Post by davidhr on Jun 23, 2015 8:13:28 GMT -5
Lara continued in her promotional mode this past week, with one of the main items being her appearance on ‘Fete de la musique’, broadcast from Nice. She performed two numbers, the first her new single, ‘Quand je ne chante pas’, available for viewing at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQaDGDhEZR0
A video was also made available of Lara’s rehearsal of it, at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs69gxAACN8
If one compares the rehearsal with the actual TV show version, one can hear that they sound exactly the same…indicative of the fact that in both cases Lara was lip-synching the song (perhaps explaining her carrying of her handbag during the rehearsal, knowing that true vocal effort was not required – although she carried it for the second song in rehearsal as well). Some of Lara’s fans decried this occurrence, emphasizing that other songs on the show were not performed that way. However, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. For about the last decade, whenever Lara has introduced a new song on TV, it is almost always presented in this fashion (after her not having done that earlier in her career). Her explanation, to the extent she has given one, is that she wants people’s first interaction with the song to be as positive as possible, and so she wants them to hear the studio sound. [This is also Krutoi’s point of view, which helps explain why when Lara is on his TV shows in Russia, she generally lip-synchs there as well]. The latest examples for her before this were all the times ‘Deux ils, deux elles” was lip-synched on TV; when she finally did it live, people were surprised how well she could really sing it, illustrating that that wasn’t actually the problem after all. Presumably the same will be true here, at least for the shows in which she’s allowed to do it.
Lara’s other vocal was on an ‘Italian Medley”, with V. Niclo, B. Giabiconi and G. Lenorman , which can be seen at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=P39lprCXnF8
(also at www.dailymotion.com/video/x2ur874_l-fabian-v-niclo-b-giabiconi-g-lenorman-medley-italie-la-fete-de-la-musique-2015_music?start=15).
The rehearsal for the portion with Baptiste Giabiconi can be seen at:
www.youtube.com/watch?t=39&v=ZhLYvolulhc
and with Vincent Niclo (for La Solitudine)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNzSqexV9N4
The rehearsal vocals are clearly different from the TV show’s version, as Lara and all the others were really singing live. She was in good voice (although perhaps not at her absolute best), again suggesting it would have been sufficient to sing her single had she wanted to. Especially appealing was that we get a chance to hear another performance of ‘La Solitudine’, even if somewhat abbreviated .
There was also an interview from Nice on a France 3 news show, available on youtube at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4ujxqhyrpA&feature=youtu.be
Billed as ‘The Return of Lara Fabian” (a title that has gotten general usage), it served as a nice advertisement for her (and her Italian roots) in the beautiful setting by the sea.
There were some nice pictures of Lara with various people at the site, including the performer/singer Virginie Lesdemia (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10207248545355642&set=gm.869245076489193&type=1&theater); with the mezzo-soprano Sophie Thiam (one of the two singers in the chorus) (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153449595138258&set=a.10151468443598258.1073741825.699338257&type=1&theater); with Baptise Giabiconi (https://www.facebook.com/BaptisteGiabiconiOfficiel/photos/a.386259757955.168032.287649007955/10153042385302956/?type=1&theater); and with Vincent Nico (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1651842855032476&set=a.1556440014572761.1073741827.100006203327465&type=1&theater)
Lara put her own photo on Instagram,
with the caption, “To all!!! Kisses from Nice!!!” (She has a few other photos from there on her Instagram site).
On the radio show “Laissez-vous tenter” on RTL, Lara’s now song was presented, along with some of her commentary; one can see a video of the studio at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhWqB1N3qgA
This ‘song of summer’ seemed to get a good reception.
The new single was also featured on the show “Allo les stars” on France Bleu, with Thierry Garcia providing the “humor” (and the quotation marks are appropriate).
Opération Fan Club Lara Fabian provided a video of some 4 and half minutes, visible at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPFTrBzw9Zg
It’s amazing how often Lara has to put up with occurrences such as this; has that ever happened to Barbra Streisand (and would she sit there acting as if she wasn’t bothered)?
As noted in the previous thread, Lara won the contest for her song to be broadcast on the show “Stop ou encore” over the weekend. An article concerning her appeared in the RTL website (http://www.rtl.fr/culture/arts-spectacles/le-retour-de-lara-fabian-dans-le-stop-ou-encore-7778805309); here is the translation:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The return of Lara Fabian in Stop ou Encore
Vincent Perrot proposes for you the new song of Lara Fabian and you can win this morning the boxed set “Beach Party” of Georges Lang by telephoning on 3210.
Two years after Le Secret, Lara Fabian is back. More than a return it is a rebirth. A year and a half ago, Lara Fabian canceled all her professional commitments. She stopped her tour sharp. The cause? An incident during the recording of a TV show, during which she took 1,000 hertz in the ears. The pain caused her to fall to the ground. The result is clear: she must put her career on pause. This event is the starting point of the next album of Lara Fabian titled “Ma vie dans la tienne” (release November 2015).
"I had a sudden and total deafness. I heard no more. Today it is just a bad memory."
Lara Fabian
Lara Fabian returns with a new record label, new artistic team of Elodie Hesme and David Gategno and new desires.
First single from the album, “Quand je ne chante pas” - Lara Fabian
" Quand je ne chante pas " a song born from the difficult period that forced Lara Fabian to rest and an opportunity for her to focus on herself and embrace the world.
When I can not sing / I’m connected to the Earth / Even if the sky laughs at me / Singing is all I know to do/, Lara Fabian confides, telling us about her daily life on a pop melody with piano signed by David Gategno .
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The single is currently #104 on the iTunes chart in France (after being as high as 10th). It’s entered the Belgian ‘ultratip’ (Francophone) singles chart at #39 this week. According to Nicolas Boucaud on the MZ FB site, it is 139th on airplay in France, and 25th on France Bleu. Some of these numbers may well improve as more people/radio stations become familiar with it.
This weekend Lara will be on the 20th anniversary of ‘Les enfants de la télé (http://television.telerama.fr/tele/autre/les-enfants-de-la-tele,3851162,emission94091105.php). The show on TF1 will feature many guests (e.g., Anthony Kavanagh, Hélène Ségara, Pascal Obispo, Christophe Willem, et al.) celebrating their 20 years on the air – so they began not far from the time Lara returned to France as a performer. Her history in music in France thus runs parallel to theirs, and she has been on the show numerous times. One imagines she may ‘perform’ (in whatever fashion) the new single, but there may be a trip down memory lane, as the advertisement for the show indicates that, “On the menu of the broadcast: 20 years of stars, the 20 years of joys, emotions and excesses, the babble of 20 years, 20 years of delusions, 20 years of music, and the 20th anniversary of the famous casseroles."
In another notable news items, Lara indicated on her FB site that the number of cinemas that will be showing her DVD of the Concert in Prague has increased from 55 to 71 in France, as in addition to CGR theatres it is now to be playing in Kinepolis multiplexes throughout the country. She says (in translation), “To help you to follow the evolution in real time, this link allows you to view the interactive map with the establishment of the cinemas partners.”
www.cotediffusion.fr/programmation/lara-fabian
If one goes to the link and clicks on ‘cinemas’, one can see that there is certainly a healthy distribution throughout France, and even some theaters in Belgium (Kinepolis is actually a Belgian chain). The text under “information” reads (in translation):
----------------------------------------------------
On November 6, 2015 will be the only date to attend in your movie theatre this exclusive concert "best-of unplugged". This capturing(12 cameras) in Prague in the sublime and new hall of the Karlin Forum (2,000 seats, opened in 2014) puts an end to a successful international tour. Lara (for whom) there are diamond disks, platinum and gold for a total of 32 million albums sold worldwide, more than 10 songs ranked in the top 10 in our country. A few figures are [and then the previous numbers are repeated – not sure whether that is intentional or not. Also not sure where those numbers come from – they’re certainly larger than any we’ve seen previously].
---------------------------------------------------
So, far from assuming that this concert was mainly for ‘foreigners’, in whose countries Lara actually gave the ‘best of-unplugged’ tour, it now seems as if there really will be a big push to have it available for the French public. As noted last week, this is on the same day that the new album is scheduled to be released. One supposes Lara will be in the media promoting that, and could then also reference the movie at the same time (or the reverse!). Let’s hope this ‘big splash’ is provided with some coherency, so that the two events don’t destructively interfere. Presumably the DVD will be released some time later – one wouldn’t want to diminish the novelty of the movie – maybe in time for the year end holidays.
Another item this past week, in this case one of ‘notoriety’, concerns Lara’s announcement the previous week that she will be giving a concert July 9th in northern Cyprus (e.g., www.bandsintown.com/event/10123649?artist=Lara+Fabian&came_from=127). On what seems like a regular basis, Lara gets mired in controversy, sometimes of a political nature, Apparently this year, it is this one. An article (in English) providing the essence of the issue can be found at: (https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/LARA_FABIAN_singer_Protesting_against_Lara_Fabians_concert_on_July_9th_at_the_ancient_Greek_t/edit). For completeness, here’s what it says:
-------------------------------------------------------
Protesting against Lara Fabian's concert on July 9th in the Northern part of Cyprus occupied by the Turks (since 1974)!
Why this is important
The concert will be held at the ancient Theater of Salamis stolen from the Greek Cypriots in 1974 (after the Turkish invasion of Northern Cyprus). Moreover, the concert is organized by an illegal state the so called "TRNC" (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) which is not recognized by the United Nations and no other country in the world apart from Turkey. Therefore, it is illegal to conduct business in the Northern part of Cyprus occupied by Turks.
The concert is a severe disrespectful action against Cypriot people and is an indirect recognition of the "TRNC" as a legitimate political entity!
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And a longer article (thanks to larafabianweb.com for the link) (http://www.eurovisionary.com/lara-fabians-announcement-of-northern-cyprus-concert-creates-controversy/):
-----------------------------------------------------
Lara Fabian’s announcement of Northern Cyprus concert creates controversy
Theo Vatmanidis / 21st June 2015 at 02:14 / Concert / Cyprus, Luxembourg
Lara Fabian
Lara Fabian recently announced a concert in Famagusta, attracting criticism from fans who consider that such events legitimize the Turkish ‘occupation’ of northern Cyprus. Artists such as Julio Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake and Rihanna have previously found themselves embroiled in similar controversy and had to pull out from performing in the region.
Contents
1 Lara Fabian’s Famagusta concert announcement and current controversy
2 Past controversies
3 Evridiki’s position on the matter
Lara Fabian’s Famagusta concert announcement and current controversy
Lara Fabian represented Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest of 1988 with her entry Croire (Trust). Despite the contest famously being won by a young Celine Dion representing Switzerland, Fabian secured a respectable fourth place for Luxembourg and Croire achieved considerable commercial success around Europe. The Brussels born artist, whose hits include 1994’s Je Suis Malade (I am sick) and 1996’s Je T’aime (I love you), allegedly went on to sell 32 million records worldwide thus becoming the best selling Belgian female artist of all time.
Last Thursday, Fabian announced on her official Facebook page her planned Famagusta concert. The event is scheduled to take place on 9th July in the Ancient Greek theatre of Salamis and will be part of Northern Cyprus’ 19th International Art & Culture Festival. Local media present the event as ‘intended to make Northern Cyprus the centre of culture and art in the Mediterranean region’ with artists such as Germany-based 1970’s disco group Boney M, Sarajevo born musician Goran Bregović (composer for Serbia 2010, 13th place) and ESC winner Sertab Erener (Turkey 2003) having taken part in the past.
Fabian’s announcement was met with (often caustic) criticism by her Greek Cypriot fans on the artist’s Facebook page. Critics seem to perceive such events as an indirect, yet intentional, attempt by the local Turkish establishment to promote the Northern part of Cyprus as a legitimate political entity (internationally, it is only Turkey that recognizes the region as a separate Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) and thus legitimize the 1974 Turkish military invasion of the island.
Past controversies
It is not known whether Lara Fabian was fully aware of how sensitive the issue is in Cyprus but she is definitely not the first artist to be caught up in such political controversy regarding the northern part of the island. In 2010, R&B Barbadian sensation Rihanna pulled out from performing in Northern Cyprus after a series of Greek Cypriot protests online. The event occurred within weeks of another global star, Latin diva Jennifer Lopez, canceling a scheduled performance in the region (after Greek Cypriot protests, Lopez allegedly consulted U.S. senator Robert Menendez on the issue and consequently accused Northern Cyprus of human rights violations whilst later apologizing for any angst that her decision may have caused to her Turkish Cypriot fans).
Perhaps the most notable case was that of Spanish singer Julio Iglesias. The internationally famous star, who represented his country in Eurovision early in his career (Spain 1970, 4th place), sued the Turkish authorities in Northern Cyprus as well as the owners of the hotel he was scheduled to perform at back in 2012 claiming that he had been mislead by them in regards to the legitimacy of the venture – under Republic of Cyprus law, it is illegal to conduct business in the northern, Turkish-controlled part of the island. Iglesias’ lawsuit had come as a result of him being sued by the hotel owners for his cancellation and was later dismissed by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on the grounds of the court lacking ‘subject-matter jurisdiction to hear the case’.
Other artists have taken a cooler approach to the issue of Northern Cyprus’ legitimacy. Deep Purple lead singer Ian Gillan had supported his group’s decision to perform in Northern Cyprus last year: ‘I certainly do not want to get involved in one side or the other, it’s a historical disagreement and because of all this I have read a lot of the history, but I’m not going to comment on that’. ‘We are musicians and hopefully music is an uplifting thing and so will act as a positive force, that’s all I hope for – I don’t wish to interfere in anyone’s affairs and I don’t wish also for any offence to be taken where none is intended (…) I see hope always, I’m an optimist – I always see the reaching out of hands. In terms of the balance of whether it will do more harm than good, I don’t think it will,’ was Gillan’s justification.
Evridiki’s position on the matter
Along with fan criticism, there were also reactions from Lara Fabian’s fellow artists. Greek Cypriot singer Evridiki (Cyprus 1991, 1994 and 2007 – respectively, 11th place, 11th place, failed to qualify to the final) expressed her dissatisfaction towards Fabian’s decision with a post on her personal page on Facebook. A translation of Evridiki’s message reads as follows: ‘there is no need for me to repeat myself… music is something magical, it speaks a universal language and soothes human souls… unites them… but there are also some things which we should know about so that we do not cross boundaries that we ought to respect. When human rights have been infringed for decades, when a country is divided and still, after 41 years half of it remains occupied with the invader carrying on provoking, threatening, terrorizing… No matter how much we all want a solution, no matter how we long to embrace our fellow human beings – our fellow citizens, to look into their eyes with love and to shake hands, this is not possible to happen if the Turkish army and Turkey do not pull out from Cyprus. Let someone explain to Ms Fabian that Cyprus is under occupation. That by singing in the pseudo-state she supports the invaders-murderers and recognizes it (i.e. the ‘pseudo-state’). She becomes part of a well planned policy that the Turks are using in order to exert pressure for the recognition of the pseudo-state (i.e. by the international community). Although I think that even in this case what (really) matters is the wallet… What a shame.’
At the time of writing this article, Lara Fabian had made no comments about the reactions she received to her upcoming Famagusta performance.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
On the other end of the spectrum, an article from a Turkish site
(http://www.taraf.com.tr/kultur-ve-sanat/lara-fabian-surprizlerle-geliyor/) not surprisingly applauds the upcoming show, and provides an interview with Lara about it. Here’s the (approximate) translation:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Lara Fabian comes with surprises
June 18, 2015 00:00 Category: Culture and Art
With a brand new album which will be released after a long hiatus, November 6 2015, “Ma vie dans la tienne”, preceded by the new single 'Quand je ne chante pas' and prepared to meet with the audience, "The World's Best Selling Belgian Artist" award-winning star Lara Fabian, takes the stage at the Culture and Art Festival. Fabian sings in many different languages like Spanish, Russian, French, German, English and on 9 July, for the first time in the TRNC , she will be on the festival stage. From France and Canada, the best-selling female artist Lara Fabian, made a surprise duet with Mustafa Ceceli, "Make Me Yours Tonight", that entered the charts in France. She is one of the most popular female singers throughout Europe, world famous like Madonna, Cher and Mariah Carey, known for her interpretation of "Adagio" which has become a legend. Before Fabian’s concert in Northern Cyprus, we talked with the young woman about her song recorded with Mustafa Ceceli, and the calendar.
The recent duet with Mustafa Ceceli went well; did your fans like the songs?
LF: It was a great job. My fans all over the world loved it too. You got to see their reactions when I sing in concert! In addition, "Make Me Yours Tonight" in France also went to the dance list.
Your famous song "La Difference" became an anthem against homophobia; well, did you make the gay festival scene?
LF: No, but at festivals and various manifestos "La Difference" was used in abundance.
"Mademoiselle Zhivago" in cooperation with Russian composer Igor Krutoy was a project that has been toured in almost all Eastern and Northern Europe; can we say that you have won many new fans thanks to the project?
LF: Absolutely, and also I'm full of thanks for the project.
As far as I know, you do not drink and do not smoke; would you not love to come out and dance the night well?
LF: No, I prefer cinema and a nice restaurant ... I love to dance, but in a much more private environment ...
19th International Famagusta Culture and Art Festival will be on stage on July 9; Will you have a new album ready for the festivities?
LF: The new album will be on the market after the long French break [for summer] in the fall. The first single 'Quand je ne chante pas” is ready. I will do a surprise on the festival stage. We will probably bring the album on November 6 ...
Cenk Erdem
------------------------------------------
The Lara Fabian Turkey site published the following supportive statement (in translation): "Unfortunately, some fanatics have started a campaign against Lara's concert in northern Cyprus. Racist distortions following the announcement have been made with hatred to get Lara to cancel this concert. Those following our page, Lara 'the peace-loving Cypriot, Greek and Turkish fans, their voices must be heard, that politics should have nothing to do with this concert, we ask you to show your support with your comments below this notice in Lara's page. Please, come to the game of fanatics, without entering into political debate, in a respectful way to say that Lara 's got to go with this beautiful concert .. .”Music stands against violent rhetoric, love and peace .. "
And then in a comment Lara Fabian Turkey put on several of Lara’s French fan sites (in translation): “This concert is part of a respected festival, organized by a Cypriot Cultural Association .. Some other artists before Lara, such as Jose Carreras, Cesaria Evora, Pink Martini, Deep Purple, Anastacia, Yasmin Levy, Boney M, Loreena Mc Kennitt participated in this festival; J.Lopez Julio.Iglesias, it was another organization, not even a Famagusta, for the opening of an illegal casino, that is why that was canceled .. (there has never been a question or Timberlake or Rihanna, it's just false rumors, Cyprus s too small for them). It is a cultural event, and many Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriots have already bought tickets to hear Lara together ..; .this concert brings closer the two communities, who are trying to build a common future. The conflict, it is the past .. We must stop mixing Lara in politics and ignore the voices of hate .. Music, Peace and Love ..”
This controversy obviously puts Lara in a difficult position; she has been pursuing a Turkish audience, yet she does not want to offend Greek fans or the international community. Every time one of these contretemps arises, the question is whether Lara was oblivious to the possible political controversy, or decided to proceed purposely in spite of it. [And if it is the former, where was her management team?…another often asked question when her controversies arise]. Lara has often seemed politically naïve – with the Uzbekistan problem several years ago, she said she hadn’t realized that the dictator’s family was running the concert, and used that as an excuse to back out. She did say, however, that she would continue to appear at concerts in countries that were repressive as long as the shows were not directly associated with the governing regime. She felt that music is a unifying force (similar to the argument that Ian Gillan of Deep Purple made), and that people in some of those places had little joy in their life - if she could provide them with music, so much the better. The counterargument made at the time was that the concerts tend to be so expensive that only the well-to-do, invariably connected to the government, could afford to attend them. Lara would like to ignore all that, and just sing to the people. Unfortunately, political brouhahas occasionally intervene.
In other news, Rudy Perez on his website at (http://rudynow.com/no-pude-faltar-al-maravilloso-concierto-de-una-de-mis-cantantes-favoritas-de-todos-los-tiempos-la-gran-lara-fabian/photo-blog/no-pude-faltar-al-maravilloso-concierto-de-una-de-mis-cantantes-favoritas-de-todos-los-tiempos-la-gran-lara-fabian) had the following statement:
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“Although I was very tired after our celebrated Centennial concert of Miami Beach, I couldn't miss the opportunity to see one of my favorite singers of all time, The wonderful Lara Fabian! No one sings like this woman, Amazing!
I'm anxious to work with her on her new album!”
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Perhaps this is for the new English (or multi-lingual) album?
Interesting photos of the week, first two from Nice: from the Lara Fabian web site,
www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/1101232756558925/?type=1&theater
and from the Lara Fabian – International page,
www.facebook.com/LaraFabianInternationalPage/photos/pcb.1031923460166031/1031923420166035/?type=1&theater
One beautiful picture from the FDLM page itself,
/photo/1
And then, less flattering but perhaps very representative (
), from Les Enfants de la tele twitter account, twitter.com/enfantsdelatv - @enfantsdelatv)
www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153362682496308&set=gm.1006664489377663&type=1&theater
Lara continues her promotion this coming week, most obviously with ‘Les Enfants de la tele”, but perhaps other shows as well, some (particularly radio) being announced at the last minute. With the summer break approaching we may expect these will taper down…Also, we might find out what Lara intends to do about her scheduled concert in northern Cyprus. An interesting week ahead...
David
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQaDGDhEZR0
A video was also made available of Lara’s rehearsal of it, at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs69gxAACN8
If one compares the rehearsal with the actual TV show version, one can hear that they sound exactly the same…indicative of the fact that in both cases Lara was lip-synching the song (perhaps explaining her carrying of her handbag during the rehearsal, knowing that true vocal effort was not required – although she carried it for the second song in rehearsal as well). Some of Lara’s fans decried this occurrence, emphasizing that other songs on the show were not performed that way. However, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. For about the last decade, whenever Lara has introduced a new song on TV, it is almost always presented in this fashion (after her not having done that earlier in her career). Her explanation, to the extent she has given one, is that she wants people’s first interaction with the song to be as positive as possible, and so she wants them to hear the studio sound. [This is also Krutoi’s point of view, which helps explain why when Lara is on his TV shows in Russia, she generally lip-synchs there as well]. The latest examples for her before this were all the times ‘Deux ils, deux elles” was lip-synched on TV; when she finally did it live, people were surprised how well she could really sing it, illustrating that that wasn’t actually the problem after all. Presumably the same will be true here, at least for the shows in which she’s allowed to do it.
Lara’s other vocal was on an ‘Italian Medley”, with V. Niclo, B. Giabiconi and G. Lenorman , which can be seen at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=P39lprCXnF8
(also at www.dailymotion.com/video/x2ur874_l-fabian-v-niclo-b-giabiconi-g-lenorman-medley-italie-la-fete-de-la-musique-2015_music?start=15).
The rehearsal for the portion with Baptiste Giabiconi can be seen at:
www.youtube.com/watch?t=39&v=ZhLYvolulhc
and with Vincent Niclo (for La Solitudine)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNzSqexV9N4
The rehearsal vocals are clearly different from the TV show’s version, as Lara and all the others were really singing live. She was in good voice (although perhaps not at her absolute best), again suggesting it would have been sufficient to sing her single had she wanted to. Especially appealing was that we get a chance to hear another performance of ‘La Solitudine’, even if somewhat abbreviated .
There was also an interview from Nice on a France 3 news show, available on youtube at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4ujxqhyrpA&feature=youtu.be
Billed as ‘The Return of Lara Fabian” (a title that has gotten general usage), it served as a nice advertisement for her (and her Italian roots) in the beautiful setting by the sea.
There were some nice pictures of Lara with various people at the site, including the performer/singer Virginie Lesdemia (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10207248545355642&set=gm.869245076489193&type=1&theater); with the mezzo-soprano Sophie Thiam (one of the two singers in the chorus) (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153449595138258&set=a.10151468443598258.1073741825.699338257&type=1&theater); with Baptise Giabiconi (https://www.facebook.com/BaptisteGiabiconiOfficiel/photos/a.386259757955.168032.287649007955/10153042385302956/?type=1&theater); and with Vincent Nico (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1651842855032476&set=a.1556440014572761.1073741827.100006203327465&type=1&theater)
Lara put her own photo on Instagram,
http://instagr.am/p/4KPBH7h8_C
with the caption, “To all!!! Kisses from Nice!!!” (She has a few other photos from there on her Instagram site).
On the radio show “Laissez-vous tenter” on RTL, Lara’s now song was presented, along with some of her commentary; one can see a video of the studio at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhWqB1N3qgA
This ‘song of summer’ seemed to get a good reception.
The new single was also featured on the show “Allo les stars” on France Bleu, with Thierry Garcia providing the “humor” (and the quotation marks are appropriate).
Opération Fan Club Lara Fabian provided a video of some 4 and half minutes, visible at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPFTrBzw9Zg
It’s amazing how often Lara has to put up with occurrences such as this; has that ever happened to Barbra Streisand (and would she sit there acting as if she wasn’t bothered)?
As noted in the previous thread, Lara won the contest for her song to be broadcast on the show “Stop ou encore” over the weekend. An article concerning her appeared in the RTL website (http://www.rtl.fr/culture/arts-spectacles/le-retour-de-lara-fabian-dans-le-stop-ou-encore-7778805309); here is the translation:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The return of Lara Fabian in Stop ou Encore
Vincent Perrot proposes for you the new song of Lara Fabian and you can win this morning the boxed set “Beach Party” of Georges Lang by telephoning on 3210.
Two years after Le Secret, Lara Fabian is back. More than a return it is a rebirth. A year and a half ago, Lara Fabian canceled all her professional commitments. She stopped her tour sharp. The cause? An incident during the recording of a TV show, during which she took 1,000 hertz in the ears. The pain caused her to fall to the ground. The result is clear: she must put her career on pause. This event is the starting point of the next album of Lara Fabian titled “Ma vie dans la tienne” (release November 2015).
"I had a sudden and total deafness. I heard no more. Today it is just a bad memory."
Lara Fabian
Lara Fabian returns with a new record label, new artistic team of Elodie Hesme and David Gategno and new desires.
First single from the album, “Quand je ne chante pas” - Lara Fabian
" Quand je ne chante pas " a song born from the difficult period that forced Lara Fabian to rest and an opportunity for her to focus on herself and embrace the world.
When I can not sing / I’m connected to the Earth / Even if the sky laughs at me / Singing is all I know to do/, Lara Fabian confides, telling us about her daily life on a pop melody with piano signed by David Gategno .
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The single is currently #104 on the iTunes chart in France (after being as high as 10th). It’s entered the Belgian ‘ultratip’ (Francophone) singles chart at #39 this week. According to Nicolas Boucaud on the MZ FB site, it is 139th on airplay in France, and 25th on France Bleu. Some of these numbers may well improve as more people/radio stations become familiar with it.
This weekend Lara will be on the 20th anniversary of ‘Les enfants de la télé (http://television.telerama.fr/tele/autre/les-enfants-de-la-tele,3851162,emission94091105.php). The show on TF1 will feature many guests (e.g., Anthony Kavanagh, Hélène Ségara, Pascal Obispo, Christophe Willem, et al.) celebrating their 20 years on the air – so they began not far from the time Lara returned to France as a performer. Her history in music in France thus runs parallel to theirs, and she has been on the show numerous times. One imagines she may ‘perform’ (in whatever fashion) the new single, but there may be a trip down memory lane, as the advertisement for the show indicates that, “On the menu of the broadcast: 20 years of stars, the 20 years of joys, emotions and excesses, the babble of 20 years, 20 years of delusions, 20 years of music, and the 20th anniversary of the famous casseroles."
In another notable news items, Lara indicated on her FB site that the number of cinemas that will be showing her DVD of the Concert in Prague has increased from 55 to 71 in France, as in addition to CGR theatres it is now to be playing in Kinepolis multiplexes throughout the country. She says (in translation), “To help you to follow the evolution in real time, this link allows you to view the interactive map with the establishment of the cinemas partners.”
www.cotediffusion.fr/programmation/lara-fabian
If one goes to the link and clicks on ‘cinemas’, one can see that there is certainly a healthy distribution throughout France, and even some theaters in Belgium (Kinepolis is actually a Belgian chain). The text under “information” reads (in translation):
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On November 6, 2015 will be the only date to attend in your movie theatre this exclusive concert "best-of unplugged". This capturing(12 cameras) in Prague in the sublime and new hall of the Karlin Forum (2,000 seats, opened in 2014) puts an end to a successful international tour. Lara (for whom) there are diamond disks, platinum and gold for a total of 32 million albums sold worldwide, more than 10 songs ranked in the top 10 in our country. A few figures are [and then the previous numbers are repeated – not sure whether that is intentional or not. Also not sure where those numbers come from – they’re certainly larger than any we’ve seen previously].
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So, far from assuming that this concert was mainly for ‘foreigners’, in whose countries Lara actually gave the ‘best of-unplugged’ tour, it now seems as if there really will be a big push to have it available for the French public. As noted last week, this is on the same day that the new album is scheduled to be released. One supposes Lara will be in the media promoting that, and could then also reference the movie at the same time (or the reverse!). Let’s hope this ‘big splash’ is provided with some coherency, so that the two events don’t destructively interfere. Presumably the DVD will be released some time later – one wouldn’t want to diminish the novelty of the movie – maybe in time for the year end holidays.
Another item this past week, in this case one of ‘notoriety’, concerns Lara’s announcement the previous week that she will be giving a concert July 9th in northern Cyprus (e.g., www.bandsintown.com/event/10123649?artist=Lara+Fabian&came_from=127). On what seems like a regular basis, Lara gets mired in controversy, sometimes of a political nature, Apparently this year, it is this one. An article (in English) providing the essence of the issue can be found at: (https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/LARA_FABIAN_singer_Protesting_against_Lara_Fabians_concert_on_July_9th_at_the_ancient_Greek_t/edit). For completeness, here’s what it says:
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Protesting against Lara Fabian's concert on July 9th in the Northern part of Cyprus occupied by the Turks (since 1974)!
Why this is important
The concert will be held at the ancient Theater of Salamis stolen from the Greek Cypriots in 1974 (after the Turkish invasion of Northern Cyprus). Moreover, the concert is organized by an illegal state the so called "TRNC" (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) which is not recognized by the United Nations and no other country in the world apart from Turkey. Therefore, it is illegal to conduct business in the Northern part of Cyprus occupied by Turks.
The concert is a severe disrespectful action against Cypriot people and is an indirect recognition of the "TRNC" as a legitimate political entity!
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And a longer article (thanks to larafabianweb.com for the link) (http://www.eurovisionary.com/lara-fabians-announcement-of-northern-cyprus-concert-creates-controversy/):
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Lara Fabian’s announcement of Northern Cyprus concert creates controversy
Theo Vatmanidis / 21st June 2015 at 02:14 / Concert / Cyprus, Luxembourg
Lara Fabian
Lara Fabian recently announced a concert in Famagusta, attracting criticism from fans who consider that such events legitimize the Turkish ‘occupation’ of northern Cyprus. Artists such as Julio Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Timberlake and Rihanna have previously found themselves embroiled in similar controversy and had to pull out from performing in the region.
Contents
1 Lara Fabian’s Famagusta concert announcement and current controversy
2 Past controversies
3 Evridiki’s position on the matter
Lara Fabian’s Famagusta concert announcement and current controversy
Lara Fabian represented Luxembourg in the Eurovision Song Contest of 1988 with her entry Croire (Trust). Despite the contest famously being won by a young Celine Dion representing Switzerland, Fabian secured a respectable fourth place for Luxembourg and Croire achieved considerable commercial success around Europe. The Brussels born artist, whose hits include 1994’s Je Suis Malade (I am sick) and 1996’s Je T’aime (I love you), allegedly went on to sell 32 million records worldwide thus becoming the best selling Belgian female artist of all time.
Last Thursday, Fabian announced on her official Facebook page her planned Famagusta concert. The event is scheduled to take place on 9th July in the Ancient Greek theatre of Salamis and will be part of Northern Cyprus’ 19th International Art & Culture Festival. Local media present the event as ‘intended to make Northern Cyprus the centre of culture and art in the Mediterranean region’ with artists such as Germany-based 1970’s disco group Boney M, Sarajevo born musician Goran Bregović (composer for Serbia 2010, 13th place) and ESC winner Sertab Erener (Turkey 2003) having taken part in the past.
Fabian’s announcement was met with (often caustic) criticism by her Greek Cypriot fans on the artist’s Facebook page. Critics seem to perceive such events as an indirect, yet intentional, attempt by the local Turkish establishment to promote the Northern part of Cyprus as a legitimate political entity (internationally, it is only Turkey that recognizes the region as a separate Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) and thus legitimize the 1974 Turkish military invasion of the island.
Past controversies
It is not known whether Lara Fabian was fully aware of how sensitive the issue is in Cyprus but she is definitely not the first artist to be caught up in such political controversy regarding the northern part of the island. In 2010, R&B Barbadian sensation Rihanna pulled out from performing in Northern Cyprus after a series of Greek Cypriot protests online. The event occurred within weeks of another global star, Latin diva Jennifer Lopez, canceling a scheduled performance in the region (after Greek Cypriot protests, Lopez allegedly consulted U.S. senator Robert Menendez on the issue and consequently accused Northern Cyprus of human rights violations whilst later apologizing for any angst that her decision may have caused to her Turkish Cypriot fans).
Perhaps the most notable case was that of Spanish singer Julio Iglesias. The internationally famous star, who represented his country in Eurovision early in his career (Spain 1970, 4th place), sued the Turkish authorities in Northern Cyprus as well as the owners of the hotel he was scheduled to perform at back in 2012 claiming that he had been mislead by them in regards to the legitimacy of the venture – under Republic of Cyprus law, it is illegal to conduct business in the northern, Turkish-controlled part of the island. Iglesias’ lawsuit had come as a result of him being sued by the hotel owners for his cancellation and was later dismissed by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on the grounds of the court lacking ‘subject-matter jurisdiction to hear the case’.
Other artists have taken a cooler approach to the issue of Northern Cyprus’ legitimacy. Deep Purple lead singer Ian Gillan had supported his group’s decision to perform in Northern Cyprus last year: ‘I certainly do not want to get involved in one side or the other, it’s a historical disagreement and because of all this I have read a lot of the history, but I’m not going to comment on that’. ‘We are musicians and hopefully music is an uplifting thing and so will act as a positive force, that’s all I hope for – I don’t wish to interfere in anyone’s affairs and I don’t wish also for any offence to be taken where none is intended (…) I see hope always, I’m an optimist – I always see the reaching out of hands. In terms of the balance of whether it will do more harm than good, I don’t think it will,’ was Gillan’s justification.
Evridiki’s position on the matter
Along with fan criticism, there were also reactions from Lara Fabian’s fellow artists. Greek Cypriot singer Evridiki (Cyprus 1991, 1994 and 2007 – respectively, 11th place, 11th place, failed to qualify to the final) expressed her dissatisfaction towards Fabian’s decision with a post on her personal page on Facebook. A translation of Evridiki’s message reads as follows: ‘there is no need for me to repeat myself… music is something magical, it speaks a universal language and soothes human souls… unites them… but there are also some things which we should know about so that we do not cross boundaries that we ought to respect. When human rights have been infringed for decades, when a country is divided and still, after 41 years half of it remains occupied with the invader carrying on provoking, threatening, terrorizing… No matter how much we all want a solution, no matter how we long to embrace our fellow human beings – our fellow citizens, to look into their eyes with love and to shake hands, this is not possible to happen if the Turkish army and Turkey do not pull out from Cyprus. Let someone explain to Ms Fabian that Cyprus is under occupation. That by singing in the pseudo-state she supports the invaders-murderers and recognizes it (i.e. the ‘pseudo-state’). She becomes part of a well planned policy that the Turks are using in order to exert pressure for the recognition of the pseudo-state (i.e. by the international community). Although I think that even in this case what (really) matters is the wallet… What a shame.’
At the time of writing this article, Lara Fabian had made no comments about the reactions she received to her upcoming Famagusta performance.
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On the other end of the spectrum, an article from a Turkish site
(http://www.taraf.com.tr/kultur-ve-sanat/lara-fabian-surprizlerle-geliyor/) not surprisingly applauds the upcoming show, and provides an interview with Lara about it. Here’s the (approximate) translation:
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Lara Fabian comes with surprises
June 18, 2015 00:00 Category: Culture and Art
With a brand new album which will be released after a long hiatus, November 6 2015, “Ma vie dans la tienne”, preceded by the new single 'Quand je ne chante pas' and prepared to meet with the audience, "The World's Best Selling Belgian Artist" award-winning star Lara Fabian, takes the stage at the Culture and Art Festival. Fabian sings in many different languages like Spanish, Russian, French, German, English and on 9 July, for the first time in the TRNC , she will be on the festival stage. From France and Canada, the best-selling female artist Lara Fabian, made a surprise duet with Mustafa Ceceli, "Make Me Yours Tonight", that entered the charts in France. She is one of the most popular female singers throughout Europe, world famous like Madonna, Cher and Mariah Carey, known for her interpretation of "Adagio" which has become a legend. Before Fabian’s concert in Northern Cyprus, we talked with the young woman about her song recorded with Mustafa Ceceli, and the calendar.
The recent duet with Mustafa Ceceli went well; did your fans like the songs?
LF: It was a great job. My fans all over the world loved it too. You got to see their reactions when I sing in concert! In addition, "Make Me Yours Tonight" in France also went to the dance list.
Your famous song "La Difference" became an anthem against homophobia; well, did you make the gay festival scene?
LF: No, but at festivals and various manifestos "La Difference" was used in abundance.
"Mademoiselle Zhivago" in cooperation with Russian composer Igor Krutoy was a project that has been toured in almost all Eastern and Northern Europe; can we say that you have won many new fans thanks to the project?
LF: Absolutely, and also I'm full of thanks for the project.
As far as I know, you do not drink and do not smoke; would you not love to come out and dance the night well?
LF: No, I prefer cinema and a nice restaurant ... I love to dance, but in a much more private environment ...
19th International Famagusta Culture and Art Festival will be on stage on July 9; Will you have a new album ready for the festivities?
LF: The new album will be on the market after the long French break [for summer] in the fall. The first single 'Quand je ne chante pas” is ready. I will do a surprise on the festival stage. We will probably bring the album on November 6 ...
Cenk Erdem
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The Lara Fabian Turkey site published the following supportive statement (in translation): "Unfortunately, some fanatics have started a campaign against Lara's concert in northern Cyprus. Racist distortions following the announcement have been made with hatred to get Lara to cancel this concert. Those following our page, Lara 'the peace-loving Cypriot, Greek and Turkish fans, their voices must be heard, that politics should have nothing to do with this concert, we ask you to show your support with your comments below this notice in Lara's page. Please, come to the game of fanatics, without entering into political debate, in a respectful way to say that Lara 's got to go with this beautiful concert .. .”Music stands against violent rhetoric, love and peace .. "
And then in a comment Lara Fabian Turkey put on several of Lara’s French fan sites (in translation): “This concert is part of a respected festival, organized by a Cypriot Cultural Association .. Some other artists before Lara, such as Jose Carreras, Cesaria Evora, Pink Martini, Deep Purple, Anastacia, Yasmin Levy, Boney M, Loreena Mc Kennitt participated in this festival; J.Lopez Julio.Iglesias, it was another organization, not even a Famagusta, for the opening of an illegal casino, that is why that was canceled .. (there has never been a question or Timberlake or Rihanna, it's just false rumors, Cyprus s too small for them). It is a cultural event, and many Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriots have already bought tickets to hear Lara together ..; .this concert brings closer the two communities, who are trying to build a common future. The conflict, it is the past .. We must stop mixing Lara in politics and ignore the voices of hate .. Music, Peace and Love ..”
This controversy obviously puts Lara in a difficult position; she has been pursuing a Turkish audience, yet she does not want to offend Greek fans or the international community. Every time one of these contretemps arises, the question is whether Lara was oblivious to the possible political controversy, or decided to proceed purposely in spite of it. [And if it is the former, where was her management team?…another often asked question when her controversies arise]. Lara has often seemed politically naïve – with the Uzbekistan problem several years ago, she said she hadn’t realized that the dictator’s family was running the concert, and used that as an excuse to back out. She did say, however, that she would continue to appear at concerts in countries that were repressive as long as the shows were not directly associated with the governing regime. She felt that music is a unifying force (similar to the argument that Ian Gillan of Deep Purple made), and that people in some of those places had little joy in their life - if she could provide them with music, so much the better. The counterargument made at the time was that the concerts tend to be so expensive that only the well-to-do, invariably connected to the government, could afford to attend them. Lara would like to ignore all that, and just sing to the people. Unfortunately, political brouhahas occasionally intervene.
In other news, Rudy Perez on his website at (http://rudynow.com/no-pude-faltar-al-maravilloso-concierto-de-una-de-mis-cantantes-favoritas-de-todos-los-tiempos-la-gran-lara-fabian/photo-blog/no-pude-faltar-al-maravilloso-concierto-de-una-de-mis-cantantes-favoritas-de-todos-los-tiempos-la-gran-lara-fabian) had the following statement:
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“Although I was very tired after our celebrated Centennial concert of Miami Beach, I couldn't miss the opportunity to see one of my favorite singers of all time, The wonderful Lara Fabian! No one sings like this woman, Amazing!
I'm anxious to work with her on her new album!”
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Perhaps this is for the new English (or multi-lingual) album?
Interesting photos of the week, first two from Nice: from the Lara Fabian web site,
www.facebook.com/246805652001644/photos/a.247913198557556.83420.246805652001644/1101232756558925/?type=1&theater
and from the Lara Fabian – International page,
www.facebook.com/LaraFabianInternationalPage/photos/pcb.1031923460166031/1031923420166035/?type=1&theater
One beautiful picture from the FDLM page itself,
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And then, less flattering but perhaps very representative (
), from Les Enfants de la tele twitter account, twitter.com/enfantsdelatv - @enfantsdelatv)www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153362682496308&set=gm.1006664489377663&type=1&theater
Lara continues her promotion this coming week, most obviously with ‘Les Enfants de la tele”, but perhaps other shows as well, some (particularly radio) being announced at the last minute. With the summer break approaching we may expect these will taper down…Also, we might find out what Lara intends to do about her scheduled concert in northern Cyprus. An interesting week ahead...
David
