafabiantonautre/photos/pcb.1477184599001866/1477184552335204/?type=3&theater
www.facebook.com/larafabiantonautre/photos/a.166961263357546.39692.166959643357708/1475292782524381/?type=3&theater
and then from Lara’s own Instagram site,
Next week would seem to be more of the same, Lara working on ‘La Voix’, and re-ingratiating herself with the Quebec media and people. Meanwhile the new album has dropped seven places to #17 in Belgium, has dropped 22 places to #68 in France, and, as far as one can tell, is not on the charts anywhere else. It would appear that this album will be much less successful, sales-wise, than “A Wonderful Life”, which was not released in any English-speaking country, yet, according to Charts in France, sold 150,000 copies world-wide. The current album, which was ‘released’ in those English countries but has had no promotional efforts there, will likely sell only a small fraction of that total unless a much greater effort is made. As far as Lara’s success in the English speaking world is concerned, plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose…
David
www.archambault.ca/disques/camouflage/fabian-lara/mqmcd2498/?id=2331061&cat=1884314
Lara provided a short video aimed at the Canadian market, at
www.facebook.com/Musicor/videos/10154953579278038/
or equally,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MiF5Wk7Pqk
Here’s (translated) what she said: “Hello to you all, this is Lara, and I want to announce that my album is finally available in Quebec, my album Camouflage. I’m very very happy to have this possibility, this chance, to present to you this album thanks to Musicor. We have this beautiful moment in English, it is the music that I made going to Sweden then the U.S. then Belgium, and I have wanted to present this album which tells of my vision of a little of what is happening today, and my note of hope on the subject of what’s happening today. Then, here it is, we are going to share Camouflage. I thank you in advance for your welcome and I hope to see you soon.”
As she noted, the album is being presented to the (French) Canadian audience through the auspices of ‘Musicor’, part of the Quebecor Group Sports and Entertainment company. The Musicor and Musicor Spectacles houses produce records, videos and shows, and Lara is now affiliated (once again) with that label in Quebec. The TVA Group is one of the company’s subsidiaries, and of course they produce ‘La Voix’. As to where Lara will “see" the Canadian public - it’s a bit tricky since there are no planned Canadian concerts – but Musicor could arrange something, perhaps a TV concert like PBS did for Lara with Sony’s backing. It would likely help their ratings for La Voix, and be of great use to Lara. Complete speculation, but we'll see...
There are various videos TVA is making available associated La Voix; unfortunately, those directly from TVA are only visible in Canada (e.g., videos.tva.ca/details/_5627289205001). The show made available pictures of the coaches, at:
www.facebook.com/cafinitbienlasemaineTVA/photos/a.185902834766621.37680.155534644470107/1656044994419057/?type=3&theater
and the Lara Fabian web site put together a set of the pictures, at
www.facebook.com/larafabianweb/photos/ms.c.eJxFzcENwDAIQ9GNKkwcB~_~_~;WCUq0uvTN8AbII~;pQFAPGnYQW0dVA6kG3UKLjrByoKqL4IDjg1sYlYup80PfWP~;EDTlfhNMTYkA9KfEFxdIlrQ~-~-.bps.a.1951144698234389.1073741836.246805652001644/1951144794901046/?type=3&theater
Lara was on the show “Ca finit bien la semaine’ with the other coaches of La Voix 6, and one can see it on youtube (thanks to Lara Fabian The Best), at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlL7I2Rxo6A
or equally, vimeo.com/240267642
with a bonus at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI8kevWbFzs
Lara repeated that it was a great gift to be back in Quebec, now with her family, and that she fit right in – which included the Quebecois accent and idioms. She mentioned that it is the chance to transmit what she has learned to those who will be around after she’s gone. As one can see, she gets on quite well with the other coaches. A set of those pictures can be seen at:
www.facebook.com/cafinitbienlasemaineTVA/photos/pcb.1656780544345502/1656760701014153/?type=3&theater
Lara also had a short interview at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_CHFz9QbZs
(or equally, vimeo.com/240208336?ref=fb-share)
where she was asked about significant songs she would sing, and she mentioned “Papa Can You Hear Me” and New York, New York”. She said so far she’s found the experience with La Voix to be magical; and she noted the importance of emotion for singing.
An article on Lara appeared in ‘Le Journal de Quebec’ (http://www.journaldequebec.com/2017/10/28/un-nouvel-envol). Here’s the translation:
-------------------------------------------------
A New Flight
Lara Fabian desired this album in English, conceived between Brussels, Stockholm and Los Angeles, which turns out to be an "artistic passport" for a world tour.
“"I have always mixed the languages in which I sing and write. This time it was the moment. Quite simply”, she explains.
Camouflage opens with the track ‘Growing Wings’, the story of a new flight, told on a disc with which the singer wishes to bring down the masks, "to open to who one really is," she says .
On the pieces, she reveals herself without shame. "It happened to me to wear a mask, to find my place, a space in which I would be easily accepted, understood or loved. I think it is an approach that we all do, but that makes us more unhappy, more isolated than we think," she philosophizes.
"Honest and Upright"
The woman who began her career in Quebec is particularly happy to put her bags here for several months with her husband and daughter to tackle the adventure La Voix. She will coach for the 6th season alongside Garou, Alex Nevsky and Eric Lapointe.
She had received several offers to do The Voice in Europe, but she always had to refuse because of her schedule.
As filming is already underway, what kind of coach is she? "I am an honest, upright, fair, empathic coach. What makes me return to my chair is a strong emotion which, very often, is triggered by someone with an injury. "
Younger, would she have participated in this kind of contest? "While running," she said. “I would have rushed. It is an exceptional showcase. It's an opportunity to be guided by caring people who have a lot of background or experience. "
A world tour
Even if she is here for several months, Lara Fabian will make a round trip between Quebec, Europe and the United States, since she will begin in February her world tour, the Camouflage World Tour.
In demand all over the world, from Turkey to Germany via Italy, about thirty dates are on the program, and those in Quebec have not yet been announced.
The album Camouflage is on sale now.
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And then there was an article in (7 Jours) (thanks to the Lara Fabian Greece site for the scans, at www.facebook.com/larafabiangreece/photos/pcb.796972893761139/796972750427820/?type=3&theater); here's the translation:
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Lara Fabian who carries out a return in force on the international stage with a new album and an English show entitled ‘Camouflage’, will slip into a coaches chair on La Voix, on our screens in the winter of 2018. To fulfill her mandate, she settles again in Quebec, this province which for her is dear, with Lou, her daughter, and Gabriel, her husband. An agreeable parenthesis for the Belgian singer, who has been so touched by the terrorist attacks of the last years in Europe.
Lara, at this stage of your career, why do you have the desire to present an album in English?
LF: I’ve always oscillated between French and English. I’ve even done some multilingual albums. It’s been a long time since I’ve done an album in English, and I had the desire for it. I’ve collaborated on the album, as I’ve always done, but this time I have desired to position myself as a narrator, in observing what is actually happening on the Earth. We traverse a difficult time, particularly in Europe. I confess that on arriving in Quebec, I have remarked on this gentleness of life that we have become strangers to in Europe because of what we live there.
Why have you chosen ‘Camouflage’ by way of the title of your work?
LF: It is my favorite song on the album. It speaks of the masks that one decides to put on to mix with others. My album evokes this situation which touches us more than ever. I believe that we suffer a little too much on this planet to continue to disappear into them. It is necessary to continue to believe in our resilience. The spirit of this album, it is to sing standing, even under the rain. It is to advance even if it seems there is a wall there. I hope to have been able to transmit this desire for unification.
You show optimism!
LF: I’ve always had a good dose of positivism. I am someone with a sunny nature. Even when we are in pain or when life is hard, I tell myself that there must be something to learn.
You lived in Belgium. Did the events we know of trouble your quietude?
LF: My God! It’s scary, and for everyone! The subways, the airports, the places where one walks with our families are touched. At the same time, one must say that fear, it is contrary to life. It is necessary to get up in the morning, advance, not transmit this fear to our children. It’s necessary to continue to live despite all.
You return to Quebec to collaborate on La Voix. By its magnitude, is it a project particularly exciting?
LF: It arrived like a gift! It was the good moment. All was aligned. I adore Garou, Eric Lapointe has a beautiful heart, and Alex Nevsky is a love. It is a beautiful team. Frankly, it could not be more agreeable. I’ve settled in Quebec with my family. I will be there at least some months.
You find yourself happy in Quebec?
LF: The light! The gentleness and kindness of the people. The sweetness of life. It changes your life. I feel that one is a little less touched here than in Europe, that doesn’t mean that one is less conscious of what happens elsewhere, but I feel a certain quietude.
Husband and child follow you here then…
LF: Yes. I wouldn’t have supported being so far from my husband and my child for so long a time. I would not have been able to conceive making this trip without my family. As I am on tour, I’m not going to be here permanently, I intend to go back and forth.
How has your family welcomed this project?
LF: With a lot of love and enthusiasm, and with the spirit that is ours, that we do not separate, whatever happens.
Lou will pursue her schooling in Quebec?
LF: Yes, she’s already begun. She seems very happy, and, as her mom, that delights me.
I’ve read that you view your daughter as an artist in spirit.
LF: Yes, at nine years old, Lou is a creator. I don’t know what she is going to decide to create, but I can tell you that she is a child who adores cooking. She’s said often “I will be a chef”. I don’t know in what world she will be an artist but I am persuaded that she is one of them.
Your lover has accepted this adventure happily?
LF: It is certain that it is destabilizing leaving a place that one knows well. When one is in Europe, and one has never lived in North America, it could appear to be the end of the world. I have the good luck of having an extremely caring husband. He is my great support. Right away, he told me it was perfectly normal for us to make this big trip together. After two or three days in Quebec, he declared: “I understand what you mean, when you speak of the light and kindness…” It goes well. I am lucky that my loves are doing well: that permits me to leave in the morning to do La Voix with serenity.
You have on the contrary left your family behind in Belgium. Is that ripping?
LF: Yes, especially with my mother. When she was well, it wasn’t so important for her: she wanted me to be happy.
Your mother goes well, despite the challenges imposed by the disease? [Lara’s mother suffers from Dementia of Lewy Bodies, an illness that resembles Alzheimer’s).
LF: She does the best she can, and I honestly find her particularly good. It's her sense of humor that stands out most in this forgetfulness.
And your father?
LF: We are particularly close. He knows how much I love Quebec. He was the first to tell me to pack my bags, and to go there and enjoy myself.
Have you left many friends?
LF: Yes, but they will come visit me. When I lived here, there was always someone who disembarked. In all, I see the positive side. I have the chance of doing my profession, of living the experience, of La Voix, of presenting a new album, of leaving on a tour…I cannot complain.
Your tour will lead you around the world. How will you organize this with Lou?
LF: Lou is going to stay here, with my husband, but from time to time, she will come join me in Europe, for it is long, a tour. We organize ourselves as any family would organize itself so as not to lose the essential of its priorities. I would not be anyone without my relatives. I am a family woman, and it will always be my priority.
In concluding, you have other projects?
LF: My objective in life is to transmit. I want to open my school of song where one will speak of music, but also of professional strategies to develop to face our artistic work. I will be happy to become a pedagogue. My heart dictates to me to do this here. And, of course, to be happy as much as possible under the sun of Quebec, that I have the joy of finding again...
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As implied in this interview, one would not be surprised if Lara’s time in Quebec will not be just for the duration of this show, but for her future.
As for the U.S. : on Lara’s FB site, it is indicated that there will be five (and only five) concert dates in the U.S., dates we already knew about. Therefore the idea that this would be expanding because Lara is residing in North America now – and that she mentioned San Francisco and Las Vegas as locales she would be giving concerts – turns out not to be true. There are still three months to go, but as of right now, maybe ½ the tickets have been sold at the Beacon Theater in NY; about ¼ in Miami; about 20% in Chicago; and only a relatively few in Washington D.C. and Los Angeles. Of course, there’s been no U.S. promotion to speak of, either for the album or the tour. Hopefully that will change; we know there was little promotion for Lara’s last tour in the U.S., and the expectation was that this would be different, with her new management team and an English language album. So far it hasn’t been. There seems little doubt that Lara’s involvement with La Voix has superseded her promotion of the new album in the U.S., unlike in Quebec, where they can proceed in tandem (although, again, she still has no concerts scheduled there).
There are still some left-over, or continuing, promotional articles from Europe, e.g., one from Germany in (http://www.phenomenelle.de/kulturelle/lara-fabian-camouflage/). Here’s the (google) translation:
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Interview with Lara Fabian about "Camouflage" and Identity
Step forward: world-class voice with new album
On 10-6, Lara Fabian's third album in English appeared and her 13th studio album "Camouflage". The Belgian-Canadian singer has sold more than 20 million records worldwide. From 2018 she will be part of the jury in the Canadian version of "The Voice". Since the beginning of her career, Fabian has been advocating equality and acceptance, especially the LGBT community. With her single and the accompanying video "La Difference", she was the first woman in Belgium to record the subject musically in 1997. This concern also reflects the new album. Together with the legendary songwriter Sharon Vaughn and the successful producer Moh Danebi she wrote and produced twelve songs about identity, masks and "Growing Wings", the first single - almost all with earworm guarantee.
The mixture of electro pop and classical orchestration is a clear step in a new direction for Lara Fabian. And what a step: text, composition, arrangement and production give a very harmonious mixture and seem to show a new side of the artist. With each listening, the songs become more interesting and catchy. And whoever listens with open ears will be surprised by the dynamic. The current acoustic versions online are also more than convincing, and they show real craftsmanship, both vocally and instrumentally (you'll find videolinks in the end - it's worth it!).
World Tour starts soon
And there is good news for all who want more of it. The new tone and rhythm of Lara Fabian can be experienced live: beginning in the USA, she will give more than 40 concerts around the world. In March 2018 Fabian also comes to Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Despite a plastered deadline, the superstar took time to personally answer the questions of Phenomenal guest photographer Larissa in Berlin.
INT: Congratulations to the new album! "Camouflage" appears to me as a very powerful album, especially in the lyrics. What was the idea and inspiration behind it?
LF: People. Humanity and the time in which we are living. We are all also very much connected by pain. Mankind has already gone through many difficult times. I think fear is at the center of it. When I sat with Moh and Sharon in the studio, I wondered what would happen if we were to see it all in the role of the observer. What if we could offer an alternative version of these challenges and ultimately a gift from the turmoil?
There are usually several ways to deal with it. The most humane reaction is to react emphatically. Without a little distance or perspective, however, this can be incredibly painful. Therefore, we wanted to observe being resilient and so perhaps understand what is happening. With resilience I do not mean to take a step away and simply accept what happens, but to welcome and accept the happenings in a way. To make something better from this challenge, something that perhaps helps to increase our awareness. Perhaps this also changes the paradigms that are currently on our shoulders.
So many people go to the world in a new direction. They develop new systems, whether in business or agriculture, but also in simple things. In this direction I look. I would like to be inspired and build my music on it. From a lighter perspective, however, the entertainer will remain, which I am and with my music a reason for jumping and dancing.
INT: You speak French, Italian, English and Spanish, singing also in these languages, with mainly French-language albums so far - what led to the decision now again to make an album in English?
LF: It was time. And I knew how I wanted to make it. I like the English language very much, since the phonetics are so strongly embedded in the music, or enter into it.
INT: And how did the album work with Sharon Vaughn and Moh Denebi?
LF: During the writing process we sat in front of a blank sheet every day and shared our conversations, thoughts, feelings, experiences and our judgments about the world. Almost always a song came out at the end. We worked on Camouflage for about a year. By the way, I was still on the road, with my mother, as a wife. It was however an incredibly harmonious and enriching collaboration with the two.
INT: How did the constellation come about?
LF: Sharon is a legend. She is in the "Country Music Hall of Fame" and has worked with so many different artists. From Dolly Parton's biggest hit to Boyzone, she has done incredibly great things. She is almost 70 and you think you talk with a 45-year-old. She has made a lot of country music, but lyrics do not belong to a genre. They express sensation and intelligence. Sharon is really a gift.
Moh is an arranger and composer, also several times distinguished. It was quickly clear that it fits perfectly. Moh respects my musical past very much, after all, I can not suddenly become an electro-niche artist. He has mastered a mix between what I was, or what I am and what I am going to create. This clash is often needed. Many artists, such as Sting, Peter Gabriel or Annie Lennox, make this beautiful. They are always up-to-date over the years. That inspires me.
INT: You say what you were and what you are now. What are you going to do now?
LF: Oh I. I will. Maybe.
INT: And what does that mean?
LF: I love to share, to be open and transparent. I love wearing masks. At the same time, no more masks also needs diplomacy. For letting the mask drop, opting for honesty and transparency, which requires diplomacy, to pay attention to one's words. To interpose lovingly with one's words and wear a mask, there is a threshold. I will understand someone who has finally understood this fine line between clarity, honesty and spontaneity. At the same time, I take care of myself, dress things a bit in velvet.
INT: The title track "Camouflage" seems to speak precisely of this.
LF: Yes exactly. It is a paradoxical title for what the song actually stands for. This is also the case with "Perfect". The name stands for the opposite of what is at stake.
"Camouflage" is about the decision to drop the mask. Even if a mask is very helpful when you want to paste. I wanted to insert myself. Over time, I've seen how important it is to communicate. As much as you are original and want to preserve one's identity, there is a part in one who wants to share and exchange. This does not mean that you have to change or lie, but you can better fit and work with it. It's about balance. "Camouflage" is thus the mask drop, the risk to know and still do, for the sake of their own identity.
INT: And the song is for this reason also your favorite on this album?
LF: Yes exactly. But also because of the composition and the arrangement with strings and electro. It is a song where the hybrid of the album was really mastered. It has both.
INT: The videos for the first single, "Growing Wings" and "Choose what you love most" were both filmed in Iceland. How did it happen?
LF: Iceland is simply beautiful. It manifests the silence in space. It is a place where you do not think: You have to meditate. You're doing it already. The energy there ... It is right in the middle between America and Europe and is incredibly precious, amidst the seas and continents. The silence and the space you find there, I found very suitable for the two tracks.
INT: You have many other projects, such as your own label "9 Productions". To the soundtrack for the film "Cello" you contributed the song "Remember Me". 2015/2016 you were part of a picture series called "Imaginary Couples". For this, Olivier Ciappa photographed famous heterosexual persons as same-sex couples in mostly very tender, intimate poses. The results later prompted greater tolerance in public places. How did it come about and how was it?
LF: The idea behind it was always very dear to me. I am a fighter for identity. I do not associate with someone who does not understand the integrity of an identity. This goes further than a sexual orientation or decision. For me it is something that defines you, just as you have blue eyes or your size. It's about who I am. And how do I get there to who I am. Olivier Ciappa asks people. At the time of the shoot these were people perhaps heterosexual or not. Who knows. This is exactly what I love about Ciappa. This extraordinary elegance and intelligence is to develop love through identities without selecting the orientation. That is why he is feared. At the end of the photoshooting, he scares people. He manages to lead you to where it is only about identity, then nothing. When everyone sees the orientation, he sees identity. Many have a problem with this fine line. He is currently continuing the project in the USA and beyond.
Eva Longaria sees this just as I do. When she loves someone, she loves a person, a soul, no gender. It's not about whether you're a man or a woman, but who you are now and here. That counts for me. That is why I wrote many songs on these topics. "La Difference" is about, for example, homosexuality and "Deux ils, Deux elles" of identity. The community has embraced me for it. I have made videos and people asked who is this 27 year old, she is ... I am. Do not ask. And yes, I am married to a man, have a child. So there is no question. But why should there be any question? Can not we be easy? That's my question. I believe a lot results from fear. People react for fear. That is why they reject a lot. In the end.
INT: 2018 there will be a world tour with more than 40 concerts, five of them in Germany in March. Do you have any other plans?
LF: Yes! Just recently I was invited to be part of the jury in the Canadian version of "The Voice" for next year! I am looking forward to it. On Sunday I fly with my family to Canada for it.
INT: A final question: You have been successful in the music business for more than 25 years. What gives you the motivation to stay?
LF: Pleasure. If I have pleasure in what I do, it is a great feeling. Even if it is sometimes difficult, for example, with the many journeys. But then I come to such great places, get to know great people. This nourishes the soul and as long as it nourishes me, I will continue!
INT: Thank you very much for the interview. Everything very exciting.
LF: I thank you. It is wonderful to meet my German fans through you. Thank you.
INT: I look forward to seeing you again at the concert in Berlin in March!
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Interesting picture(s) and photos of the week: pictures this time because several are drawings posted or linked to by the Lara Fabian Web site done by Romy Cardon
www.facebook.com/larafabianweb/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/1949879465027579/?type=3&theater
www.facebook.com/RomyC.Creations/photos/a.300111043381874.70386.296554223737556/1121301317929505/?type=3&theater
www.facebook.com/RomyC.Creations/photos/a.827090760683897.1073741826.296554223737556/1632792743447024/?type=3&theater
and then several by Michael Mathewson
www.facebook.com/larafabianweb/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/1949198171762375/?type=3&theater
www.facebook.com/larafabianweb/photos/pcb.1949160468432812/1949159695099556/?type=3&theater
(click to see several others in this mode)
Also, three from Lara’s publicity photos for La Voix, first from the ‘Lara Fabian est ton autre’ site,
www.facebook.com/larafabiantonautre/photos/pcb.1477184599001866/1477184552335204/?type=3&theater
www.facebook.com/larafabiantonautre/photos/a.166961263357546.39692.166959643357708/1475292782524381/?type=3&theater
and then from Lara’s own Instagram site,
http://instagram.com/p/BammT7XHrgN
Next week would seem to be more of the same, Lara working on ‘La Voix’, and re-ingratiating herself with the Quebec media and people. Meanwhile the new album has dropped seven places to #17 in Belgium, has dropped 22 places to #68 in France, and, as far as one can tell, is not on the charts anywhere else. It would appear that this album will be much less successful, sales-wise, than “A Wonderful Life”, which was not released in any English-speaking country, yet, according to Charts in France, sold 150,000 copies world-wide. The current album, which was ‘released’ in those English countries but has had no promotional efforts there, will likely sell only a small fraction of that total unless a much greater effort is made. As far as Lara’s success in the English speaking world is concerned, plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose…
David