Post by davidhr on Nov 19, 2013 10:59:50 GMT -5
Lara had a lot on her plate this past week. Her big concerts in Paris did take place, all three of them, much to the relief of her fans, and probably herself. Throw in a few press interviews, season with a few controversies, and it was certainly a full meal (and News Update)! It’s probably easiest to take the relevant events in chronological order…
The week started with Lara having a multi-page interview in the latest Paris Match. Rozenn Roz on the MZ FB site has made the pages (with pictures) available at:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10202367653374303&set=oa.668896373154478&type=1&theater
Here’s the translation (note - all the quoted material in this Update has been translated):
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The Fear of Silence.
“I’m afraid of going deaf”
An emotional interview
Some rest. It is the prescription of her doctors and Lara takes it. The artist always possessed this singular voice that has permitted her to sell some 12 million records around the world. But like a painter who can no longer distinguish her colors, she can no longer recognize the timber. In May, during a rehearsal, a technician accidentally sent her an important number of decibels into her left ear. Since, hubbub has replaced the harmonies, and the melodies have been transformed into noise. Lara learns patience. For her, it is out of the question to envision life without singing.
Knocked, by a sudden noise, the Belgian star has had to interrupt her tour, a test for a singer.
Never has her warlike soul been as necessary. When she learned that she had to manage, Lara first thought of her fans. This former anorexic is not having her first test. ‘Le Secret’, her album released in April, recounts the path on which she found happiness…Very interested in personal development, Lara became adept at onsei-do, a Japanese technique of relaxation, and practices non-violent communication according to the method of the doctor of psychology Marshall Rosenberg. But for her strength, before all she spends the moments with her daughter, Lou, 5 years old, and her near ones. Recently, a new man entered into her life. He is brown-haired, Sicilian like her mother, and a magician. The 28th of June, Gabriel Di Giorgio and Lara said ‘I do’. And that wasn’t a magical turn.
PM: What happened that you suspended a tour that began so well?
LF: In Belgium, during the rehearsals for the tour, I found myself more tired than normal. Rather of the warlike genre, I did not stop at this signal. On stage, to protect ourselves from the sound volume, we wear, technicians, musicians, singers, earphones, small silicon molds that are placed near the eardrum. Before our first date in Namur, I realized that when I took them off, everything I heard seemed to come from afar, and the slightest sound attacked me. I take a painkiller, convinced that a good night’s sleep will suffice to fix this.
PM: But in Dijon, the pain catches up with you…
LF: During a guitar solo, I turn to the sound engineer, and signal to him that there is a technical problem. I can not hear anymore! He replies to me that he has not touched anything. I take off my headphones, the sound environment is blurred around me. I realize that the problem is me.
PM: The audience, does it see something?
LF: No! I am obliged to explain that I have a problem, that I cannot continue. It is about a thirty-five minute concert. The fans who follow me are all there, their eyes full of the desire that I continue. I propose to provide in piano voice, thinking that the sound chaos in my head will be less difficult to bear. But the pain persists. Behind the scenes I see Gabriel (her husband) who is observing me. I know that he sings very well, I beg him to come help me finish the concert. ‘Don’t Give Up”, our last song, is fraught with meaning.
PM: You panic at this time?
LF: In the car, despite the late hour, I call Professor Lefrancq, my ENT in Belgium. We go 600km. In the morning his diagnosis falls: Sudden deafness. Absolute obligation to allow the auditory apparatus to regenerate in silence. It was just in the middle of the tour and I had a contract to honor in Russia.
PM: You obey?
LF: I rest five or six days, I stuff myself with cortisone. My preoccupation it is the fans. All these people who invest their economies to come to see me. Some have bought tickets for the thirty days of the tour, others have taken days off on their vacation. It is while imagining their disappointment that I choose to keep going.
PM: Finally you leave for Russia?
LF: After my rest, I tell myself that I have regained my strength. I go off to sing four days, two in St. Petersburg, two in Moscow, in the Kremlin. On my return, I can’t hear anymore.
PM: You begin to take the measure of the seriousness of what is happening to you?
LF: Dr. Azoulay, my Parisian ENT, adds her voice to that of my Belgian doctor to put me on guard: “It is necessary to make a choice. You cannot sing every evening or you risk irreversible damage”.
PM: You feel yourself knocked down?
LF: At the start, it is a blow with a club. I would have been able to slip into depression but, on returning home, Lou (her daughter) asks me what I’m going to do. I had explained to her that I would be absent for five nights in a row, and I’m back. She sees my worried head and says to me: “Oh, you, mama, you are sick in your ear. I am going to speak softly”. My daughter is all. Despite being five years old she is capable of empathy.
PM: Does she understand what you’re going through?
LF: When she is at home with her girl friends, they scream, they make an uproar, the sound volume rises high. I must put on earplugs so as not to suffer. Lou has learned that when she wants to talk to me to come touch my arm so that I turn to her. That hasn’t changed our rapport, my handicap shows her that supermom isn’t a machine.
PM: Lou, your best medication?
LF: Thanks to her and all my family, the distress has been vanquished. Gabriel, my husband, but also Gerard [Pullicino, the father of Lou, television director from whom she is separated], my parents, my best friend, all who surround me so gently that they managed to erase my helplessness. And on the social networks, without “leaning on the pencil” as the Canadians say, I see something fabulous. Hundreds of people send to me messages full of affection and encouragement. No mockery, meanness or cynicism. What love!
PM: This could be the most effective healing factor…
LF: Without a doubt. I take from it all the courage of fighting, of being fully that which I am, without cheating, and hope. I absolutely refuse the idea of not singing anymore. And if for that it is necessary to listen to the professors who ask me to protect my hearing apparatus, I obey.
PM: In speaking of love, you were married recently.
LF: June 28, with Gabriel Di Giorgio. It was my first marriage.
PM: Your meeting?
LF: A simple story, during a dinner with members of my family. We are both authentic beings, we recognized each other. Quite rapidly, I saw myself growing old with him.
PM: What is it that you enjoy with Gabriel?
LF: It is important to find oneself everyday with someone of one’s land, who has the same roots as you, the same culture…To hear words of love in the same language as those your mother used to tell you when you were a child, it is irreplaceable.
PM: Your marriage?
LF: It took place in Giarre, in Sicily. There was Etna on the left, the Mediterranean on the right, and us in the middle, underneath the orange trees. It was a small marriage with a few people from the family, some close friends, all in a perfect ambiance. A just union.
PM: There are marriages that are not?
LF: I mean to say by that that we arrived toward one another with a knowledge of being solid enough to avoid pitfalls and disappointments.
PM: What does the Enso sign represent that figures on your last album ‘Le Secret’?
LF: A Japanese symbol of happiness, a circle with a point in the center. It represents for me the synthesis of practices of personal development with which I have worked a lot and which help me today to live in difficult passages of my existence. They permitted me also to make my separation with Gerard Pullicino a happy moment of serenity and of love.
PM: Has that helped you be happy despite the hard blows which have knocked you?
LF: There is love, of course, and the onsei do [the way of sound]. Thanks to this Japanese practice, I am able to leave the mental agitation to find peace. The Egyptians said that first there was the sound, then life. Happiness is a conscious act, to develop it a daily practice. I want to give it to my family, and to all those to whom I feel connected. To remain in their hearing, I am going to be wise, take care of myself so that it will permit me to never interrupt my future tours.
The ear, a fragile organ.
When the ear is exposed to an intense sound for a certain duration, the nerves which transform the sound into an electrical signal for the brain suffer damage. At very strong intensity, they can be destroyed. At lesser intensity they have the possibility of repairing themselves under the condition of a helpful rest of many days. The recuperation isn’t always complete and the ears can remain fragile and have a diminution of hearing. It is necessary to avoid repeating exposure to traumatic sound, under the threat of destruction of the nerve cells. Rest in the absence of intense sound and an appropriate medical treatment under the surveillance of a specialist are indispensable to augment the chances of recuperation.
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Some of these same points (her love of family being her salvation, the warrior spirit, etc.) were repeated by Lara in this video, at:
www.m6.fr/emission-must_celebrites/videos/11326520-extrait_lara_fabian_se_confie_dans_must_celebrites_samedi_a_17_30_sur_m6.html
or in a more complete form of the (81/2 minute) segment, including comments on her career, on shopping for Lou, etc., at:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202444055601091&set=vb.103390503041918&type=2&theater
Then, as fans realized the concerts in Paris were really going to take place, Lara had to defend herself against the charge that she had skipped the shows in the ‘provinces’ because she felt those fans were less important. Here’s her response from her FB site:
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My angels, I read your posts and your comments... thank you for your unwavering and comforting support...
As you know, I will tomorrow be on the scene of the Châtelet in Paris for 2 days, I have really been looking forward to meet you.
Some of you are wondering the reason why I sing in Paris while my previous performances were canceled.
So, I'll respond to you so that you do not remain in an unnecessary bitterness...
The sound trauma I suffered was more important than I thought.
The eve of my departure for the show in Marseille, I had appointment with a second doctor who, after examination, was categorical: OBLIGATION of resting immediately my audio apparatus to permit it to recuperate...
If this had happened on the eve of my performances in Paris, they would have suffered the same fate as those of Province.
I do no favoritism... you know that too how much I look forward to find all you, cross you on the roads...
My teams make maximum (eff0rt) that the annulled dates are rescheduled...
If I sing tomorrow and Sunday in Paris, it is precisely in order to retrain my ear to the exercise of a concert and to see to what extent, under medical supervision I could adapt my tour for just coming your way in the best conditions and offer you the best... I can understand your disappointment and you know as I am attentive to you... but these performances in Paris are also an opportunity for me, to get back to your side... Let's start from somewhere to travel to you...
Patience, my angels, I will do everything I can so as to join you and reprogram our reunion.
I love you all... and thanks for your understanding...
Lara
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Some fans bought the explanation, while others were still skeptical. The timing did work out that way, but one has to say that while Lara does not want to be seen treating fans differently, it would take a lot more for her to cancel a big concert in Paris than concerts in smaller venues.
And then, before the first concert on the 16th, Lara left the following message and picture on her Instagram site: “I’m getting ready, at each and every hour my heart beats so strong…Lov”
Then Lara arriving at the Chatalet in Paris:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=224554094386733&set=a.170468413128635.1073741824.117743928401084&type=3&theater
And finally that first concert on Saturday night, coming after a number of days of rest: an unqualified success, with no apparent problems. Here’s a quote from one fan, Sophie Ocean, on the MZ FB site:
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Me that is emerging this morning, eyes full of stars, after my last night’s concert. I was placed at the back of the room, so I can't really narrate all in detail, too far from Lara... But what I can say with certainty, is that this show is very beautiful, full of poetry, these titles one cannot sing (too hard) but must listen to in the purest silence, in my opinion. A magnificent Lara, an extraordinary voice, a lot of emotion especially... Not one, but several standing ovations, and it, it is a little painful, because there are moments where I saw most anything, including on "Humana" and "I will love again", which are my favorite moments. I enjoyed the "Je t’aime" a capella with her musicians who I find excellent... Bright balloons have had their little effect, and Lara rewarded us with an "It's pretty!", and it is true that it was magical, I find! I really liked the dancer also, Lara gave everything in my opinion, even though I was scared for her, I admit. Much of poetry in this show, this is what I remember…
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And another, from Julien Deverger:
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For my part, I attended the concert Saturday night .
Lara actually looked like in form, good atmosphere in the room.
Lou hopping on the shoulders of her grandfather was too cute and too funny!
Really happy to have shared this moment of complicity between Lara and her family, one feels closer ...
Glad I had the songs " La vie est la" and "Putain de grand amour" really great! " ‘Putain…’ is not my favorite but live on this show I loved it. I would have been disappointed if I had attended the concert Sunday afternoon', I understand you.
I loved the version of "Je t’aime" and "Immortelle" , really nice!
I loved them because every time she revisits her old songs complement differently . It's great and doesn’t get boring for us and for her.
A little disappointed with the version ‘Il est lune’ (as I have read from someone else), I have seen something more punchy !
I loved her outfits . On the bright balloons on ‘Je reve d’une etoile’ I was a little skeptical, but eventually it has had its effect , it was rather nice ! But also funny to hear people inflate and deflate the balloon or even burst (one near me). Fortunately I heard only one, otherwise it will have been quickly very annoying quickly if they burst one after the other !
Anyway, I had a great time , but much too short , it goes at a speed!
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As for the balloons, it was set up ahead of time with fans, lighting them with their phones; they can be seen in the video of ‘Je reve d’une etoile’, at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0bHzOYqpDM
and the picture at:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=583326735054328&set=a.168982793155393.43222.166959643357708&type=1&theater
Not only did the fans think the show greatly successful, but the press as well, first in pure people:
www.purepeople.com/article/lara-fabian-retour-triomphal-sur-scene-apres-ses-ennuis-de-sante_a131803/1
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Lara Fabian : triumphant return to the stage after her health problems
Winning return for the amicable singer Lara Fabian. Victim of a problem of the inner ear on the left , the star was forced to cancel a large part of her tour, with great sadness, during which she was to promote her latest album entitled ‘Le Secret’. After several days of rest and iron discipline to heal, she starred onstage at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris , Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013 .
Back on stage to the delight of her fans, Lara Fabian (43) was able to show the full extent of her vocal talent . If some comments from fans , obviously disappointed with the cancellation of several dates, had expressed a point of annoyance at seeing the star sing again in Paris and not in the provinces, the singer wanted to make things clear. "If I sing tomorrow and Sunday in Paris , it is precisely in order to accustom my ear to the exercise of a concert and see to what extent, under medical supervision I could adapt my tour to just come your way in the best conditions and offer you the best ... I can understand your disappointment and you know as I am attentive to you.. ... but these Parisian performances are also an opportunity for me to get back to your side ... we have to start from somewhere to travel to you ... , " wrote Lara Fabian on her Facebook page .
So before returning to province , the singer made a splash on the stage of the magnificent Theatre du Chatelet. She has played the single tribute to love ‘Deux ils, deux elles’ and her latest hit ‘Danse’. On this occasion, the mother of the young Lou (5 years) staged against an apprentice ballerina. The star sang titles from her album ‘Le Secret’, released last April and already sold over 70,000 copies. Pleased to be able to give her highly anticipated performance - her parents and her daughter Lou were in the room and Sarah Marshall and Jean- Claude Jitrois - Lara Fabian was given a standing ovation before getting to go to retire quietly to her husband Gabriel di Giorgio and enjoy this flamboyant return.
Thomas Montet
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Photos from pure people are available at:
www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.582525038461793.1073741909.103390503041918&type=1
And then from ‘Voici’ (http://www.voici.fr/news-people/photos-star/photos-lara-fabian-remonte-sur-scene-malgre-ses-soucis-de-sante-511584):
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Last night , the singer Lara Fabian was back on the stage of the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris after a forced rest due to an internal ear problem .
Obviously very happy to find her audience, it is on stage at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris that Lara Fabian made her comeback last night. Forced to cancel a concert a month ago, the singer of voice announced she had to be hospitalized for a serious concern for inner ear. If the news about her health was meant to be reassuring, the passage of the singer on the broadcast of Cyril Hanouna [‘Touche pas à mon poste’] foreshadowed a deep malaise .
On the set of ‘Touche pas à mon poste’, Lara Fabien burst into tears and then explained the true cause of her hearing problem . " What happened is that a few months ago , I was given a shock on a stage. A technician opened two lines , I took 1000 hertz and I fell to the ground [ ... ] The damage is severe enough to put myself in the obligation of an impending shutdown . This is terrible. " A terrible news for fans of the singer who were then threatened that "irreparable damage” could end her career.
If Lara Fabian has not since been given more information about her health , her concert last night at the Theatre du Chatelet should give hope to the hardcore fans . For her comeback , Lara Fabian appeared serene and truly happy to sing . She has performed the songs from her latest album titled ‘Le Secret’ and released last April. Finally, a sure sign that she’s better, Lara Fabian provides a second date tonight in the same room before normally going again on the roads of France to please her audience.
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News even spread to Canada, a similar article appearing in fr.canoe.ca/divertissement/musique/nouvelles/2013/11/18/21275546-bum.html
At the end of ‘Le Secret’, the fans organized a standing ovation, seen in the video at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJcenSl1ZIo
There is a particularly fine picture of Lara at:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=582308155150148&set=a.104315726282729.2679.103390503041918&type=1&theater
Then (continuing chronologically) Lara leaving the theatre:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152003251015412&set=gm.671041179606664&type=1&theater
and
www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8z9q_ODfTk#t=18
Later, Lara’s response (with her two Instagram pictures combined):
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=646982938658040&set=a.150846921604980.22470.127093573980315&type=1&theater
Tonight you were my world ... my land ... my ocean of love, my biggest landmark and joy incarnate ... I am because you are .... thank you ... I'm going to bed. .. my heart beats at the center of yours ...
Thank you thank you thank you
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A news report on it, from BFM TV:
www.wetransfer.com/downloads/49df307e1f5280a8c218f7bc8f9e332620131118201347/12968f0af7837f59e2f70bd269cb5a1820131118201347/dcf80a#
(it can be played with the video app ‘VLC’).
On to the 17th, a more difficult day for there were two concerts scheduled, in the afternoon and evening. First, Lara arriving:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrWVhOKrLz4&feature=youtu.be
The audience singing ‘Je t’aime’ waiting for Lara:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkL-rxkBCi4#t=11
Then, as she had done in Lille when there were two shows the same day, Lara shortened the first concert by omitting some songs, specifically ‘La vie est la’, ‘Putain de grand amour’, and ‘J’ai zappe’. She also was intending to end the concert after ‘Mirage’ but apparently felt well enough to try “I Will Love Again”, signaling the engineer to set it up. As can be seen from the video, part way through she had to run backstage to have him turn down the volume, the second time it was necessary during the show; one can also see her touching her ear.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9CHoFnNusY&feature=share
Clearly, Lara is not all ‘healed’ (which may have affected the following event). Nevertheless, she was in very good voice, and despite the abbreviation, fans were generally very satisfied with her performance.
However… after that show, Lara was taught once again that if she puts the fans up on a pedestal to the press, she better follow through. You may remember that Lara has a contest on ‘Twitter’, be the first to answer the question and you get to meet her before the concert. When the contest winners showed up, they were told by Lara’s father that Lara was not feeling well, and had to lie down as she had only a two hour break between the shows. Understandable, except one could see Lara through a window with a drink in her hand, up and about. The fans didn’t back down and pushed their case to see her. And, as Celine CeCe recounts: “A girl of the staff finally get us through! HALLELUJAH! ! Once upstairs, Lara comes to us, we are five or six fans, all in a row, she passes from one to the other for autographs. Not a look. Not a word. I ask her if it is possible to take a picture she replied "of course miss " a bit polite lady anyway. Yannick (her bodyguard) tears the camera from my hands for the photo. In 1 second and a half it is flared, I pray that the photo is not blurry because he does not even check the result ... Others have their picture too. And she left.”
“What should be one of the most beautiful moment of my life did not at all live up to my expectations ... I did not ask for the moon, just a little care on the part of one who loudly claimed to be close to her public ... I had dreamed of this moment, I had waited for 10 years I waited for this, and I finally stood in tears, disappointed with the behavior ... Her father tells us she is not well and we left before seeing it, and finally she went for a drink with her team, frankly it is not credible ... I'm really disappointed with Lara and better understand the speech of some…”
Celine was the wrong person to have been treated that way, for she publicized the encounter, including on Lara’s FB page. One could say this is another example of how Lara’s concern for the abstract fan – like worrying about the effect her cancelled concerts had on them – doesn’t always translate into her dealings with real fans. She had her share of defenders, saying she was stressed out, she’s only human, they did after all get autographs and pictures, etc. Nevertheless, Lara’s people took it seriously, reacting on her FB site:
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In response to some of the comments posted so far , we would like to tell you that we understand your disappointment with how the meeting went with the winners of Lara’s Twitter contest.
We are very sorry , because the conditions on the ground did not allow Lara to be present to you in the way she likes to do usually .
We measure that having placed this encounter between two concerts Lara, after a moment where she was forced to make an appearance at a cocktail party organized for guests, while she wanted to rest, it was not wise. If we add to this the increased fatigability due to her hearing problems, it is understandable that she did not have the means to fulfill this meeting to the expectations of participants.
We would especially like to share with you that Lara was the first to be sorry, for the link with her fans counts very much for her, and we will re-contact the fans concerned to see how this blunder on our part could be repaired.
The Staff
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Lara’s supporters didn’t think this apology was really necessary, and the critical fans didn’t seem to be overly mollified…
Finally the concert in the evening; if the sound volume were to get to her, this third concert in ~24 hours would have been the likely time. But Lara went through with it like a trooper, doing the full set, again with great vocal prowess. Thierry Palomares on the MZ FB site noted that he had been afraid it would be like in Lille when there were two shows, but he needn’t have worried, “Lara in great shape vocally, she made a complete show, nothing squeezed, and the audience was with her. Vocally nothing wrong, even " I Am A-Wa ", "La vie est la", so it was just perfect…”
Some wonderful pictures of Lara from the concerts, this time from fans:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=582918088422488&set=a.582918068422490.1073741911.103390503041918&type=1&theater
Afterwards, Lara wrote on her Instagram site, with an accompanying picture:
In the train back... an infinite thanks for your support...it was a real challenge...which, under the circumstances and the tour de force that it represents to do two shows on the same day, found from you all the love and the power that brought it through.., thanks for the balloons, the smiles and the space of shared connection during the concerts...
Videos are available on the web, so far primarily from the first two shows. Apparently the first show was also streamed live, at: www.ustream.tv/channel/lara-fabian-connecting-people Note that the involved vk.com/lf_cp website is now a closed one, requiring registration.
In conclusion, Lara should be satisfied with a job very well done under stressful circumstances, the inevitable (for her) controversies aside.
In other news: Lara was on ‘Absolument Stars’ on M6 on Sunday. The video, a discussion of her new album and current events, can be found at:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200413445813507&set=vb.166959643357708&type=2&theater
Laura Pausini held a press conference at the Armani Hotel in Milan in Italy where she spoke to reporters about her new album "20 Greatest Hits", which was released this week. It celebrates 20 years of her career with duets from some of the big names in international music. At the press conference Laura spoke about the collaborations on the album, including the participation of Lara.
Laura said that Lara is really her friend and she has one of the most beautiful female voices in the world. She also commented on Lara’s ear problems, and said she wasn’t very well. With respect to their duet, Laura wanted them to sing "La solitudine", and asked that Lara provide a French version of the song. Lara, however, wanted to change the words, feeling that she could not now sincerely write a song about a woman fearing she could not go on after losing her man… Laura, however, felt that was the song, and didn’t want it changed. Then Lara suggested they sing ‘Io canto’, because she had seen it on the DVD of Laura at San Siro in Milan, liked it, and there already was a French version. So they recorded "Io Canto / Je Chante". You can see Laura’s interview in the video below, with her talking about Lara from 26:16:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVjvf6xpFUA
or in a shorter version, just about Lara at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2daUMy68Pc
With all this publicity, and sympathy, Lara has jumped back onto the charts at #134 (108 in physical CDs). This presumably does not include the pre-orders for the new release. The video recording of ‘I Am A-Wa’ from the Collector’s Edition of ‘Le Secret’ can be found at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp4AbKZ5JMI&feature=c4-overview&list=UUDoG46uwD-PyUPRJhJWHddw
Having survived this challenge – and for that she deserves great credit! - Lara now has almost 10 days to rest. What she will do with the remainder of her schedule this year is still uncertain, for fans, and maybe for Lara herself. Will she still go for her three concerts in the ‘countries to the east’ at the end of this month? How about the concerts in France and Switzerland, December 6-8; she has already cancelled her concert in Franconville, on December 5th. It is clear from these Paris performances that she has found a way, with rest and probably the help of cortisone, to perform vocally at a high level despite the ear problems. That at least indicates she should be able to give the concerts she really wants to without worrying about their quality – encouraging news for the show at Carnegie Hall, which appears from their website to be sold out - as long as she has sufficient rest beforehand. Perhaps that’s what we and she have to settle for right now.
David
The week started with Lara having a multi-page interview in the latest Paris Match. Rozenn Roz on the MZ FB site has made the pages (with pictures) available at:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10202367653374303&set=oa.668896373154478&type=1&theater
Here’s the translation (note - all the quoted material in this Update has been translated):
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The Fear of Silence.
“I’m afraid of going deaf”
An emotional interview
Some rest. It is the prescription of her doctors and Lara takes it. The artist always possessed this singular voice that has permitted her to sell some 12 million records around the world. But like a painter who can no longer distinguish her colors, she can no longer recognize the timber. In May, during a rehearsal, a technician accidentally sent her an important number of decibels into her left ear. Since, hubbub has replaced the harmonies, and the melodies have been transformed into noise. Lara learns patience. For her, it is out of the question to envision life without singing.
Knocked, by a sudden noise, the Belgian star has had to interrupt her tour, a test for a singer.
Never has her warlike soul been as necessary. When she learned that she had to manage, Lara first thought of her fans. This former anorexic is not having her first test. ‘Le Secret’, her album released in April, recounts the path on which she found happiness…Very interested in personal development, Lara became adept at onsei-do, a Japanese technique of relaxation, and practices non-violent communication according to the method of the doctor of psychology Marshall Rosenberg. But for her strength, before all she spends the moments with her daughter, Lou, 5 years old, and her near ones. Recently, a new man entered into her life. He is brown-haired, Sicilian like her mother, and a magician. The 28th of June, Gabriel Di Giorgio and Lara said ‘I do’. And that wasn’t a magical turn.
PM: What happened that you suspended a tour that began so well?
LF: In Belgium, during the rehearsals for the tour, I found myself more tired than normal. Rather of the warlike genre, I did not stop at this signal. On stage, to protect ourselves from the sound volume, we wear, technicians, musicians, singers, earphones, small silicon molds that are placed near the eardrum. Before our first date in Namur, I realized that when I took them off, everything I heard seemed to come from afar, and the slightest sound attacked me. I take a painkiller, convinced that a good night’s sleep will suffice to fix this.
PM: But in Dijon, the pain catches up with you…
LF: During a guitar solo, I turn to the sound engineer, and signal to him that there is a technical problem. I can not hear anymore! He replies to me that he has not touched anything. I take off my headphones, the sound environment is blurred around me. I realize that the problem is me.
PM: The audience, does it see something?
LF: No! I am obliged to explain that I have a problem, that I cannot continue. It is about a thirty-five minute concert. The fans who follow me are all there, their eyes full of the desire that I continue. I propose to provide in piano voice, thinking that the sound chaos in my head will be less difficult to bear. But the pain persists. Behind the scenes I see Gabriel (her husband) who is observing me. I know that he sings very well, I beg him to come help me finish the concert. ‘Don’t Give Up”, our last song, is fraught with meaning.
PM: You panic at this time?
LF: In the car, despite the late hour, I call Professor Lefrancq, my ENT in Belgium. We go 600km. In the morning his diagnosis falls: Sudden deafness. Absolute obligation to allow the auditory apparatus to regenerate in silence. It was just in the middle of the tour and I had a contract to honor in Russia.
PM: You obey?
LF: I rest five or six days, I stuff myself with cortisone. My preoccupation it is the fans. All these people who invest their economies to come to see me. Some have bought tickets for the thirty days of the tour, others have taken days off on their vacation. It is while imagining their disappointment that I choose to keep going.
PM: Finally you leave for Russia?
LF: After my rest, I tell myself that I have regained my strength. I go off to sing four days, two in St. Petersburg, two in Moscow, in the Kremlin. On my return, I can’t hear anymore.
PM: You begin to take the measure of the seriousness of what is happening to you?
LF: Dr. Azoulay, my Parisian ENT, adds her voice to that of my Belgian doctor to put me on guard: “It is necessary to make a choice. You cannot sing every evening or you risk irreversible damage”.
PM: You feel yourself knocked down?
LF: At the start, it is a blow with a club. I would have been able to slip into depression but, on returning home, Lou (her daughter) asks me what I’m going to do. I had explained to her that I would be absent for five nights in a row, and I’m back. She sees my worried head and says to me: “Oh, you, mama, you are sick in your ear. I am going to speak softly”. My daughter is all. Despite being five years old she is capable of empathy.
PM: Does she understand what you’re going through?
LF: When she is at home with her girl friends, they scream, they make an uproar, the sound volume rises high. I must put on earplugs so as not to suffer. Lou has learned that when she wants to talk to me to come touch my arm so that I turn to her. That hasn’t changed our rapport, my handicap shows her that supermom isn’t a machine.
PM: Lou, your best medication?
LF: Thanks to her and all my family, the distress has been vanquished. Gabriel, my husband, but also Gerard [Pullicino, the father of Lou, television director from whom she is separated], my parents, my best friend, all who surround me so gently that they managed to erase my helplessness. And on the social networks, without “leaning on the pencil” as the Canadians say, I see something fabulous. Hundreds of people send to me messages full of affection and encouragement. No mockery, meanness or cynicism. What love!
PM: This could be the most effective healing factor…
LF: Without a doubt. I take from it all the courage of fighting, of being fully that which I am, without cheating, and hope. I absolutely refuse the idea of not singing anymore. And if for that it is necessary to listen to the professors who ask me to protect my hearing apparatus, I obey.
PM: In speaking of love, you were married recently.
LF: June 28, with Gabriel Di Giorgio. It was my first marriage.
PM: Your meeting?
LF: A simple story, during a dinner with members of my family. We are both authentic beings, we recognized each other. Quite rapidly, I saw myself growing old with him.
PM: What is it that you enjoy with Gabriel?
LF: It is important to find oneself everyday with someone of one’s land, who has the same roots as you, the same culture…To hear words of love in the same language as those your mother used to tell you when you were a child, it is irreplaceable.
PM: Your marriage?
LF: It took place in Giarre, in Sicily. There was Etna on the left, the Mediterranean on the right, and us in the middle, underneath the orange trees. It was a small marriage with a few people from the family, some close friends, all in a perfect ambiance. A just union.
PM: There are marriages that are not?
LF: I mean to say by that that we arrived toward one another with a knowledge of being solid enough to avoid pitfalls and disappointments.
PM: What does the Enso sign represent that figures on your last album ‘Le Secret’?
LF: A Japanese symbol of happiness, a circle with a point in the center. It represents for me the synthesis of practices of personal development with which I have worked a lot and which help me today to live in difficult passages of my existence. They permitted me also to make my separation with Gerard Pullicino a happy moment of serenity and of love.
PM: Has that helped you be happy despite the hard blows which have knocked you?
LF: There is love, of course, and the onsei do [the way of sound]. Thanks to this Japanese practice, I am able to leave the mental agitation to find peace. The Egyptians said that first there was the sound, then life. Happiness is a conscious act, to develop it a daily practice. I want to give it to my family, and to all those to whom I feel connected. To remain in their hearing, I am going to be wise, take care of myself so that it will permit me to never interrupt my future tours.
The ear, a fragile organ.
When the ear is exposed to an intense sound for a certain duration, the nerves which transform the sound into an electrical signal for the brain suffer damage. At very strong intensity, they can be destroyed. At lesser intensity they have the possibility of repairing themselves under the condition of a helpful rest of many days. The recuperation isn’t always complete and the ears can remain fragile and have a diminution of hearing. It is necessary to avoid repeating exposure to traumatic sound, under the threat of destruction of the nerve cells. Rest in the absence of intense sound and an appropriate medical treatment under the surveillance of a specialist are indispensable to augment the chances of recuperation.
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Some of these same points (her love of family being her salvation, the warrior spirit, etc.) were repeated by Lara in this video, at:
www.m6.fr/emission-must_celebrites/videos/11326520-extrait_lara_fabian_se_confie_dans_must_celebrites_samedi_a_17_30_sur_m6.html
or in a more complete form of the (81/2 minute) segment, including comments on her career, on shopping for Lou, etc., at:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202444055601091&set=vb.103390503041918&type=2&theater
Then, as fans realized the concerts in Paris were really going to take place, Lara had to defend herself against the charge that she had skipped the shows in the ‘provinces’ because she felt those fans were less important. Here’s her response from her FB site:
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My angels, I read your posts and your comments... thank you for your unwavering and comforting support...
As you know, I will tomorrow be on the scene of the Châtelet in Paris for 2 days, I have really been looking forward to meet you.
Some of you are wondering the reason why I sing in Paris while my previous performances were canceled.
So, I'll respond to you so that you do not remain in an unnecessary bitterness...
The sound trauma I suffered was more important than I thought.
The eve of my departure for the show in Marseille, I had appointment with a second doctor who, after examination, was categorical: OBLIGATION of resting immediately my audio apparatus to permit it to recuperate...
If this had happened on the eve of my performances in Paris, they would have suffered the same fate as those of Province.
I do no favoritism... you know that too how much I look forward to find all you, cross you on the roads...
My teams make maximum (eff0rt) that the annulled dates are rescheduled...
If I sing tomorrow and Sunday in Paris, it is precisely in order to retrain my ear to the exercise of a concert and to see to what extent, under medical supervision I could adapt my tour for just coming your way in the best conditions and offer you the best... I can understand your disappointment and you know as I am attentive to you... but these performances in Paris are also an opportunity for me, to get back to your side... Let's start from somewhere to travel to you...
Patience, my angels, I will do everything I can so as to join you and reprogram our reunion.
I love you all... and thanks for your understanding...
Lara
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Some fans bought the explanation, while others were still skeptical. The timing did work out that way, but one has to say that while Lara does not want to be seen treating fans differently, it would take a lot more for her to cancel a big concert in Paris than concerts in smaller venues.
And then, before the first concert on the 16th, Lara left the following message and picture on her Instagram site: “I’m getting ready, at each and every hour my heart beats so strong…Lov”
http://instagram.com/p/gx5dFnh87a#
Then Lara arriving at the Chatalet in Paris:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=224554094386733&set=a.170468413128635.1073741824.117743928401084&type=3&theater
And finally that first concert on Saturday night, coming after a number of days of rest: an unqualified success, with no apparent problems. Here’s a quote from one fan, Sophie Ocean, on the MZ FB site:
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Me that is emerging this morning, eyes full of stars, after my last night’s concert. I was placed at the back of the room, so I can't really narrate all in detail, too far from Lara... But what I can say with certainty, is that this show is very beautiful, full of poetry, these titles one cannot sing (too hard) but must listen to in the purest silence, in my opinion. A magnificent Lara, an extraordinary voice, a lot of emotion especially... Not one, but several standing ovations, and it, it is a little painful, because there are moments where I saw most anything, including on "Humana" and "I will love again", which are my favorite moments. I enjoyed the "Je t’aime" a capella with her musicians who I find excellent... Bright balloons have had their little effect, and Lara rewarded us with an "It's pretty!", and it is true that it was magical, I find! I really liked the dancer also, Lara gave everything in my opinion, even though I was scared for her, I admit. Much of poetry in this show, this is what I remember…
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And another, from Julien Deverger:
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For my part, I attended the concert Saturday night .
Lara actually looked like in form, good atmosphere in the room.
Lou hopping on the shoulders of her grandfather was too cute and too funny!
Really happy to have shared this moment of complicity between Lara and her family, one feels closer ...
Glad I had the songs " La vie est la" and "Putain de grand amour" really great! " ‘Putain…’ is not my favorite but live on this show I loved it. I would have been disappointed if I had attended the concert Sunday afternoon', I understand you.
I loved the version of "Je t’aime" and "Immortelle" , really nice!
I loved them because every time she revisits her old songs complement differently . It's great and doesn’t get boring for us and for her.
A little disappointed with the version ‘Il est lune’ (as I have read from someone else), I have seen something more punchy !
I loved her outfits . On the bright balloons on ‘Je reve d’une etoile’ I was a little skeptical, but eventually it has had its effect , it was rather nice ! But also funny to hear people inflate and deflate the balloon or even burst (one near me). Fortunately I heard only one, otherwise it will have been quickly very annoying quickly if they burst one after the other !
Anyway, I had a great time , but much too short , it goes at a speed!
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As for the balloons, it was set up ahead of time with fans, lighting them with their phones; they can be seen in the video of ‘Je reve d’une etoile’, at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0bHzOYqpDM
and the picture at:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=583326735054328&set=a.168982793155393.43222.166959643357708&type=1&theater
Not only did the fans think the show greatly successful, but the press as well, first in pure people:
www.purepeople.com/article/lara-fabian-retour-triomphal-sur-scene-apres-ses-ennuis-de-sante_a131803/1
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Lara Fabian : triumphant return to the stage after her health problems
Winning return for the amicable singer Lara Fabian. Victim of a problem of the inner ear on the left , the star was forced to cancel a large part of her tour, with great sadness, during which she was to promote her latest album entitled ‘Le Secret’. After several days of rest and iron discipline to heal, she starred onstage at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris , Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013 .
Back on stage to the delight of her fans, Lara Fabian (43) was able to show the full extent of her vocal talent . If some comments from fans , obviously disappointed with the cancellation of several dates, had expressed a point of annoyance at seeing the star sing again in Paris and not in the provinces, the singer wanted to make things clear. "If I sing tomorrow and Sunday in Paris , it is precisely in order to accustom my ear to the exercise of a concert and see to what extent, under medical supervision I could adapt my tour to just come your way in the best conditions and offer you the best ... I can understand your disappointment and you know as I am attentive to you.. ... but these Parisian performances are also an opportunity for me to get back to your side ... we have to start from somewhere to travel to you ... , " wrote Lara Fabian on her Facebook page .
So before returning to province , the singer made a splash on the stage of the magnificent Theatre du Chatelet. She has played the single tribute to love ‘Deux ils, deux elles’ and her latest hit ‘Danse’. On this occasion, the mother of the young Lou (5 years) staged against an apprentice ballerina. The star sang titles from her album ‘Le Secret’, released last April and already sold over 70,000 copies. Pleased to be able to give her highly anticipated performance - her parents and her daughter Lou were in the room and Sarah Marshall and Jean- Claude Jitrois - Lara Fabian was given a standing ovation before getting to go to retire quietly to her husband Gabriel di Giorgio and enjoy this flamboyant return.
Thomas Montet
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Photos from pure people are available at:
www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.582525038461793.1073741909.103390503041918&type=1
And then from ‘Voici’ (http://www.voici.fr/news-people/photos-star/photos-lara-fabian-remonte-sur-scene-malgre-ses-soucis-de-sante-511584):
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Last night , the singer Lara Fabian was back on the stage of the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris after a forced rest due to an internal ear problem .
Obviously very happy to find her audience, it is on stage at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris that Lara Fabian made her comeback last night. Forced to cancel a concert a month ago, the singer of voice announced she had to be hospitalized for a serious concern for inner ear. If the news about her health was meant to be reassuring, the passage of the singer on the broadcast of Cyril Hanouna [‘Touche pas à mon poste’] foreshadowed a deep malaise .
On the set of ‘Touche pas à mon poste’, Lara Fabien burst into tears and then explained the true cause of her hearing problem . " What happened is that a few months ago , I was given a shock on a stage. A technician opened two lines , I took 1000 hertz and I fell to the ground [ ... ] The damage is severe enough to put myself in the obligation of an impending shutdown . This is terrible. " A terrible news for fans of the singer who were then threatened that "irreparable damage” could end her career.
If Lara Fabian has not since been given more information about her health , her concert last night at the Theatre du Chatelet should give hope to the hardcore fans . For her comeback , Lara Fabian appeared serene and truly happy to sing . She has performed the songs from her latest album titled ‘Le Secret’ and released last April. Finally, a sure sign that she’s better, Lara Fabian provides a second date tonight in the same room before normally going again on the roads of France to please her audience.
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News even spread to Canada, a similar article appearing in fr.canoe.ca/divertissement/musique/nouvelles/2013/11/18/21275546-bum.html
At the end of ‘Le Secret’, the fans organized a standing ovation, seen in the video at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJcenSl1ZIo
There is a particularly fine picture of Lara at:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=582308155150148&set=a.104315726282729.2679.103390503041918&type=1&theater
Then (continuing chronologically) Lara leaving the theatre:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152003251015412&set=gm.671041179606664&type=1&theater
and
www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8z9q_ODfTk#t=18
Later, Lara’s response (with her two Instagram pictures combined):
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=646982938658040&set=a.150846921604980.22470.127093573980315&type=1&theater
Tonight you were my world ... my land ... my ocean of love, my biggest landmark and joy incarnate ... I am because you are .... thank you ... I'm going to bed. .. my heart beats at the center of yours ...
Thank you thank you thank you
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A news report on it, from BFM TV:
www.wetransfer.com/downloads/49df307e1f5280a8c218f7bc8f9e332620131118201347/12968f0af7837f59e2f70bd269cb5a1820131118201347/dcf80a#
(it can be played with the video app ‘VLC’).
On to the 17th, a more difficult day for there were two concerts scheduled, in the afternoon and evening. First, Lara arriving:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrWVhOKrLz4&feature=youtu.be
The audience singing ‘Je t’aime’ waiting for Lara:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkL-rxkBCi4#t=11
Then, as she had done in Lille when there were two shows the same day, Lara shortened the first concert by omitting some songs, specifically ‘La vie est la’, ‘Putain de grand amour’, and ‘J’ai zappe’. She also was intending to end the concert after ‘Mirage’ but apparently felt well enough to try “I Will Love Again”, signaling the engineer to set it up. As can be seen from the video, part way through she had to run backstage to have him turn down the volume, the second time it was necessary during the show; one can also see her touching her ear.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9CHoFnNusY&feature=share
Clearly, Lara is not all ‘healed’ (which may have affected the following event). Nevertheless, she was in very good voice, and despite the abbreviation, fans were generally very satisfied with her performance.
However… after that show, Lara was taught once again that if she puts the fans up on a pedestal to the press, she better follow through. You may remember that Lara has a contest on ‘Twitter’, be the first to answer the question and you get to meet her before the concert. When the contest winners showed up, they were told by Lara’s father that Lara was not feeling well, and had to lie down as she had only a two hour break between the shows. Understandable, except one could see Lara through a window with a drink in her hand, up and about. The fans didn’t back down and pushed their case to see her. And, as Celine CeCe recounts: “A girl of the staff finally get us through! HALLELUJAH! ! Once upstairs, Lara comes to us, we are five or six fans, all in a row, she passes from one to the other for autographs. Not a look. Not a word. I ask her if it is possible to take a picture she replied "of course miss " a bit polite lady anyway. Yannick (her bodyguard) tears the camera from my hands for the photo. In 1 second and a half it is flared, I pray that the photo is not blurry because he does not even check the result ... Others have their picture too. And she left.”
“What should be one of the most beautiful moment of my life did not at all live up to my expectations ... I did not ask for the moon, just a little care on the part of one who loudly claimed to be close to her public ... I had dreamed of this moment, I had waited for 10 years I waited for this, and I finally stood in tears, disappointed with the behavior ... Her father tells us she is not well and we left before seeing it, and finally she went for a drink with her team, frankly it is not credible ... I'm really disappointed with Lara and better understand the speech of some…”
Celine was the wrong person to have been treated that way, for she publicized the encounter, including on Lara’s FB page. One could say this is another example of how Lara’s concern for the abstract fan – like worrying about the effect her cancelled concerts had on them – doesn’t always translate into her dealings with real fans. She had her share of defenders, saying she was stressed out, she’s only human, they did after all get autographs and pictures, etc. Nevertheless, Lara’s people took it seriously, reacting on her FB site:
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In response to some of the comments posted so far , we would like to tell you that we understand your disappointment with how the meeting went with the winners of Lara’s Twitter contest.
We are very sorry , because the conditions on the ground did not allow Lara to be present to you in the way she likes to do usually .
We measure that having placed this encounter between two concerts Lara, after a moment where she was forced to make an appearance at a cocktail party organized for guests, while she wanted to rest, it was not wise. If we add to this the increased fatigability due to her hearing problems, it is understandable that she did not have the means to fulfill this meeting to the expectations of participants.
We would especially like to share with you that Lara was the first to be sorry, for the link with her fans counts very much for her, and we will re-contact the fans concerned to see how this blunder on our part could be repaired.
The Staff
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Lara’s supporters didn’t think this apology was really necessary, and the critical fans didn’t seem to be overly mollified…
Finally the concert in the evening; if the sound volume were to get to her, this third concert in ~24 hours would have been the likely time. But Lara went through with it like a trooper, doing the full set, again with great vocal prowess. Thierry Palomares on the MZ FB site noted that he had been afraid it would be like in Lille when there were two shows, but he needn’t have worried, “Lara in great shape vocally, she made a complete show, nothing squeezed, and the audience was with her. Vocally nothing wrong, even " I Am A-Wa ", "La vie est la", so it was just perfect…”
Some wonderful pictures of Lara from the concerts, this time from fans:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=582918088422488&set=a.582918068422490.1073741911.103390503041918&type=1&theater
Afterwards, Lara wrote on her Instagram site, with an accompanying picture:
In the train back... an infinite thanks for your support...it was a real challenge...which, under the circumstances and the tour de force that it represents to do two shows on the same day, found from you all the love and the power that brought it through.., thanks for the balloons, the smiles and the space of shared connection during the concerts...
http://instagram.com/p/g3NsCrh8-h
Videos are available on the web, so far primarily from the first two shows. Apparently the first show was also streamed live, at: www.ustream.tv/channel/lara-fabian-connecting-people Note that the involved vk.com/lf_cp website is now a closed one, requiring registration.
In conclusion, Lara should be satisfied with a job very well done under stressful circumstances, the inevitable (for her) controversies aside.
In other news: Lara was on ‘Absolument Stars’ on M6 on Sunday. The video, a discussion of her new album and current events, can be found at:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200413445813507&set=vb.166959643357708&type=2&theater
Laura Pausini held a press conference at the Armani Hotel in Milan in Italy where she spoke to reporters about her new album "20 Greatest Hits", which was released this week. It celebrates 20 years of her career with duets from some of the big names in international music. At the press conference Laura spoke about the collaborations on the album, including the participation of Lara.
Laura said that Lara is really her friend and she has one of the most beautiful female voices in the world. She also commented on Lara’s ear problems, and said she wasn’t very well. With respect to their duet, Laura wanted them to sing "La solitudine", and asked that Lara provide a French version of the song. Lara, however, wanted to change the words, feeling that she could not now sincerely write a song about a woman fearing she could not go on after losing her man… Laura, however, felt that was the song, and didn’t want it changed. Then Lara suggested they sing ‘Io canto’, because she had seen it on the DVD of Laura at San Siro in Milan, liked it, and there already was a French version. So they recorded "Io Canto / Je Chante". You can see Laura’s interview in the video below, with her talking about Lara from 26:16:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVjvf6xpFUA
or in a shorter version, just about Lara at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2daUMy68Pc
With all this publicity, and sympathy, Lara has jumped back onto the charts at #134 (108 in physical CDs). This presumably does not include the pre-orders for the new release. The video recording of ‘I Am A-Wa’ from the Collector’s Edition of ‘Le Secret’ can be found at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp4AbKZ5JMI&feature=c4-overview&list=UUDoG46uwD-PyUPRJhJWHddw
Having survived this challenge – and for that she deserves great credit! - Lara now has almost 10 days to rest. What she will do with the remainder of her schedule this year is still uncertain, for fans, and maybe for Lara herself. Will she still go for her three concerts in the ‘countries to the east’ at the end of this month? How about the concerts in France and Switzerland, December 6-8; she has already cancelled her concert in Franconville, on December 5th. It is clear from these Paris performances that she has found a way, with rest and probably the help of cortisone, to perform vocally at a high level despite the ear problems. That at least indicates she should be able to give the concerts she really wants to without worrying about their quality – encouraging news for the show at Carnegie Hall, which appears from their website to be sold out - as long as she has sufficient rest beforehand. Perhaps that’s what we and she have to settle for right now.
David
