Post by davidhr on Nov 21, 2017 8:47:13 GMT -5
The highlight of the week and perhaps the month for Lara, was the program dedicated to her, “En direct de l’univers”, on ICI Radio-Canada Télé. It can be seen at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUg0nUyNV8k
or
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pKCkv6UEzA
This show disproves the old axiom that you can’t go home again. It was a televised ‘welcome home’ to Quebec for Lara, featuring her old friends from the province, from her earlier life there, from the beginning of her musical career. She talked about her history in Quebec, and the invited guests sang songs she preferred by Quebecoise artists, both old and new, and a touch of her own music too. Included was Kim Richardson, one of her old backup singers, and her best friend Nathalie, with whom Lara did a brief duet of ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ (~36 minute mark on the video). George Perris even performed “Je suis malade” on video from New York.
Richard Seguin performed, and was introduced as someone who had saved Lara’s voice. Lara explained that he had entered her life at a moment when she was in great difficulty, having literally lost her voice, which was at the moment when “Je t’aime” had just been written. It demanded a great vocal capacity to reach the high notes, and her voice broke. She met him and told him that she might need an operation to fix it. He said before she did anything, her would introduce her to a woman who takes students; he then called set it up. That woman was Lucette Tremblay (who currently is a little sick), but who is still, today, Lara’s singing coach. She helped Lara avoid such drastic measures, and Lara said that for the rest of her days, she will be thankful to him for that.
Lara got to sing “Growing Wings” live near the end of the show; the separate video for that can be seen at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi-duToubqg
or
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H3L72oVkkE
or
www.youtube.com/watch?v=veHK_cNM4Oc
There’s also a video of a segment of the song from the rehearsal, at
www.facebook.com/larafabianofficial/videos/1804840122890810/
The Lara Fabian Greece site collected a number of pictures from the show, available at:
www.facebook.com/larafabiangreece/photos/a.812090422249386.1073741897.443548625770236/812090465582715/?type=3&theater
First, with respect to Lara’s performance of the song, personally I felt it came off better than the recorded version, primarily because Lara’s vocalization at the end had more power and enthusiasm. It better showcased the true power of the song, and provided a more rounded finish.
As to the show itself, it delighted Lara, but it also made clear something that probably has not been emphasized sufficiently: not only is Lara very happy to be back in Quebec, but they are extremely grateful to have her back. We sometimes overlook how big a part she was of the musical and entertainment scene in that province, and when she left for ‘bigger pastures’, it was, in a way, an insult and a loss that was felt deeply. To now have her back, not in retreat from her career but with it going full steam ahead, is, in a sense, to regain what they had lost, for however long she remains there. As proof of this, one can read the comments on the ‘En direct de l’univers’ FB site (https://www.facebook.com/endirectdelunivers/); here are some (translated) examples:
** What a lovely evening.
I love Lara Fabian She's very wonderful and I missed her.
Thank you for your great show - Ge Bureau
** I love Lara Fabian!!!!!....- Богдана Ив
** What Grace and distinction you are beautiful! - Jeanne Bardier
** Very nice show bravo Lara Fabian we miss you I love this show I have listened to it all bravo to our France Beaudoin (the hostess) - Gaetane Tremblay
** What an extraordinary show of superb guests and Lara Fabian very friendly and simple - Claude Nantel
** What a beautiful show with Lara Fabian... thank you - Lise Lefort
** Very beautiful evening so happy that Lara is in Quebec I love her she is resplendent very very excited to see her on La Voix - Roma Dan
** Beautiful show.. Beautiful reunion… - Cécile Gauthier
** What a beautiful show and super beautiful Lara Fabian what a beautiful evening - Carole Audet
** I'm glad to see her again what a beautiful woman and what a voice - Suzanne Duguay
** Great show. What a joy to see Lara again in such great shape. Welcome back to Quebec to this beautiful singer. - Danielle Pelletier
** Moving Lara... glad you came back to Quebec... we've been waiting for you for a long time... come back to us.. - Mamie Diane
Everybody who participated in the show was clearly extremely enthusiastic and Lara couldn’t have been more pleased. It was a broadcast of wonderfully happy feelings that provided an uplift for everyone there, and probably for everyone who saw it. A true highlight, to be remembered.
[If the name of this show sounds familiar, as one of the respondents pointed out, 7 years ago, France 2 (in France) made an adaptation of the show "in the universe of" an episode with Lara Fabian. That was a great, great broadcast, and if you missed it, it is available in eight parts at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbQB_Lt41Ok
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSAO8aEQNnY
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ7iYCB8yM0
www.youtube.com/watch?v=591YTGn7WvA
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYN1msP2zmE
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqp5HL3hw7E
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uES0vAXD4Cw
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iidY1ElO0M4 ]
As to the impact this show had on record sales in Quebec, there was no great effect for ‘Camouflage’ on iTunes, but, as Marco Duplessis reported, her ‘Best of’ album is now #21 francophone, and Lara now has 7 of her French songs in the francophone top 200: Tout; Je t’aime; Si tout m’aimes; Tu t’en vas; Je m’arreterai pas de t’aimer; J’y crois encore; and Ton desir. Note most of them are from Lara’s previous commercial life in Quebec. It’s the opinion of some that Quebecoise will not respond to English language albums; if so, all this promotion may not be very useful, at least as far as Camouflage is concerned…
And that leads us back to Camouflage, and the Camouflage tour. Lara’s people commented (whether as a direct response or not) on some of the concerns raised in the last Update. With regard to the tour, they forcefully affirmed it would not be abbreviated. In particular they said, “The tour will include, as initially foreseen and announced, around 35 to 40 dates. We are in the process of scheduling new cities/ countries.” That’s good news; it has been almost three months since the last general release of venues and tickets, and that delay, in association with their own statement last week concerning the need for Lara to schedule work on the next French album, understandably raised doubts.
And, of great interest to some, Lara’s Team also announced, “on some concert dates (but not on all!!), there will be a " Camouflage VIP Experience" package, which will include the possibility to
- early access to the venue
- assist to the sound check with Lara's rehearsal
- a backstage tour explaining the concert organization and preparation
-a short meet & greet with Lara, with a photo opportunity
- a signed copy of the album "Camouflage"
Please note that this exclusive package will be offered only in selected concert dates and only in limited numbers. The package is valid only with a concert ticket purchased for the specific concert date (and is nominative, no transfer to other persons allowed)
Dates, details and price will be announced at a later date.”
So…if you’re interested, stay tuned!
Lara’s people also responded to the characterization of the album as a ‘flop’ . They noted that expectations could not be too high: “We are happy if an album enters the charts, and a concert is sold out, but not reaching these levels is not a failure. This is the first English project for Lara for more then a decade, and an introduction to new markets, with the new album and the tour.” True…and if Lara continues to produce English albums, they may very well get a better response subsequently. An article concerning this can be found at:
citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.416.9557&rep=rep1&type=pdf
It points out the ability of subsequent albums to build off debut albums (which in some sense Lara’s is for the current generation English speaking public). It also notes that these later albums can re-enliven sales of the debut album. So if Lara intends to continue with English language releases, there is hope she can eventually make a dent in the U.S. and U.K. markets. In the vernacular of last week’s Update, if she shows she is serious about moving out of the ‘French singer’ genre, then the English language media may likewise start taking her seriously. The key is not to wait another decade to do it.
Meanwhile, currently in her francophone home base, “Camouflage” has dropped 21 places to #55 on the Belgian charts, and in France it has fallen 45 places to #180. Needless to say, this is her worst showing for a six week old album on these charts since Lara became a known commodity, 20 years ago. As the reviewer said in the article quoted last week, the album does not deserve this reception.
The LFIAG-Select site pointed out that the grand finale of “La Voix” Junior took place over the weekend, and one of Lara’s songs was to performed. (http://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2017/11/19/la-grande-finale-presentee-ce-dimanche-qui-sera-la-voix-junior). In particular, it said, “For their performances, the candidates will go draw in a variety of musical styles, from Julien Clerc to Eminem, through Lara Fabian and Pink.” A coincidence?
In somewhat similar news, the Mademoiselle Zhivago FB site put a link to a video of the duo ‘Flame’ performing an acrobatic dance to Lara’s “Je t’aime”. It is truly exceptional, and can be seen at
www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=185&v=FMz1wvAhMM0
Interesting photos of the week: Lara posted some nice pictures of herself on her FB site, at
www.facebook.com/larafabianofficial/photos/pcb.1806525519388937/1806523772722445/?type=3&theater
From the ‘Lara Fabian est ton autre’ site, with their caption “leap of faith”,
www.facebook.com/larafabiantonautre/photos/a.646180015435666.1073741861.166959643357708/1498474213539571/?type=3&theater
And…a special set of photos…Lara’s daughter Lou turned 10 years old yesterday (11/20). The Lara Fabian Italia FB site created a special video for her; it can be seen at
www.facebook.com/larafabianitalia/videos/1921386654543604/
We add our good wishes and hope she’s enjoying her life in Quebec.
The known highlight for the coming week is Lara’s appearance on "Belle & Bum" (https://www.facebook.com/events/1248818265264208/), due this coming Thursday, as her Quebec promotion continues. But as we’ve seen, it’s more than just a promotion, it’s a “coming home”. Otherwise, presumably work is continuing for ‘La Voix’; and we may hear about some new concert venues, including perhaps some VIP packages. The new venues, when they arrive, will tell us how adventurous Lara’s people (and promoters) feel it is advisable to be with this album.
David
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUg0nUyNV8k
or
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pKCkv6UEzA
This show disproves the old axiom that you can’t go home again. It was a televised ‘welcome home’ to Quebec for Lara, featuring her old friends from the province, from her earlier life there, from the beginning of her musical career. She talked about her history in Quebec, and the invited guests sang songs she preferred by Quebecoise artists, both old and new, and a touch of her own music too. Included was Kim Richardson, one of her old backup singers, and her best friend Nathalie, with whom Lara did a brief duet of ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ (~36 minute mark on the video). George Perris even performed “Je suis malade” on video from New York.
Richard Seguin performed, and was introduced as someone who had saved Lara’s voice. Lara explained that he had entered her life at a moment when she was in great difficulty, having literally lost her voice, which was at the moment when “Je t’aime” had just been written. It demanded a great vocal capacity to reach the high notes, and her voice broke. She met him and told him that she might need an operation to fix it. He said before she did anything, her would introduce her to a woman who takes students; he then called set it up. That woman was Lucette Tremblay (who currently is a little sick), but who is still, today, Lara’s singing coach. She helped Lara avoid such drastic measures, and Lara said that for the rest of her days, she will be thankful to him for that.
Lara got to sing “Growing Wings” live near the end of the show; the separate video for that can be seen at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yi-duToubqg
or
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H3L72oVkkE
or
www.youtube.com/watch?v=veHK_cNM4Oc
There’s also a video of a segment of the song from the rehearsal, at
www.facebook.com/larafabianofficial/videos/1804840122890810/
The Lara Fabian Greece site collected a number of pictures from the show, available at:
www.facebook.com/larafabiangreece/photos/a.812090422249386.1073741897.443548625770236/812090465582715/?type=3&theater
First, with respect to Lara’s performance of the song, personally I felt it came off better than the recorded version, primarily because Lara’s vocalization at the end had more power and enthusiasm. It better showcased the true power of the song, and provided a more rounded finish.
As to the show itself, it delighted Lara, but it also made clear something that probably has not been emphasized sufficiently: not only is Lara very happy to be back in Quebec, but they are extremely grateful to have her back. We sometimes overlook how big a part she was of the musical and entertainment scene in that province, and when she left for ‘bigger pastures’, it was, in a way, an insult and a loss that was felt deeply. To now have her back, not in retreat from her career but with it going full steam ahead, is, in a sense, to regain what they had lost, for however long she remains there. As proof of this, one can read the comments on the ‘En direct de l’univers’ FB site (https://www.facebook.com/endirectdelunivers/); here are some (translated) examples:
** What a lovely evening.
I love Lara Fabian She's very wonderful and I missed her.
Thank you for your great show - Ge Bureau
** I love Lara Fabian!!!!!....- Богдана Ив
** What Grace and distinction you are beautiful! - Jeanne Bardier
** Very nice show bravo Lara Fabian we miss you I love this show I have listened to it all bravo to our France Beaudoin (the hostess) - Gaetane Tremblay
** What an extraordinary show of superb guests and Lara Fabian very friendly and simple - Claude Nantel
** What a beautiful show with Lara Fabian... thank you - Lise Lefort
** Very beautiful evening so happy that Lara is in Quebec I love her she is resplendent very very excited to see her on La Voix - Roma Dan
** Beautiful show.. Beautiful reunion… - Cécile Gauthier
** What a beautiful show and super beautiful Lara Fabian what a beautiful evening - Carole Audet
** I'm glad to see her again what a beautiful woman and what a voice - Suzanne Duguay
** Great show. What a joy to see Lara again in such great shape. Welcome back to Quebec to this beautiful singer. - Danielle Pelletier
** Moving Lara... glad you came back to Quebec... we've been waiting for you for a long time... come back to us.. - Mamie Diane
Everybody who participated in the show was clearly extremely enthusiastic and Lara couldn’t have been more pleased. It was a broadcast of wonderfully happy feelings that provided an uplift for everyone there, and probably for everyone who saw it. A true highlight, to be remembered.
[If the name of this show sounds familiar, as one of the respondents pointed out, 7 years ago, France 2 (in France) made an adaptation of the show "in the universe of" an episode with Lara Fabian. That was a great, great broadcast, and if you missed it, it is available in eight parts at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbQB_Lt41Ok
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSAO8aEQNnY
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ7iYCB8yM0
www.youtube.com/watch?v=591YTGn7WvA
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYN1msP2zmE
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqp5HL3hw7E
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uES0vAXD4Cw
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iidY1ElO0M4 ]
As to the impact this show had on record sales in Quebec, there was no great effect for ‘Camouflage’ on iTunes, but, as Marco Duplessis reported, her ‘Best of’ album is now #21 francophone, and Lara now has 7 of her French songs in the francophone top 200: Tout; Je t’aime; Si tout m’aimes; Tu t’en vas; Je m’arreterai pas de t’aimer; J’y crois encore; and Ton desir. Note most of them are from Lara’s previous commercial life in Quebec. It’s the opinion of some that Quebecoise will not respond to English language albums; if so, all this promotion may not be very useful, at least as far as Camouflage is concerned…
And that leads us back to Camouflage, and the Camouflage tour. Lara’s people commented (whether as a direct response or not) on some of the concerns raised in the last Update. With regard to the tour, they forcefully affirmed it would not be abbreviated. In particular they said, “The tour will include, as initially foreseen and announced, around 35 to 40 dates. We are in the process of scheduling new cities/ countries.” That’s good news; it has been almost three months since the last general release of venues and tickets, and that delay, in association with their own statement last week concerning the need for Lara to schedule work on the next French album, understandably raised doubts.
And, of great interest to some, Lara’s Team also announced, “on some concert dates (but not on all!!), there will be a " Camouflage VIP Experience" package, which will include the possibility to
- early access to the venue
- assist to the sound check with Lara's rehearsal
- a backstage tour explaining the concert organization and preparation
-a short meet & greet with Lara, with a photo opportunity
- a signed copy of the album "Camouflage"
Please note that this exclusive package will be offered only in selected concert dates and only in limited numbers. The package is valid only with a concert ticket purchased for the specific concert date (and is nominative, no transfer to other persons allowed)
Dates, details and price will be announced at a later date.”
So…if you’re interested, stay tuned!
Lara’s people also responded to the characterization of the album as a ‘flop’ . They noted that expectations could not be too high: “We are happy if an album enters the charts, and a concert is sold out, but not reaching these levels is not a failure. This is the first English project for Lara for more then a decade, and an introduction to new markets, with the new album and the tour.” True…and if Lara continues to produce English albums, they may very well get a better response subsequently. An article concerning this can be found at:
citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.416.9557&rep=rep1&type=pdf
It points out the ability of subsequent albums to build off debut albums (which in some sense Lara’s is for the current generation English speaking public). It also notes that these later albums can re-enliven sales of the debut album. So if Lara intends to continue with English language releases, there is hope she can eventually make a dent in the U.S. and U.K. markets. In the vernacular of last week’s Update, if she shows she is serious about moving out of the ‘French singer’ genre, then the English language media may likewise start taking her seriously. The key is not to wait another decade to do it.
Meanwhile, currently in her francophone home base, “Camouflage” has dropped 21 places to #55 on the Belgian charts, and in France it has fallen 45 places to #180. Needless to say, this is her worst showing for a six week old album on these charts since Lara became a known commodity, 20 years ago. As the reviewer said in the article quoted last week, the album does not deserve this reception.
The LFIAG-Select site pointed out that the grand finale of “La Voix” Junior took place over the weekend, and one of Lara’s songs was to performed. (http://www.tvanouvelles.ca/2017/11/19/la-grande-finale-presentee-ce-dimanche-qui-sera-la-voix-junior). In particular, it said, “For their performances, the candidates will go draw in a variety of musical styles, from Julien Clerc to Eminem, through Lara Fabian and Pink.” A coincidence?
In somewhat similar news, the Mademoiselle Zhivago FB site put a link to a video of the duo ‘Flame’ performing an acrobatic dance to Lara’s “Je t’aime”. It is truly exceptional, and can be seen at
www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=185&v=FMz1wvAhMM0
Interesting photos of the week: Lara posted some nice pictures of herself on her FB site, at
www.facebook.com/larafabianofficial/photos/pcb.1806525519388937/1806523772722445/?type=3&theater
From the ‘Lara Fabian est ton autre’ site, with their caption “leap of faith”,
www.facebook.com/larafabiantonautre/photos/a.646180015435666.1073741861.166959643357708/1498474213539571/?type=3&theater
And…a special set of photos…Lara’s daughter Lou turned 10 years old yesterday (11/20). The Lara Fabian Italia FB site created a special video for her; it can be seen at
www.facebook.com/larafabianitalia/videos/1921386654543604/
We add our good wishes and hope she’s enjoying her life in Quebec.
The known highlight for the coming week is Lara’s appearance on "Belle & Bum" (https://www.facebook.com/events/1248818265264208/), due this coming Thursday, as her Quebec promotion continues. But as we’ve seen, it’s more than just a promotion, it’s a “coming home”. Otherwise, presumably work is continuing for ‘La Voix’; and we may hear about some new concert venues, including perhaps some VIP packages. The new venues, when they arrive, will tell us how adventurous Lara’s people (and promoters) feel it is advisable to be with this album.
David
