Post by davidhr on Jan 6, 2015 10:03:51 GMT -5
For this first Update of the New Year, it seems appropriate to start with the past week's holiday wishes. Starpoint Corporation SRI, in Rome, wished Lara a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year at:
www.facebook.com/StarpointCorporation/photos/a.210730925728421.54663.201915099943337/575972329204277/.
They are promoting Lara in the February San Remo Italy competition (https://www.facebook.com/StarpointCorporation). Lara is currently in 6th place in the fan popularity voting preceding the competition
(https://www.facebook.com/sanremo2015.65/photos/a.407103362791212.1073741830.400252740142941/410865052415043/). Fan voting will play a role in the final result, after the competition is held.
In the same vein, many of the fan sites offered holiday wishes also, to Lara or their readers. Here are some examples:
www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/990349987647203/
www.facebook.com/382393522416/photos/a.398533517416.164839.382393522416/10152937054002417/
www.facebook.com/laraczechpage/photos/a.200734066700242.44466.183951155045200/730694563704187/
www.facebook.com/LaraFabianUKFans/photos/a.1423269811253407.1073741832.1419686111611777/1543304922583228/
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=689845981136982&set=p.689845981136982&type=1&theater
www.facebook.com/LaraFabianTheVoiceOfPassion/photos/a.722339551114856.1073741831.720473304634814/1067482116600596/
www.facebook.com/353946178085395/photos/a.353954938084519.1073741828.353946178085395/597371320409545/
www.facebook.com/OperationFanClubLaraFabian/photos/a.674006339373232.1073741828.673991206041412/702670556506810/
And the ‘Operation Fan Club’ site has produced a ‘Best of Lara’ January calendar page at
www.facebook.com/OperationFanClubLaraFabian/photos/a.704571132983419.1073741860.673991206041412/702672189839980/?type=1&theater
Now into that month, as expected Lara’s only media exposure this past holiday week was her appearance on the Russian TV show ‘Song of the Year’, performing “Love of Tired Swans” (the Russian version of the song with the same music as ‘Je t’aime encore’). While a video was available of it in advance for the last Update (the show was taped earlier in December), a better video (with improved aspect ratio) can be found at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3kQdfSICoU
Continuing with the Russian theme, the full video of the Krutoi gala concert from December was shown on Russian TV on January 3rd. It’s now also available on youtube, at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3Eptm_zJz4
It featured, in addition to Lara, Andrea Bocelli, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Sumi Jo, Yuri Bashmet, and Aida Garifullina, among others. Some nice pictures of the event can be seen on various sites, e.g.,
www.facebook.com/353946178085395/photos/pcb.599842383495772/599841893495821/
And – surprise of surprises – on January 8th, the Mademoiselle Zhivago film is being shown on Russia 1, as noted on:
www.facebook.com/353946178085395/photos/a.353954938084519.1073741828.353946178085395/599224773557533/
A discussion of the program, at russia.tv/brand/show/brand_id/58943 is translated below:
-----------------------------------------
The basis for this unusual project - a song written by Lara Fabian on music of Igor Krutoi in English, French, Spanish and Italian.
The film - interconnected stories, which take place in the XIX century and during the Second World War, in our time and in the distant future.
Lara Fabian performed the leading role in the film.
The shooting took place in the Ukraine, Egypt, France and other countries.
The film involved the famous Spanish ballet "Compania Suite Espanola".
Directed by: Alan Badoev Composer: Igor Krutoi Producer: Igor Krutoi
Cast: Lara Fabian, Alan Badoev Max Barsky, Igor Krutoi, Artem Muzichenko, Jan Liakhovich
--------------------------------------------
One imagines that this will be the version that Lara allowed to be released, available for viewing at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_vqPgn7WRE
If so, we know that it is not the whole film, while the write-up given above actually referred to the full project – the scene from the future is not included, for example, nor is it obvious that any filming outside of the Ukraine is presented. Fans’ reaction to its appearance was that, complete or not, it ‘was a lot better than nothing’, and Badoev said that the basic ideas were presented. Nevertheless, the underlying rationale for the connected stories, the overall perspective and framework that made it into a movie rather than a series of vignettes, has been left out. It does show how wonderful an actress Lara can be!
Next on Lara’s upcoming concert agenda is her participation in another Krutoi gala in Brooklyn on January 31st. An advertisement for that can be seen at:
www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/998018180213717/
As noted, on the program are Filipp Kirkorov, Kristina Orbakaite, Irina Allegrova and Valeriy Leontiev, Alsou, Lyme Vajkule, Nikolai Baskov, and Valeria. A video advertisement of it, including Lara, is available at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCRLjgD8ktI
We don’t know how much ‘stage-time’ Lara will have: closer to the 44 minutes of the two Krutoi galas in November, or the ~10 minutes of the show (linked above) from December. She is given the title "special guest", which might imply more numbers. The list of of singers for the December show and those indicated for the upcoming concert don’t help, as there is little or no overlap.
Other poster/articles for the upcoming spring concerts are available for:
Toronto 3/26
www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/998075026874699/
Holllywood, Florida 3/28
www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/998475516834650/
Stockholm, Sweden 4/20
www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/999775940037941/
Tallin, Estonia 4/22
www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/999767110038824/
Prague, 6/5
www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/999751766707025/
In most cases, the articles indicate that it is Lara’s first concert ever in that country/city (and in Toronto, though the article doesn’t say it, it will be her second concert, but the first singing many songs in English). Lara is willingly entering into new territory for her, in a career that is some 25 years old. The concert in Prague will be filmed for a ‘best of’ DVD, the first one that is specifically of that genre as well. The article repeats that the choice of this city was probably due to the wonderful response the audience provided to her recent appearance there.
Again, none of this involves Lara’s French speaking audience. A long article in ‘musique.ados.fr’ addressed the relevant question, why Lara is not appreciated in France, while her profile is growing elsewhere (http://musique.ados.fr/news/lara-fabian-mal-aimee-france-carriere_article300.html) (thanks to Lara Fabian Mexico for the link). Here’s the translation:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Lara Fabian: Why is she unpopular in France?
Since her sensational debut in the French musical sphere with the album Pure in 1996, driven by the hit "Tout", Lara Fabian has gradually fallen out of love of the French public. We will try to understand why this exceptional singer with a fabulous career, has an image out of step with her work.
Lara Fabian blurs the tracks the past 10 years
Lara is not really traceable. Belgian, Canadian, Sicilian heart by her mother, gifted polyglot, she now sings in many languages (English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish, Russian, Hebrew and Turkish lately), anywhere in the world. Her new audience is in Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, Serbia and Russia, where she connects tours. Since the release of her album 9, in 2005, Lara moves like a free electron in the music industry, and the French public, little curious, gets lost. Released by Pascal Negro (Universal Music) after the failure of the album ‘Tout les femmes en moi’, where she took up the French standards, Lara is now working with Warner and self-produced her last French record, Le Secret (2013). The rest is free time, and Lara, child of the world, has only one country: the music.
Perhaps it all started after an attempted breakthrough in the United States in 1999, that the French public, who had just adopted her, seems not to have forgiven her. An ambition too present, in parallel to the career of Celine Dion, that sounded wrong in the public mind. Lara, who suffered violent media attacks is injured, takes off and makes a long break with France.
It is in Eastern Europe, especially in Russia, she will now want to produce and that her career will experience a new boom. She sings to packed houses in Moscow, including the Kremlin and met Igor Krutoy, composer, with whom she recorded the album ‘Mademoiselle Zhivago’, superb disc multilingual (English, French, Italian, Russian and Spanish) to the Slavic soul. The record was released in 2010 in Russia and Ukraine, and has sold nearly 400,000 copies. It comes out in 2012 in France, Belgium, with no promotion, as an Ipanema label. Her latest single, an Anglo-Turkish duet with the artist Mustafa Ceceli, "Make me yours tonight , has just been promoted on her Facebook account and also recorded in full Turkish version.
Actress at heart and fan of musicals - she starred in the film De-Lovely in 2004 - she worked extensively on a musical project around the songs of the album Mademoiselle Zhivago , directed by Alan Badoev . Each of the eleven songs on the album is illustrated with a clip, which put together, tell the story of a woman, in eleven different times. But following an artistic disagreement with Badoev, the project was finally canceled. It remains today the accumulation of clips, which we invite you to discover below. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_vqPgn7WRE].
An artist calibrated for musical comedy?
Lara Fabian gives her heart and soul when she sings, committing 100% vocally, physically and emotionally. An unconventional way of understanding and interpreting the song, and not really tuned for France, where reserve is required.
How to have the right to express oneself so? Perhaps the musical ...
Lara Fabian loves Barbra Streisand, the actress and singer. She dreams of Yentl, a musical film whose songs are written by Michel Legrand and the film directed by Streisand herself in 1983. It includes the sublime titles "A piece of sky" and "Papa can you hear me", that she redoes on stage as a solitary pleasure [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS00yyUR-jU; note they use the Molson Centre version, which is actually sung more passionately than the one on her ‘Un Regard Neuf’ DVD]. As an anecdote, we propose to Lara a French film adaptation of Yentl ... that she refuses, thinking that it would not have been at the level of her artistic expectations.
For the rest, she has performed "Another Opening, Another Show" in the MGM film De-Lovely and sang "So in Love" from the musical Kiss Me, Kate. She has also served for two years as the godmother of AICOM, musical theater school in Paris, and played with students in an original musical, '1939' at Gymnasium Theatre, in 2011. Several musical projects have pointed the tip of their nose, such as the adaptation of 'Victor, Victoria', created by Julie Andrews - Lara agreed, but for production worries will not happen.
Last unspoken dream? Making the album ‘Le Secret’, released in 2013, an original Broadway show, Lara was deeply convinced of the theatrical dimension of this album.
But the page turns when undergoing a hearing shock that puts these projects on standby. And when she was asked in 2013 if she would star in a Hollywood blockbuster like 'Les Misérables' and take, for example, the role of Fantine ("I Dreamed a Dream", sung by Anne Hathaway in the movie) Lara, visionary, says she prefer to create her own original projects, more oriented towards the future.
The eternal comparison with Celine Dion
When "Tout" landed in France on the radio in 1996, everyone thinks they hear Celine Dion. The shock will be daunting when you discover the origin of the voice, broad, pure, flexible, without limit, with this outstanding musicality. Oh, it's not Celine Dion? No, it's Lara Fabian. Since the beginning, the name of Lara is linked to that of Celine, as a small deception. It started badly. Lara is unknown, becomes a star in the space of a few months but mismanages her contact with the media. Recognized for her talent, she has a negative image among the general public. Too ambitious, too first degree, too in need of recognition ... Physically ill at ease, unlike Celine, comfortable in her elongated figure, she remains in her shadow and the public still feels compelled to compare the two great French voices.
Irony of fate? They both present in 1988 at the Eurovision. Celine, 20, represents Switzerland with "Ne partez pas sans moi", a title calibrated for the contest, and Lara Fabian, 18, represents Luxembourg with the title "Croire", a ballad first degree on hope, the melody rather inefficient. It's Celine who won first prize and Lara Fabian arrives 4th.
But if Lara Fabian shouts from the rooftops her love and admiration for the interpreter of "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSWRrPjI2-0], Celine, she will not hesitate to launch some pikes at the one that bites into her terrain.
Fréquenstar 1998: When Laurent Boyer asks Celine Dion: "One confuses you in the street with Lara Fabian?" she replies "Too bad for me", with a mocking laugh falsely retained by a semi-guilt. It seems that Céline does not carry Lara in her heart. For her part, Lara wrote a letter to Celine Dion at the release of 'Toutes les femmes en moi', which Céline has not yet answered ... Not really what reconciles the two singers in the eyes of the general public.
Leaving the play of competition, it is important to recall that Lara, she writes her texts since her inception, and choses the composers with whom she wants to work, offering to the public, each time, a coherent album, in line with her aspirations of life at the moment. Celine and her exceptional voice, they do not always convey a true personal message, even if they are tailor-made songs written by the best songwriters in the world. Two different ways of understanding their work. And on this point, Lara marks a significant issue.
The myth of "gueularde" (loudmouth) still too present in France
We can say that there was a before and after “Je t'aime”. Since the release of the title, the myth of the "gueularde" manufactured by TV reporters, was born. Lara Fabian deeply offended by the mockery, had a depression she did not emerge from unscathed, even believing she lost her voice, and put a necessary distance with France.
Despite the admiration of her fans, she will seek, relentlessly, a new way of using her voice. A quest which will make her evolve as an artist, developing a new way of singing, more air. In order not to offend the public's ears?
An author underestimated
Since her beginnings, Lara Fabian writes her texts in several languages, mainly English and French, and even sometimes the music for her songs. She has also written songs for others, like Chimene Badi or Daniel Levi. One remembers especially "Broken Vow", performed by Josh Groban, but also “Tue es mon autre" where she sings a memorable duet with Maurane.
We also like the wispy texts of the album “Le Secret” (2013). Lara Fabian addresses there with depth and delicacy topics such as rape on "Le Secret” (see the lyrics at musique.ados.fr/Lara-Fabian/Le-Secret-t9617.html), eating disorders on “Amourexique" (see the lyrics at musique.ados.fr/Lara-Fabian/Amourexique-t7307.html ), or homosexuality on "Deux ils, deux elles", which surpasses her first essay on the same subject with "La difference", 20 years earlier .
An album on which she expresses her reconciliation with her body. Lara finally feels in tune with herself, body and soul. A release that may perhaps give the French public better access to this exceptional singer.
[Lara Fabian on the show La Parenthèse Inattendue (March 2014) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y-lK8y6ZKQ)]
---------------------------------------------------------
[And the comparison with Celine still goes on. The ‘Lara Fabian Mexico’ site notes that on the Pure Charts (https://www.facebook.com/chartsinfrance/photos/a.188600654507516.46350.105857272781855/900070360027205/?type=1&fref=nf) there is a poll asking which album is preferred, 15 years after release, Lara’s “Pure” or Celine’s “S’il suffisait d’aimer”. Lara’s fans express love for her; Celine’s fans not only prefer her release, but express disdain for Lara (while other answers indicate people prefer other singers, e.g., Helene Segara or Julie Zenatti)].
This is one of the best articles that has been written concerning Lara’s relationship with the French public. Unfortunately, ‘Le Secret’ has not changed anything, and Lara continues to look and perform elsewhere. A relevant title here is the Joni Mitchell song ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ with the line, ‘You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone…’
David
www.facebook.com/StarpointCorporation/photos/a.210730925728421.54663.201915099943337/575972329204277/.
They are promoting Lara in the February San Remo Italy competition (https://www.facebook.com/StarpointCorporation). Lara is currently in 6th place in the fan popularity voting preceding the competition
(https://www.facebook.com/sanremo2015.65/photos/a.407103362791212.1073741830.400252740142941/410865052415043/). Fan voting will play a role in the final result, after the competition is held.
In the same vein, many of the fan sites offered holiday wishes also, to Lara or their readers. Here are some examples:
www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/990349987647203/
www.facebook.com/382393522416/photos/a.398533517416.164839.382393522416/10152937054002417/
www.facebook.com/laraczechpage/photos/a.200734066700242.44466.183951155045200/730694563704187/
www.facebook.com/LaraFabianUKFans/photos/a.1423269811253407.1073741832.1419686111611777/1543304922583228/
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=689845981136982&set=p.689845981136982&type=1&theater
www.facebook.com/LaraFabianTheVoiceOfPassion/photos/a.722339551114856.1073741831.720473304634814/1067482116600596/
www.facebook.com/353946178085395/photos/a.353954938084519.1073741828.353946178085395/597371320409545/
www.facebook.com/OperationFanClubLaraFabian/photos/a.674006339373232.1073741828.673991206041412/702670556506810/
And the ‘Operation Fan Club’ site has produced a ‘Best of Lara’ January calendar page at
www.facebook.com/OperationFanClubLaraFabian/photos/a.704571132983419.1073741860.673991206041412/702672189839980/?type=1&theater
Now into that month, as expected Lara’s only media exposure this past holiday week was her appearance on the Russian TV show ‘Song of the Year’, performing “Love of Tired Swans” (the Russian version of the song with the same music as ‘Je t’aime encore’). While a video was available of it in advance for the last Update (the show was taped earlier in December), a better video (with improved aspect ratio) can be found at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3kQdfSICoU
Continuing with the Russian theme, the full video of the Krutoi gala concert from December was shown on Russian TV on January 3rd. It’s now also available on youtube, at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3Eptm_zJz4
It featured, in addition to Lara, Andrea Bocelli, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Sumi Jo, Yuri Bashmet, and Aida Garifullina, among others. Some nice pictures of the event can be seen on various sites, e.g.,
www.facebook.com/353946178085395/photos/pcb.599842383495772/599841893495821/
And – surprise of surprises – on January 8th, the Mademoiselle Zhivago film is being shown on Russia 1, as noted on:
www.facebook.com/353946178085395/photos/a.353954938084519.1073741828.353946178085395/599224773557533/
A discussion of the program, at russia.tv/brand/show/brand_id/58943 is translated below:
-----------------------------------------
The basis for this unusual project - a song written by Lara Fabian on music of Igor Krutoi in English, French, Spanish and Italian.
The film - interconnected stories, which take place in the XIX century and during the Second World War, in our time and in the distant future.
Lara Fabian performed the leading role in the film.
The shooting took place in the Ukraine, Egypt, France and other countries.
The film involved the famous Spanish ballet "Compania Suite Espanola".
Directed by: Alan Badoev Composer: Igor Krutoi Producer: Igor Krutoi
Cast: Lara Fabian, Alan Badoev Max Barsky, Igor Krutoi, Artem Muzichenko, Jan Liakhovich
--------------------------------------------
One imagines that this will be the version that Lara allowed to be released, available for viewing at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_vqPgn7WRE
If so, we know that it is not the whole film, while the write-up given above actually referred to the full project – the scene from the future is not included, for example, nor is it obvious that any filming outside of the Ukraine is presented. Fans’ reaction to its appearance was that, complete or not, it ‘was a lot better than nothing’, and Badoev said that the basic ideas were presented. Nevertheless, the underlying rationale for the connected stories, the overall perspective and framework that made it into a movie rather than a series of vignettes, has been left out. It does show how wonderful an actress Lara can be!
Next on Lara’s upcoming concert agenda is her participation in another Krutoi gala in Brooklyn on January 31st. An advertisement for that can be seen at:
www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/998018180213717/
As noted, on the program are Filipp Kirkorov, Kristina Orbakaite, Irina Allegrova and Valeriy Leontiev, Alsou, Lyme Vajkule, Nikolai Baskov, and Valeria. A video advertisement of it, including Lara, is available at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCRLjgD8ktI
We don’t know how much ‘stage-time’ Lara will have: closer to the 44 minutes of the two Krutoi galas in November, or the ~10 minutes of the show (linked above) from December. She is given the title "special guest", which might imply more numbers. The list of of singers for the December show and those indicated for the upcoming concert don’t help, as there is little or no overlap.
Other poster/articles for the upcoming spring concerts are available for:
Toronto 3/26
www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/998075026874699/
Holllywood, Florida 3/28
www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/998475516834650/
Stockholm, Sweden 4/20
www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/999775940037941/
Tallin, Estonia 4/22
www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/999767110038824/
Prague, 6/5
www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/999751766707025/
In most cases, the articles indicate that it is Lara’s first concert ever in that country/city (and in Toronto, though the article doesn’t say it, it will be her second concert, but the first singing many songs in English). Lara is willingly entering into new territory for her, in a career that is some 25 years old. The concert in Prague will be filmed for a ‘best of’ DVD, the first one that is specifically of that genre as well. The article repeats that the choice of this city was probably due to the wonderful response the audience provided to her recent appearance there.
Again, none of this involves Lara’s French speaking audience. A long article in ‘musique.ados.fr’ addressed the relevant question, why Lara is not appreciated in France, while her profile is growing elsewhere (http://musique.ados.fr/news/lara-fabian-mal-aimee-france-carriere_article300.html) (thanks to Lara Fabian Mexico for the link). Here’s the translation:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Lara Fabian: Why is she unpopular in France?
Since her sensational debut in the French musical sphere with the album Pure in 1996, driven by the hit "Tout", Lara Fabian has gradually fallen out of love of the French public. We will try to understand why this exceptional singer with a fabulous career, has an image out of step with her work.
Lara Fabian blurs the tracks the past 10 years
Lara is not really traceable. Belgian, Canadian, Sicilian heart by her mother, gifted polyglot, she now sings in many languages (English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish, Russian, Hebrew and Turkish lately), anywhere in the world. Her new audience is in Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, Serbia and Russia, where she connects tours. Since the release of her album 9, in 2005, Lara moves like a free electron in the music industry, and the French public, little curious, gets lost. Released by Pascal Negro (Universal Music) after the failure of the album ‘Tout les femmes en moi’, where she took up the French standards, Lara is now working with Warner and self-produced her last French record, Le Secret (2013). The rest is free time, and Lara, child of the world, has only one country: the music.
Perhaps it all started after an attempted breakthrough in the United States in 1999, that the French public, who had just adopted her, seems not to have forgiven her. An ambition too present, in parallel to the career of Celine Dion, that sounded wrong in the public mind. Lara, who suffered violent media attacks is injured, takes off and makes a long break with France.
It is in Eastern Europe, especially in Russia, she will now want to produce and that her career will experience a new boom. She sings to packed houses in Moscow, including the Kremlin and met Igor Krutoy, composer, with whom she recorded the album ‘Mademoiselle Zhivago’, superb disc multilingual (English, French, Italian, Russian and Spanish) to the Slavic soul. The record was released in 2010 in Russia and Ukraine, and has sold nearly 400,000 copies. It comes out in 2012 in France, Belgium, with no promotion, as an Ipanema label. Her latest single, an Anglo-Turkish duet with the artist Mustafa Ceceli, "Make me yours tonight , has just been promoted on her Facebook account and also recorded in full Turkish version.
Actress at heart and fan of musicals - she starred in the film De-Lovely in 2004 - she worked extensively on a musical project around the songs of the album Mademoiselle Zhivago , directed by Alan Badoev . Each of the eleven songs on the album is illustrated with a clip, which put together, tell the story of a woman, in eleven different times. But following an artistic disagreement with Badoev, the project was finally canceled. It remains today the accumulation of clips, which we invite you to discover below. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_vqPgn7WRE].
An artist calibrated for musical comedy?
Lara Fabian gives her heart and soul when she sings, committing 100% vocally, physically and emotionally. An unconventional way of understanding and interpreting the song, and not really tuned for France, where reserve is required.
How to have the right to express oneself so? Perhaps the musical ...
Lara Fabian loves Barbra Streisand, the actress and singer. She dreams of Yentl, a musical film whose songs are written by Michel Legrand and the film directed by Streisand herself in 1983. It includes the sublime titles "A piece of sky" and "Papa can you hear me", that she redoes on stage as a solitary pleasure [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS00yyUR-jU; note they use the Molson Centre version, which is actually sung more passionately than the one on her ‘Un Regard Neuf’ DVD]. As an anecdote, we propose to Lara a French film adaptation of Yentl ... that she refuses, thinking that it would not have been at the level of her artistic expectations.
For the rest, she has performed "Another Opening, Another Show" in the MGM film De-Lovely and sang "So in Love" from the musical Kiss Me, Kate. She has also served for two years as the godmother of AICOM, musical theater school in Paris, and played with students in an original musical, '1939' at Gymnasium Theatre, in 2011. Several musical projects have pointed the tip of their nose, such as the adaptation of 'Victor, Victoria', created by Julie Andrews - Lara agreed, but for production worries will not happen.
Last unspoken dream? Making the album ‘Le Secret’, released in 2013, an original Broadway show, Lara was deeply convinced of the theatrical dimension of this album.
But the page turns when undergoing a hearing shock that puts these projects on standby. And when she was asked in 2013 if she would star in a Hollywood blockbuster like 'Les Misérables' and take, for example, the role of Fantine ("I Dreamed a Dream", sung by Anne Hathaway in the movie) Lara, visionary, says she prefer to create her own original projects, more oriented towards the future.
The eternal comparison with Celine Dion
When "Tout" landed in France on the radio in 1996, everyone thinks they hear Celine Dion. The shock will be daunting when you discover the origin of the voice, broad, pure, flexible, without limit, with this outstanding musicality. Oh, it's not Celine Dion? No, it's Lara Fabian. Since the beginning, the name of Lara is linked to that of Celine, as a small deception. It started badly. Lara is unknown, becomes a star in the space of a few months but mismanages her contact with the media. Recognized for her talent, she has a negative image among the general public. Too ambitious, too first degree, too in need of recognition ... Physically ill at ease, unlike Celine, comfortable in her elongated figure, she remains in her shadow and the public still feels compelled to compare the two great French voices.
Irony of fate? They both present in 1988 at the Eurovision. Celine, 20, represents Switzerland with "Ne partez pas sans moi", a title calibrated for the contest, and Lara Fabian, 18, represents Luxembourg with the title "Croire", a ballad first degree on hope, the melody rather inefficient. It's Celine who won first prize and Lara Fabian arrives 4th.
But if Lara Fabian shouts from the rooftops her love and admiration for the interpreter of "Pour que tu m'aimes encore" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSWRrPjI2-0], Celine, she will not hesitate to launch some pikes at the one that bites into her terrain.
Fréquenstar 1998: When Laurent Boyer asks Celine Dion: "One confuses you in the street with Lara Fabian?" she replies "Too bad for me", with a mocking laugh falsely retained by a semi-guilt. It seems that Céline does not carry Lara in her heart. For her part, Lara wrote a letter to Celine Dion at the release of 'Toutes les femmes en moi', which Céline has not yet answered ... Not really what reconciles the two singers in the eyes of the general public.
Leaving the play of competition, it is important to recall that Lara, she writes her texts since her inception, and choses the composers with whom she wants to work, offering to the public, each time, a coherent album, in line with her aspirations of life at the moment. Celine and her exceptional voice, they do not always convey a true personal message, even if they are tailor-made songs written by the best songwriters in the world. Two different ways of understanding their work. And on this point, Lara marks a significant issue.
The myth of "gueularde" (loudmouth) still too present in France
We can say that there was a before and after “Je t'aime”. Since the release of the title, the myth of the "gueularde" manufactured by TV reporters, was born. Lara Fabian deeply offended by the mockery, had a depression she did not emerge from unscathed, even believing she lost her voice, and put a necessary distance with France.
Despite the admiration of her fans, she will seek, relentlessly, a new way of using her voice. A quest which will make her evolve as an artist, developing a new way of singing, more air. In order not to offend the public's ears?
An author underestimated
Since her beginnings, Lara Fabian writes her texts in several languages, mainly English and French, and even sometimes the music for her songs. She has also written songs for others, like Chimene Badi or Daniel Levi. One remembers especially "Broken Vow", performed by Josh Groban, but also “Tue es mon autre" where she sings a memorable duet with Maurane.
We also like the wispy texts of the album “Le Secret” (2013). Lara Fabian addresses there with depth and delicacy topics such as rape on "Le Secret” (see the lyrics at musique.ados.fr/Lara-Fabian/Le-Secret-t9617.html), eating disorders on “Amourexique" (see the lyrics at musique.ados.fr/Lara-Fabian/Amourexique-t7307.html ), or homosexuality on "Deux ils, deux elles", which surpasses her first essay on the same subject with "La difference", 20 years earlier .
An album on which she expresses her reconciliation with her body. Lara finally feels in tune with herself, body and soul. A release that may perhaps give the French public better access to this exceptional singer.
[Lara Fabian on the show La Parenthèse Inattendue (March 2014) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y-lK8y6ZKQ)]
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[And the comparison with Celine still goes on. The ‘Lara Fabian Mexico’ site notes that on the Pure Charts (https://www.facebook.com/chartsinfrance/photos/a.188600654507516.46350.105857272781855/900070360027205/?type=1&fref=nf) there is a poll asking which album is preferred, 15 years after release, Lara’s “Pure” or Celine’s “S’il suffisait d’aimer”. Lara’s fans express love for her; Celine’s fans not only prefer her release, but express disdain for Lara (while other answers indicate people prefer other singers, e.g., Helene Segara or Julie Zenatti)].
This is one of the best articles that has been written concerning Lara’s relationship with the French public. Unfortunately, ‘Le Secret’ has not changed anything, and Lara continues to look and perform elsewhere. A relevant title here is the Joni Mitchell song ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ with the line, ‘You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone…’
David
