Post by davidhr on Oct 28, 2014 8:04:56 GMT -5
A busy week for Lara ‘news’, with three major items of interest.
The first item is obviously Lara’s finishing of her fall tour this past week, or at least this continuous part of it, with two shows in Sofia, Bulgaria and two in Finland. She was still ‘under the weather’ in Bulgaria, but was better for the shows in Finland. We are blessed with numerous videos from this tour. Those from the show from Prague on the 16th were covered in the previous Update, and some of the concerts in Germany the week before that. We now have a relatively complete full set of high quality videos from the show in Prague on the 17th, thanks to Victor Borisova, available at:
www.youtube.com/user/viktaful/videos
For the show in Bucharest, there are many choices; I’ve selected candidates for the best versions of each of the songs available at the links provided below, many of them thanks to ‘Monique R’ and ‘Dobra Alexandru’.
Alfonsina y el mar: www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2QA3Sd5J8o
Angel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtN1_RHH_o0
Caruso: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG_qeNnEwaA
or : www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfBwkW2H1ZM
I Guess I Loved You: www.facebook.com/video.php?v=812709258752073
I Will Love Again: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE42WstPfho
Il est lune: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGlac0T9PzA
Je suis malade: www.youtube.com/watch?v=snWD2yXzu-I
Je t’aime: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXUa6636rbw
J’y crois encore: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZcTNkelDMk
La difference: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KeIWXsaMAg
Mlle. Hyde: www.youtube.com/watch?v=raqyfUfdR2g
Make me yours tonight: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bbrgUIkpj8
Pas sans toi: www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5SubGCQ8Qk
Choices for Sophia (primarily on the 22nd), many from ‘Sofia Live Concerts’ include:
Alfonsina y el mar (from the 23rd): www.facebook.com/video.php?v=699205530155480
Angel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dob3npCafKw
or : www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xLXBLy6i-4
Caruso: www.youtube.com/watch?v=54tEMsUlSqY
Ce qu’il reste (Giora Linenberg): www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsi0FGB4hA8
Drum solo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVj260xBrp8
I Guess I Loved You: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpyGna4bQbY
I Will Love Again: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dza5mQk-8Lc
Il est lune: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vJWE3Kkr0c
Je t’aime: app.box.com/s/840e8ho3dphwx6lhk43m
(‘Je t’aime’ given here has somewhat improved sound…)
Je suis malade: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqOSw4W4-mA
La difference: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThfIIs2NkmY
Make Me Yours Tonight: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl_aCeR1d9M
Pas sans toi: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vJ3B8kkGHw
Yelliel My Angel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFZucXYho4Q
From the Helsinki concert (on 10/25, which was sold out – and had a very nice, new poster (https://www.facebook.com/353946178085395/photos/a.353954938084519.1073741828.353946178085395/557813504365327/?type=1&theater), we again are lucky to have relatively complete set of excellent videos is available, thanks to railisisko26 at:
www.youtube.com/user/railisisko26/videos
And so far from Turku, Finland:
vimeo.com/110204690
Many of these videos are very high quality, with wonderful sound for an audience recording – cell phone video/audio technology just keeps getting better!
Additional photos have been added to the Lara Fabian Romanian site concerning the concert in Bucharest:
www.facebook.com/Eventim.ro/photos/a.10152399300326837.1073741938.203938431836/10152399301756837/?type=1&theater
while the Lara Fabian-PHQ site has many photos from the shows in Sofia, available at:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10204446627320058&set=a.10204446695161754&type=1&theater
showing Lara at times dressed to keep warm.
Other interesting photos, many of these collected by the larafabianweb FB site: www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/954547784560757/?type=1&theater [by ‘Lara aime Fabian’]
www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/954546337894235/?type=1&theater [by Rossi Blitz from Helsinki]
www.facebook.com/166959643357708/photos/a.646180015435666.1073741861.166959643357708/744754528911547/?type=1&theater [by Tanya Golubeva from Helsinki]
www.facebook.com/LaraFabianfromMexico/photos/a.556367684417296.1073741826.556364357750962/745216678865728/?type=1&theater [from Turku, by Ksenia and ‘allazoloto’ on the Lara Fabian Mexico FB site]
www.facebook.com/353946178085395/photos/pcb.558046794341998/558046604342017/?type=1&theater [several really beautiful photos from Lara Fabian –PHQ]
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1496255467293634&set=pcb.1496256003960247&type=1&theater [more beautiful photos, these from Denitsa Karmen as shown on the Lara Fabian est ton autre site]
And of course there are all the wonderful pictures the Lara Fabian Brazil website has been accumulating from the various concerts, available at:
www.facebook.com/LaraFabianBrasil/photos/a.735959279775124.1073741876.126171034087288/741533282551057/?type=1&theater
Lara got some push back at her concert in Bucharest for speaking primarily in English rather than French (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q47eFOyzP8Q) - it must be a confusing time for her as she approaches a primarily non-French speaking public, while her core followers in these countries are probably conversant in French. One particular discussion in English was Lara’s description of writing songs (in particular ‘I Almost Loved You’) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGec7K1zopM). She did get to pick up a little Romanian (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tHcwt_esuc); and thanked the Romanian audience most sincerely for treating her so kindly in her somewhat wounded condition (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A4E1e61JKA).
Lara continued to respond to the audiences’ support at all the venues, with numerous comments on her FB site. In the last Update her messages to the audiences in Prague and Bucharest were noted. After the Sofia concerts, she wrote (in English):
----------------------------------------
“Sofia... Tonight you have been my voice my strength and the wind beneath my broken wings... I will never thank you enough for accepting that i am only human...i love you... May life bring me back to you healthy.. I love you...”
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and left an appropriate picture:
www.facebook.com/larafabianofficial/photos/a.622966977744803.1073741829.201065806601591/793245077383658/?type=1&theater .
Gioro Linenberg even chipped in with his own video of thanks,
www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10205223675378614&set=o.157423801048605&type=2&theater
Before the show in Helsinki, Lara’s message (in French) was:
-------------------------------------------
“A moment before you find on stage in Helsinki ... I am going a little better ... I am connected to your strength and your love ... Thanks in advance ...”
------------------------------------------
with the picture (before what looks like makeup paraphernalia):
www.facebook.com/larafabianofficial/photos/a.622966977744803.1073741829.201065806601591/794356603939172/?type=1&theater .
And after the concert (in English):
---------------------------------------------
I have no words !!!! Thank you for this exceptional evening !!! It was one of the most magical... All my love to you !!! Thank you again Helsinki !!!
---------------------------------------------
with a smiling visage:
www.facebook.com/larafabianofficial/photos/a.622966977744803.1073741829.201065806601591/794357353939097/?type=1&theater
As her final comment, Lara left a message on her FB site in both English and French:
------------------------------------
On My way home... And NOW some rest...THANK YOU, to every single person who made this month possible and special ...
Sur le chemin du retour... Un peu de repos à présent...
MERCI À CHACUN DE VOUS D AVOIR RENDU CET AUTRE PAS VERS LE BONHEUR POSSIBLE... I love u ! Je vous aime !
--------------------------------------
again with an appropriate picture:
www.facebook.com/larafabianofficial/photos/a.215378125170359.50343.201065806601591/794940213880811/?type=1&theater
Various news media reports of Lara’s concerts continue to surface. Lara was the subject of an interview (http://prask.nova.cz/clanek/novinky/lara-fabian-vystoupila-v-praze-podivejte-se-na-rozhovor-s-touto-nadhernou-francouzkou.html). The article says (in translation):
---------------------------------------------------
Lara Fabian performed in Prague. Check out the interview with this wonderful Frenchwoman
"I am very moved that people were there again," the singer told Nova TV.
"Prague is for me a mystical city. Of course, I am in awe of the place," said Lara.
"I collect with a passion for crystals, and thanks to guides, I here met people who manufactures glass in the world," she says with a flourish. You can find more in the video.
[And… Mirka Malcekova translated the video interview for the ‘Lara Fabian est ton autre’ site. Here is what she wrote]: Reporter: how do you prepare for your performances? Lara: I usually try to sleep 10 or 12 hours and ten is the minimum, otherwise my voice can't handle. I eat like an athlete, I eat mainly proteins and light meals, just a routine of an elite athlete. Reporter: do you take your family to your tour? Lara: yes, now I am accompanied by my husband and my daughter already goes to school, so it's a little more complex, but sometimes she goes with me. Reporter: what do you think that you're often compared to Celine Dion? Lara: I totally agree with that. There is nothing embarrassing on it when your compared with one of the most beautiful voices in the world.
-----------------------------------------------------
Another article described Lara’s concert in Sofia (http://www.blitz.bg/news/article/298353?utm_source=flip.bg). Here’s the (somewhat modified Google) translation:
---------------------------------------------------
Lara Fabian sang with a cold in Sofia (VIDEO)
The thunderous applause of the fans in Sofia January cry
Posted: Oct 24. 2014, 02:43 | Updated: 24-Oct. 2014, 02:43
Sofia, Bulgaria
Singer Lara Fabian made a unique show in Hall 1 of the National Palace yesterday, although she had a serious cold. "I hate to tell you this, but before I came to Bulgaria, I became ill with flu. Whatever you call this, flu - laryngitis – I have trouble with complicated names. I even thought to postpone these shows in Sofia. But at one time I thought that if you took pity on me and support me, then our common experience can be enchanting. Even though at times I will not sound perfect, "confesses the star to be her fans. As expected, the concert began with the famous song of the Belgian with Italian roots - Je t`aime" ("I love you "). At the very first chords the whole room was on its feet and over the heads of all circled hearts of paper with an inscription in French: "I love you, Lara."
The blonde with a voice of three octaves stood silent for a minute, then started sending kisses to the audience. "I have always believed that when an artist faces an audience, communication between them should be like the first kiss. Well, tonight I hope my contact with Bulgarian audience is like a first, very passionate kiss”, stated the tearful singer.
"I believe in angels," the blonde said in the middle of the concert, adding that each of us can be a sacred guardian to another person. Then she executed the samples of Italian pop classics, as well as a Portuguese fado. An attraction was one of the musicians of the star - Renee. He creates music with only a bowl filled with water and other vessels used as percussion instruments. Fabian went to final encore, which delighted the audience with her hit “Je suis malade”.
------------------------------------------------------------
And how appropriate that last song was! [Note also, when reporting about her belief in angels, she was described as ‘the blonde’, which certainly would have been a very French thing to do
]. The article then concludes showing videos from Sofia, verifying that Lara sang well, although still somewhat cautiously. Another article with the same overall message can be found at: www.24chasa.bg/Article.asp?ArticleId=4384790.
In summary: An interesting tour, with the usual amount of “Sturm und Drang” for Lara (appropriate given that it began in Germany) . Obviously her illness complicated it even more than it would have been otherwise, this being her ‘return’ to action. One can get a feeling for the difference her sickness made by comparing her singing of Caruso before and after her illness, using a video from Prague (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02R2jroPnaM) for the ‘before, and either one of the two listed above from Bucharest for the ‘after’. Before, she hit all the notes confidently and with ease; after, she sang more cautiously, and had to exert herself to get to some of them. Nevertheless, get to those notes she did, and so despite her cold, Lara provided the audience with representative acoustic concerts. And as a final comparison, there’s the version in Helsinki when she has improved and was back to ‘normal’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOSoB7MRuJw).
Ironically, her health concerns coming into this three week period probably had nothing to do with fever and laryngitis, but with her hearing. It may not be too much of a stretch to suppose that the two issues could be related. Given that we’ve learned she had to be tested, medicated, and treated with silence after each show, she was clearly under a lot of stress – one could see her touch her earphones primarily on the left side at various points. Stress is known to diminish the effectiveness of the immune system (e.g., www.apa.org/research/action/immune.aspx), leaving one more open to illness, and Lara has more than once been sick before concerts in stressful situations (e.g., before the recording of the ‘Lara Fabian Live’ DVD). Regardless, she has gotten through them, hopefully without any lasting health repercussions, and seems to have left delighted audiences in her wake. So at best, her goals were accomplished, and in addition she got ‘back on the road’. And received further accolades for (even more) courage in the face of adversity. Yes, Lara has been handed a bad deal, one that looks as if it will be with her the rest of her career
- but, as she said looking on the positive side, at least she can sing!
The second notable event this past week was the broadcast of what turned out to be part 1 of the show on M6 promoting the album “Les enfants du Top 50”. Lara specifically reminded people about it on her FB site, with the (translated) message, “Don't forget tonight to watch M6 for the 30 years of the Top 50 in the company of Yoann Freget for our duo...
”, and left a picture of the two of them,
www.facebook.com/larafabianofficial/photos/a.622966977744803.1073741829.201065806601591/792184510823048/?type=1&theater
This show of course was recorded before Lara left on her tour, and so she was in ‘full working order’, as is evident from her wonderful performance, available at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYL5AeSf7f4
There’s also a ‘backstage’ video of the artists preparing, at:
www.facebook.com/video.php?v=743430565710610&set=vb.166959643357708&type=2&theater
This will rank as another of Lara’s top notch duets; as David Foster remarked on the PBS TV show (‘The Hitman Returns’), there’s no better person to sing a duet with than Lara.
‘On se retrouvera’ has opened as #197 on the French single charts, while the album opened in fourth place on the French charts (and according to Nicolas Boucaud on the MZ FB site, 1st place on iTunes France) . It stands to do Lara a great deal of good, given the quality of her two performances. Presumably her second song, ‘Une femme avec une femme’ will be shown in Part II of the program, coming up later today.
As for the third major event: It was noted last week that Lara would be ‘premiering’ a new song with Krutoi at her performance in Russia in mid-November. The song whose title now appears to be (in translation) “The Love of the Tired Swans” at the time was rumored to be ‘Je t’aime encore’ in Russian. This has now been verified, with the caveat that it just uses that music. The song has already been released to radio stations in Russia (e.g., www.facebook.com/353946178085395/photos/a.353949311418415.1073741826.353946178085395/556687171144627/?type=1&theater). It can be found on youtube, at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM5bmyWldxk
or directly as an .mp3, at:
www.dropbox.com/s/z1hkdgjo3eo395g/LaraFabian_Lubov_ustavshikh_lebedeyHQ.mp3
A beautiful poster for it can be found at: www.facebook.com/353946178085395/photos/a.353954938084519.1073741828.353946178085395/557034297776581/?type=1&theater
Nastine Li on the Lara Fabian –PHQ site provided an English translation of the words, copied here:
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“The Love of the Tired Swans”
(Gutseriev and Krutoi)
1.Look into my eyes,
Forgive me, I regret.
I love you.
I was wrong, I'm ill by you(=I'm mad about you)
We couldn't hold it,
We got tired, it's difficult for us.
I'm all alone, just understand-
You don't need anything without love.
Chorus
Swans can't live in separation.
Wait, don't hurry!
Don't say the feelings are all behind.
There's no way back.
Swans can't live in separation.
Wait, don't hurry!
Take me quicker,
Warm up my love-
The love of tired swans.
2. My dreams are without the soul.
I miss you,everything's got complicated.
There's rain in my eyes, don't keep silent, call me.
I feel pain without love.
I beg you -surrender/give in,
Every day I torture my heart.
Sometimes come to me in the dreams,
Take me with you, don't look for another one.
Chorus
Swans can't live in separation.
Wait, don't hurry!
Don't say the feelings are all behind.
There's no way back.
Swans can't live in separation.
Wait, don't hurry!
Take me quickly,
Warm up my love-
The love of tired swans
Bridge
You can't forget love.
Say, answer "yes",
Embrace me, warm me
Stronger.
Chorus
Swans can't live in separation.
Wait, don't hurry!
Take me quickly,
Warm up my love-
The love of tired swans
Take me quickly,
Warm up my love-
The love of tired swans
----------------------------------------
An article discussing the release can be found at: (http://vesna.fm/news/premera-lara-fabian--lyubov-ustavshih-lebedej.htm). Here’s a translation:
--------------------------------------------
PREMIERE: Lara Fabian - "The Love of the Tired Swans"
On the FM radio ‘Springtime”: a grand premiere: the composer Igor Krutoi and the oet Mikhail Gutseriev wrote a song for a famous diva, Lara Fabian. The composition called “The Love of Tired Swans” is the first original song in the Russian language in the repertoire of the foreign artist.
You will hear the premiere of this song during the evening created by Igor Krutoi on the 15th and 16th of November at the “State Kremlin Palace” and on November 22 at the SC “Olympic”. “"As the sound of the Russian language is not foreign to me (I was named after the heroine of Pasternak's novel" Doctor Zhivago "), I have great interest to perform songs in the language of Pushkin and Tolstoy." The Love of Tired Swans "- a kind of parable, tender story of devotion and true feelings. The authors of this song - composer Igor Krutoiand poet Mikhail Gutseriev - managed to realize here everything that would attract every man. I would like to give this song to anyone who knows how to love and trust, "- said Lara Fabian.
Ten years ago, Lara Fabian addressed the Russian public on the stage of “The International House of Music in Moscow”. Thus began a strong creative union between the composer and the favmous diva, actress, and lover of Russia.
Listen to the premiere of the song Lara Fabian“The Love of Tired Swans” on October 22 on Spring Radio FM!
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‘Je t’aime encore’ was released as part of Lara’s French edition of the CD ‘Mademoiselle Zhivago’. Of course it wasn’t part of the original album, but given that the music was written by Krutoi with lyrics by Lara, it had a similar pedigree. When Lara debuted it at the ‘New Wave Festival’ on July 28th, 2012 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwN3V9MUzaY), she noted that it’s name outside of France was ‘Karma’. Now it gets another life, with yet another name, different lyrics and meaning – not the first of Lara’s songs to do that, but probably the first in which somebody else wrote the different set of lyrics. It’s a wonderful song that was appreciated in France (it never charted, because it, like the album, was not released in the standard markets). It will be interesting to see how well this version does in the Russian market (a comment that applies also to what we have to assume will be a new album with Krutoi, although there’s been no definitive timing for that).
In other news, the album "Kiss & Love" commemorating ‘Sidaction’ (the fight against AIDS) will be released on November 3rd. It includes Lara’s duet with Michel Jonasz of the song of Art Mengo entitled "Parler d'amour”. In the days leading up to that, ‘Le Parisien’ is allowing people to hear the different cuts, at 10:00 each day. Lara’s duet is scheduled for October 31st. The lists of the duets available can be found at: www.leparisien.fr/musique/ecoutez-l-album-evenement-des-20-ans-du-sidaction-23-10-2014-4236209.php (thanks to Rozenn Roz via Olivier Ottin on the MZ FB site).
Lara’s flurry of messages to her fans on her FB site is just the latest indication that the site is becoming more useful to her, and to the fans, after several years of relative inactivity in the face of Lara’s day-to-day events. Of course none of this would happen without Lara’s active participation, but at least some of the credit, as was pointed out on the MZ FB site, goes to ‘MACOMAGENCY’, whose website (http://www.macomagency.com/#!community-management/c1w1o) helps artist with their Facebook Page, Official Twitter Account, Linkedin, Youtube, Instagram, etc. In particular, they say that since January of 2013 they’ve helped Lara increase her FB ‘Likes’ from 30,000 to 750,000. Fans have all along suggested (strongly) that Lara needs to put such things in the hands of professionals; in addition to ‘taking charge’ this agency may have in effect convinced her to take social media more seriously.
But…not completely. The further east Lara’s events occur, the less likely she is to advertise them, or comment on them, on her website. Lara’s upcoming tour in far eastern Europe/Asia/Russia has so far not been mentioned on her FB site (or URL), in either the ‘tours’ or ‘events’ section. She will be in Moscow on November 15 and 16th, for the ‘60th’ birthday party for Igor Krutoi; in Boku, Azerbaijan on November 23rd; back in Moscow on the 25th; and in Chisinau, Moldavia on December 9th (http://ziarulnational.md/lara-fabian-vine-la-chisinau-cat-costa-biletele-la-concert/). [It is possible that additional events may be added as long as she is in the vicinity]. Even the upcoming release of the single “The Love of Tired Swans” with Krutoi has not been mentioned by her anywhere outside of the Russian press. Lara used to avoid commenting to her ‘French’ audience about any international activity, now it seems she just avoids that associated with Russia and its environs. ‘MACOMAGENCY’ still has some work to do… .
Later today we shall likely see a high quality presentation of Lara’s solo performance on “30 years of the Top 50”. As Lara indicated, she should now be able to rest, in all respects, having performed superbly despite the obstacles in this ‘re-emergence’ - at least for several weeks, before venturing out again into territory that will be increasingly cold. One presumes she will take even greater precautions, but at least now she knows she can still survive the road. A well-deserved rest indeed.
David
The first item is obviously Lara’s finishing of her fall tour this past week, or at least this continuous part of it, with two shows in Sofia, Bulgaria and two in Finland. She was still ‘under the weather’ in Bulgaria, but was better for the shows in Finland. We are blessed with numerous videos from this tour. Those from the show from Prague on the 16th were covered in the previous Update, and some of the concerts in Germany the week before that. We now have a relatively complete full set of high quality videos from the show in Prague on the 17th, thanks to Victor Borisova, available at:
www.youtube.com/user/viktaful/videos
For the show in Bucharest, there are many choices; I’ve selected candidates for the best versions of each of the songs available at the links provided below, many of them thanks to ‘Monique R’ and ‘Dobra Alexandru’.
Alfonsina y el mar: www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2QA3Sd5J8o
Angel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtN1_RHH_o0
Caruso: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG_qeNnEwaA
or : www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfBwkW2H1ZM
I Guess I Loved You: www.facebook.com/video.php?v=812709258752073
I Will Love Again: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE42WstPfho
Il est lune: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGlac0T9PzA
Je suis malade: www.youtube.com/watch?v=snWD2yXzu-I
Je t’aime: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXUa6636rbw
J’y crois encore: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZcTNkelDMk
La difference: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KeIWXsaMAg
Mlle. Hyde: www.youtube.com/watch?v=raqyfUfdR2g
Make me yours tonight: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bbrgUIkpj8
Pas sans toi: www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5SubGCQ8Qk
Choices for Sophia (primarily on the 22nd), many from ‘Sofia Live Concerts’ include:
Alfonsina y el mar (from the 23rd): www.facebook.com/video.php?v=699205530155480
Angel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=dob3npCafKw
or : www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xLXBLy6i-4
Caruso: www.youtube.com/watch?v=54tEMsUlSqY
Ce qu’il reste (Giora Linenberg): www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fsi0FGB4hA8
Drum solo: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVj260xBrp8
I Guess I Loved You: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpyGna4bQbY
I Will Love Again: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dza5mQk-8Lc
Il est lune: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vJWE3Kkr0c
Je t’aime: app.box.com/s/840e8ho3dphwx6lhk43m
(‘Je t’aime’ given here has somewhat improved sound…)
Je suis malade: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqOSw4W4-mA
La difference: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThfIIs2NkmY
Make Me Yours Tonight: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl_aCeR1d9M
Pas sans toi: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vJ3B8kkGHw
Yelliel My Angel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFZucXYho4Q
From the Helsinki concert (on 10/25, which was sold out – and had a very nice, new poster (https://www.facebook.com/353946178085395/photos/a.353954938084519.1073741828.353946178085395/557813504365327/?type=1&theater), we again are lucky to have relatively complete set of excellent videos is available, thanks to railisisko26 at:
www.youtube.com/user/railisisko26/videos
And so far from Turku, Finland:
vimeo.com/110204690
Many of these videos are very high quality, with wonderful sound for an audience recording – cell phone video/audio technology just keeps getting better!
Additional photos have been added to the Lara Fabian Romanian site concerning the concert in Bucharest:
www.facebook.com/Eventim.ro/photos/a.10152399300326837.1073741938.203938431836/10152399301756837/?type=1&theater
while the Lara Fabian-PHQ site has many photos from the shows in Sofia, available at:
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10204446627320058&set=a.10204446695161754&type=1&theater
showing Lara at times dressed to keep warm.
Other interesting photos, many of these collected by the larafabianweb FB site: www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/954547784560757/?type=1&theater [by ‘Lara aime Fabian’]
www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/954546337894235/?type=1&theater [by Rossi Blitz from Helsinki]
www.facebook.com/166959643357708/photos/a.646180015435666.1073741861.166959643357708/744754528911547/?type=1&theater [by Tanya Golubeva from Helsinki]
www.facebook.com/LaraFabianfromMexico/photos/a.556367684417296.1073741826.556364357750962/745216678865728/?type=1&theater [from Turku, by Ksenia and ‘allazoloto’ on the Lara Fabian Mexico FB site]
www.facebook.com/353946178085395/photos/pcb.558046794341998/558046604342017/?type=1&theater [several really beautiful photos from Lara Fabian –PHQ]
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1496255467293634&set=pcb.1496256003960247&type=1&theater [more beautiful photos, these from Denitsa Karmen as shown on the Lara Fabian est ton autre site]
And of course there are all the wonderful pictures the Lara Fabian Brazil website has been accumulating from the various concerts, available at:
www.facebook.com/LaraFabianBrasil/photos/a.735959279775124.1073741876.126171034087288/741533282551057/?type=1&theater
Lara got some push back at her concert in Bucharest for speaking primarily in English rather than French (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q47eFOyzP8Q) - it must be a confusing time for her as she approaches a primarily non-French speaking public, while her core followers in these countries are probably conversant in French. One particular discussion in English was Lara’s description of writing songs (in particular ‘I Almost Loved You’) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGec7K1zopM). She did get to pick up a little Romanian (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tHcwt_esuc); and thanked the Romanian audience most sincerely for treating her so kindly in her somewhat wounded condition (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A4E1e61JKA).
Lara continued to respond to the audiences’ support at all the venues, with numerous comments on her FB site. In the last Update her messages to the audiences in Prague and Bucharest were noted. After the Sofia concerts, she wrote (in English):
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“Sofia... Tonight you have been my voice my strength and the wind beneath my broken wings... I will never thank you enough for accepting that i am only human...i love you... May life bring me back to you healthy.. I love you...”
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and left an appropriate picture:
www.facebook.com/larafabianofficial/photos/a.622966977744803.1073741829.201065806601591/793245077383658/?type=1&theater .
Gioro Linenberg even chipped in with his own video of thanks,
www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10205223675378614&set=o.157423801048605&type=2&theater
Before the show in Helsinki, Lara’s message (in French) was:
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“A moment before you find on stage in Helsinki ... I am going a little better ... I am connected to your strength and your love ... Thanks in advance ...”
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with the picture (before what looks like makeup paraphernalia):
www.facebook.com/larafabianofficial/photos/a.622966977744803.1073741829.201065806601591/794356603939172/?type=1&theater .
And after the concert (in English):
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I have no words !!!! Thank you for this exceptional evening !!! It was one of the most magical... All my love to you !!! Thank you again Helsinki !!!
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with a smiling visage:
www.facebook.com/larafabianofficial/photos/a.622966977744803.1073741829.201065806601591/794357353939097/?type=1&theater
As her final comment, Lara left a message on her FB site in both English and French:
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On My way home... And NOW some rest...THANK YOU, to every single person who made this month possible and special ...
Sur le chemin du retour... Un peu de repos à présent...
MERCI À CHACUN DE VOUS D AVOIR RENDU CET AUTRE PAS VERS LE BONHEUR POSSIBLE... I love u ! Je vous aime !
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again with an appropriate picture:
www.facebook.com/larafabianofficial/photos/a.215378125170359.50343.201065806601591/794940213880811/?type=1&theater
Various news media reports of Lara’s concerts continue to surface. Lara was the subject of an interview (http://prask.nova.cz/clanek/novinky/lara-fabian-vystoupila-v-praze-podivejte-se-na-rozhovor-s-touto-nadhernou-francouzkou.html). The article says (in translation):
---------------------------------------------------
Lara Fabian performed in Prague. Check out the interview with this wonderful Frenchwoman
"I am very moved that people were there again," the singer told Nova TV.
"Prague is for me a mystical city. Of course, I am in awe of the place," said Lara.
"I collect with a passion for crystals, and thanks to guides, I here met people who manufactures glass in the world," she says with a flourish. You can find more in the video.
[And… Mirka Malcekova translated the video interview for the ‘Lara Fabian est ton autre’ site. Here is what she wrote]: Reporter: how do you prepare for your performances? Lara: I usually try to sleep 10 or 12 hours and ten is the minimum, otherwise my voice can't handle. I eat like an athlete, I eat mainly proteins and light meals, just a routine of an elite athlete. Reporter: do you take your family to your tour? Lara: yes, now I am accompanied by my husband and my daughter already goes to school, so it's a little more complex, but sometimes she goes with me. Reporter: what do you think that you're often compared to Celine Dion? Lara: I totally agree with that. There is nothing embarrassing on it when your compared with one of the most beautiful voices in the world.
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Another article described Lara’s concert in Sofia (http://www.blitz.bg/news/article/298353?utm_source=flip.bg). Here’s the (somewhat modified Google) translation:
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Lara Fabian sang with a cold in Sofia (VIDEO)
The thunderous applause of the fans in Sofia January cry
Posted: Oct 24. 2014, 02:43 | Updated: 24-Oct. 2014, 02:43
Sofia, Bulgaria
Singer Lara Fabian made a unique show in Hall 1 of the National Palace yesterday, although she had a serious cold. "I hate to tell you this, but before I came to Bulgaria, I became ill with flu. Whatever you call this, flu - laryngitis – I have trouble with complicated names. I even thought to postpone these shows in Sofia. But at one time I thought that if you took pity on me and support me, then our common experience can be enchanting. Even though at times I will not sound perfect, "confesses the star to be her fans. As expected, the concert began with the famous song of the Belgian with Italian roots - Je t`aime" ("I love you "). At the very first chords the whole room was on its feet and over the heads of all circled hearts of paper with an inscription in French: "I love you, Lara."
The blonde with a voice of three octaves stood silent for a minute, then started sending kisses to the audience. "I have always believed that when an artist faces an audience, communication between them should be like the first kiss. Well, tonight I hope my contact with Bulgarian audience is like a first, very passionate kiss”, stated the tearful singer.
"I believe in angels," the blonde said in the middle of the concert, adding that each of us can be a sacred guardian to another person. Then she executed the samples of Italian pop classics, as well as a Portuguese fado. An attraction was one of the musicians of the star - Renee. He creates music with only a bowl filled with water and other vessels used as percussion instruments. Fabian went to final encore, which delighted the audience with her hit “Je suis malade”.
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And how appropriate that last song was! [Note also, when reporting about her belief in angels, she was described as ‘the blonde’, which certainly would have been a very French thing to do
]. The article then concludes showing videos from Sofia, verifying that Lara sang well, although still somewhat cautiously. Another article with the same overall message can be found at: www.24chasa.bg/Article.asp?ArticleId=4384790.In summary: An interesting tour, with the usual amount of “Sturm und Drang” for Lara (appropriate given that it began in Germany)
. Obviously her illness complicated it even more than it would have been otherwise, this being her ‘return’ to action. One can get a feeling for the difference her sickness made by comparing her singing of Caruso before and after her illness, using a video from Prague (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02R2jroPnaM) for the ‘before, and either one of the two listed above from Bucharest for the ‘after’. Before, she hit all the notes confidently and with ease; after, she sang more cautiously, and had to exert herself to get to some of them. Nevertheless, get to those notes she did, and so despite her cold, Lara provided the audience with representative acoustic concerts. And as a final comparison, there’s the version in Helsinki when she has improved and was back to ‘normal’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOSoB7MRuJw).Ironically, her health concerns coming into this three week period probably had nothing to do with fever and laryngitis, but with her hearing. It may not be too much of a stretch to suppose that the two issues could be related. Given that we’ve learned she had to be tested, medicated, and treated with silence after each show, she was clearly under a lot of stress – one could see her touch her earphones primarily on the left side at various points. Stress is known to diminish the effectiveness of the immune system (e.g., www.apa.org/research/action/immune.aspx), leaving one more open to illness, and Lara has more than once been sick before concerts in stressful situations (e.g., before the recording of the ‘Lara Fabian Live’ DVD). Regardless, she has gotten through them, hopefully without any lasting health repercussions, and seems to have left delighted audiences in her wake. So at best, her goals were accomplished, and in addition she got ‘back on the road’. And received further accolades for (even more) courage in the face of adversity. Yes, Lara has been handed a bad deal, one that looks as if it will be with her the rest of her career
- but, as she said looking on the positive side, at least she can sing!The second notable event this past week was the broadcast of what turned out to be part 1 of the show on M6 promoting the album “Les enfants du Top 50”. Lara specifically reminded people about it on her FB site, with the (translated) message, “Don't forget tonight to watch M6 for the 30 years of the Top 50 in the company of Yoann Freget for our duo...
”, and left a picture of the two of them,www.facebook.com/larafabianofficial/photos/a.622966977744803.1073741829.201065806601591/792184510823048/?type=1&theater
This show of course was recorded before Lara left on her tour, and so she was in ‘full working order’, as is evident from her wonderful performance, available at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYL5AeSf7f4
There’s also a ‘backstage’ video of the artists preparing, at:
www.facebook.com/video.php?v=743430565710610&set=vb.166959643357708&type=2&theater
This will rank as another of Lara’s top notch duets; as David Foster remarked on the PBS TV show (‘The Hitman Returns’), there’s no better person to sing a duet with than Lara.
‘On se retrouvera’ has opened as #197 on the French single charts, while the album opened in fourth place on the French charts (and according to Nicolas Boucaud on the MZ FB site, 1st place on iTunes France) . It stands to do Lara a great deal of good, given the quality of her two performances. Presumably her second song, ‘Une femme avec une femme’ will be shown in Part II of the program, coming up later today.
As for the third major event: It was noted last week that Lara would be ‘premiering’ a new song with Krutoi at her performance in Russia in mid-November. The song whose title now appears to be (in translation) “The Love of the Tired Swans” at the time was rumored to be ‘Je t’aime encore’ in Russian. This has now been verified, with the caveat that it just uses that music. The song has already been released to radio stations in Russia (e.g., www.facebook.com/353946178085395/photos/a.353949311418415.1073741826.353946178085395/556687171144627/?type=1&theater). It can be found on youtube, at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM5bmyWldxk
or directly as an .mp3, at:
www.dropbox.com/s/z1hkdgjo3eo395g/LaraFabian_Lubov_ustavshikh_lebedeyHQ.mp3
A beautiful poster for it can be found at: www.facebook.com/353946178085395/photos/a.353954938084519.1073741828.353946178085395/557034297776581/?type=1&theater
Nastine Li on the Lara Fabian –PHQ site provided an English translation of the words, copied here:
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“The Love of the Tired Swans”
(Gutseriev and Krutoi)
1.Look into my eyes,
Forgive me, I regret.
I love you.
I was wrong, I'm ill by you(=I'm mad about you)
We couldn't hold it,
We got tired, it's difficult for us.
I'm all alone, just understand-
You don't need anything without love.
Chorus
Swans can't live in separation.
Wait, don't hurry!
Don't say the feelings are all behind.
There's no way back.
Swans can't live in separation.
Wait, don't hurry!
Take me quicker,
Warm up my love-
The love of tired swans.
2. My dreams are without the soul.
I miss you,everything's got complicated.
There's rain in my eyes, don't keep silent, call me.
I feel pain without love.
I beg you -surrender/give in,
Every day I torture my heart.
Sometimes come to me in the dreams,
Take me with you, don't look for another one.
Chorus
Swans can't live in separation.
Wait, don't hurry!
Don't say the feelings are all behind.
There's no way back.
Swans can't live in separation.
Wait, don't hurry!
Take me quickly,
Warm up my love-
The love of tired swans
Bridge
You can't forget love.
Say, answer "yes",
Embrace me, warm me
Stronger.
Chorus
Swans can't live in separation.
Wait, don't hurry!
Take me quickly,
Warm up my love-
The love of tired swans
Take me quickly,
Warm up my love-
The love of tired swans
----------------------------------------
An article discussing the release can be found at: (http://vesna.fm/news/premera-lara-fabian--lyubov-ustavshih-lebedej.htm). Here’s a translation:
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PREMIERE: Lara Fabian - "The Love of the Tired Swans"
On the FM radio ‘Springtime”: a grand premiere: the composer Igor Krutoi and the oet Mikhail Gutseriev wrote a song for a famous diva, Lara Fabian. The composition called “The Love of Tired Swans” is the first original song in the Russian language in the repertoire of the foreign artist.
You will hear the premiere of this song during the evening created by Igor Krutoi on the 15th and 16th of November at the “State Kremlin Palace” and on November 22 at the SC “Olympic”. “"As the sound of the Russian language is not foreign to me (I was named after the heroine of Pasternak's novel" Doctor Zhivago "), I have great interest to perform songs in the language of Pushkin and Tolstoy." The Love of Tired Swans "- a kind of parable, tender story of devotion and true feelings. The authors of this song - composer Igor Krutoiand poet Mikhail Gutseriev - managed to realize here everything that would attract every man. I would like to give this song to anyone who knows how to love and trust, "- said Lara Fabian.
Ten years ago, Lara Fabian addressed the Russian public on the stage of “The International House of Music in Moscow”. Thus began a strong creative union between the composer and the favmous diva, actress, and lover of Russia.
Listen to the premiere of the song Lara Fabian“The Love of Tired Swans” on October 22 on Spring Radio FM!
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‘Je t’aime encore’ was released as part of Lara’s French edition of the CD ‘Mademoiselle Zhivago’. Of course it wasn’t part of the original album, but given that the music was written by Krutoi with lyrics by Lara, it had a similar pedigree. When Lara debuted it at the ‘New Wave Festival’ on July 28th, 2012 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwN3V9MUzaY), she noted that it’s name outside of France was ‘Karma’. Now it gets another life, with yet another name, different lyrics and meaning – not the first of Lara’s songs to do that, but probably the first in which somebody else wrote the different set of lyrics. It’s a wonderful song that was appreciated in France (it never charted, because it, like the album, was not released in the standard markets). It will be interesting to see how well this version does in the Russian market (a comment that applies also to what we have to assume will be a new album with Krutoi, although there’s been no definitive timing for that).
In other news, the album "Kiss & Love" commemorating ‘Sidaction’ (the fight against AIDS) will be released on November 3rd. It includes Lara’s duet with Michel Jonasz of the song of Art Mengo entitled "Parler d'amour”. In the days leading up to that, ‘Le Parisien’ is allowing people to hear the different cuts, at 10:00 each day. Lara’s duet is scheduled for October 31st. The lists of the duets available can be found at: www.leparisien.fr/musique/ecoutez-l-album-evenement-des-20-ans-du-sidaction-23-10-2014-4236209.php (thanks to Rozenn Roz via Olivier Ottin on the MZ FB site).
Lara’s flurry of messages to her fans on her FB site is just the latest indication that the site is becoming more useful to her, and to the fans, after several years of relative inactivity in the face of Lara’s day-to-day events. Of course none of this would happen without Lara’s active participation, but at least some of the credit, as was pointed out on the MZ FB site, goes to ‘MACOMAGENCY’, whose website (http://www.macomagency.com/#!community-management/c1w1o) helps artist with their Facebook Page, Official Twitter Account, Linkedin, Youtube, Instagram, etc. In particular, they say that since January of 2013 they’ve helped Lara increase her FB ‘Likes’ from 30,000 to 750,000. Fans have all along suggested (strongly) that Lara needs to put such things in the hands of professionals; in addition to ‘taking charge’ this agency may have in effect convinced her to take social media more seriously.
But…not completely. The further east Lara’s events occur, the less likely she is to advertise them, or comment on them, on her website. Lara’s upcoming tour in far eastern Europe/Asia/Russia has so far not been mentioned on her FB site (or URL), in either the ‘tours’ or ‘events’ section. She will be in Moscow on November 15 and 16th, for the ‘60th’ birthday party for Igor Krutoi; in Boku, Azerbaijan on November 23rd; back in Moscow on the 25th; and in Chisinau, Moldavia on December 9th (http://ziarulnational.md/lara-fabian-vine-la-chisinau-cat-costa-biletele-la-concert/). [It is possible that additional events may be added as long as she is in the vicinity]. Even the upcoming release of the single “The Love of Tired Swans” with Krutoi has not been mentioned by her anywhere outside of the Russian press. Lara used to avoid commenting to her ‘French’ audience about any international activity, now it seems she just avoids that associated with Russia and its environs. ‘MACOMAGENCY’ still has some work to do…
.Later today we shall likely see a high quality presentation of Lara’s solo performance on “30 years of the Top 50”. As Lara indicated, she should now be able to rest, in all respects, having performed superbly despite the obstacles in this ‘re-emergence’ - at least for several weeks, before venturing out again into territory that will be increasingly cold. One presumes she will take even greater precautions, but at least now she knows she can still survive the road. A well-deserved rest indeed.
David
