Album Review - Anna Vissi's Paraxenes Eikones (Strange Images)

As a highly anally retentive person, I am obsessed with quantifying things - records, clothes, jobs, men... :-P. Seriously, I have thought that it would be a good idea to post a few album reviews (no more than one each month), just to offer an overview of some of the albums I'll mention as I post, which I hope will prompt you to buy them. So here it is, my first attempt at boring you to death! ;-D



Hastily produced during 2003 to compensate for the somewhat mediocre performance of her previous album, 2002's X (Chi), the double album Παράξενες Εικόνες (which contains a total of 25 songs) was hailed as Anna Vissi's triumphal return to the top of the Greek and Cypriot charts.

However, had she ever really fallen from the higher echelons of the success and popularity ladder? The answer is an emphatic no. Yet and still, it would be important to notice that Anna's favouring of extreme diversity during the most recent part of her career was bound to disconcert her public at one point or another; peculiar experiments and a love for musical fusion might be exciting from an artistic point of view, but they don't really seem to blend in well with commercial viability. Simply put, Vissi's ambition might have been her own (very partial) undoing. Still, it is understandable that for a musician of her stature, accustomed to immediate and immeasurable success for more than a decade, 'moderate success' is little more than an euphemism for 'crass failure'.



This time around, the musical diversity is accompanied by professional diversity. Nikos Karvelas, Anna's ex-husband and composer, writer, arranger and producer of the vast majority of her material (as well as most of her greatest hits), gracefully leaves space for other songwriters to lend their songs to the album. Even though at eight songs he is by far the major contributor, the restrictions to the material he is allowed to give are conversely liberating for Karvelas - some of his contributions manage to be innovative as they are emotionally charged, but the rest are mostly perfect pop confections that seem to be made to rapidly sail their way to the top of the charts (his speciality :-) ). The rest of the collection is, however, no inferior in any way to Karvelas' truly excellent offerings.



The first album is more geared towards international audiences, with an abundance of dance numbers, exaggerate Adult Oriented Rock ballads and faux-R&B numbers. Swedish team Alex Papaconstantinou and Peter Cartriers take control in the album's first two danceable tracks, delivering an atmospheric and cold dance anthem in the enormous hit Είσαι (later released worldwide as Call Me), which uses Vissi's moans along with volin progressions to fill in the spaces between melodic segments. However, their skills are better seen in the beautiful faux-R&B song Εγώ, Μωρό Μου, which incorporates alternating percussive samples over the song's bass line, and beautiful flute ornamentation.

Εγώ, Μωρό Μου - Ego, Moro Mou/I, My Darling

Το Τρένο - To Treno/The Train

The rest of the first album flows gracefully between genres, meeting its pinnacles in the majestic folk epic Το Τρένο (1st single and massive success from the album), which rivals the best power ballads ever written in sheer dramatism, and the bombastic dance number Έχω Πεθάνει Για Σένα (7th single of the album), which narrates a person's descent into alcoholism-induced suicide over aggressive beats and distorted electronic effects. Still, the highlights of the album are the bizarre electroclash of Ξαφνικά/Suddenly (written by Peter Lord and V. Jeffery Smith, the team behind Paula Abdul's early 90's success), and the pensive, dark ballads that open and close the album, which include the disturbing title track.

Έχω Πεθάνει Για Σένα - Echo Pethanei Gia Sena/I've Died For You

Είσαι - Eisai/You Are (Prodigal Son remix)



The second album is less commercial, even if not less diverse. From the first guitar notes of opener Ψυχεδέλεια/Spiritual Revelation to the last beats of the Prodigal Son remix of the spectacular Είσαι, the listener is taken through a journey of musical discovery through diverse types of Greek folk, the majestic Φεύγω with its watery effects and guitar solos (by far one of the best songs in both albums), Middle Eastern-influenced acoustic rock, the Urban mid-tempo of Μωβ/Mauve and the big-band-meets-Middle-Easten-folk-and-swing number Βατερλώ, also one of the most interesting tracks in both albums.

Φεύγω - Fevgo/I'm Leaving

Βατερλώ - Vaterlo/Waterloo

Thus, without further ado (and hoping my first attempt at a review wasn't too great an irritation ;-) ), I present you with the selection I've made. but before, please go buy this album here. Enjoy!

The unsung heroine of Spanish pop - Marta Sanchez

Marta Sánchez would be the queen of Spanish pop were it not for the fact that she is often regarded as a mere second rate singer with well-produced songs. Obviously, this is an unfair judgment made by people who deliberately choose to overlook Marta's notable vocal abilities, her excellent work as a composer and her impeccable musical choices; simply put, Marta Sánchez should reign supreme in the world of Spanish pop. Few people can compare themselves to her in terms of quality and sheer charisma - I would even go so far as to say that only Mónica Naranjo can be considered her equal, and even though I would say that Mónica has an infinitely better voice (you can’t even compare), Marta has crafted the classier and more enduring image.

However, those who dismiss her do have a valid argument: at the beginning of her career, Marta's willingness to do anything as long as it made her the object of everyone's attention (which included less than impressive displays of Bimbo level imbecility and a sordid naked spread in Spain's most successful tabloid), almost destroyed her career and cast serious doubts over her credibility as an artist. But let me start properly :-)

Born to a celebrated operatic bass and a homemaker, Marta's childhood was pretty ordinary. At fourteen she dropped out of school and decided to devote all her efforts to become a successful singer, which she managed to do when she substituted the lead singer of Olé Olé, one of Spain's most successful pop groups ever. All of a sudden, Marta became the sex symbol of the eighties in Spain and her fame overshadowed the group's - to the point when everyone started tipping her for solo stardom. But things were not going to be so easy! No no no! Unfortunately for Marta, audiences are fickle: what seemed the beginning of the end for her, was a totally tacky trip to entertain the laughable military delegation that Spain sent to the Gulf War, for which she was generally ridiculed. To make matters worse, she then gave in to the pressure of showing off her, ehem, ‘lady bits’ in a horrid page three-styled photo spread and was criticized for her droopy bosom (yes, that’s how low things fell for her :-( ). All of a sudden, her fame seemed to have vanished into the air, and everyone assumed she was going to be forgotten. That was it for her...



Or maybe not! I suppose that, terrified at being given a kick in the arse and fall back to being a struggling starlet, Marta worked hard on improving her voice and making the best début solo album she possibly could. Her efforts paid off, and her début single Desesperada/Desperate (which has an English version called Desperate Lovers) not only was a massive success, but became a classic and turned her into a household name. Since then, Marta has gone from strength to strength and all of her albums have had enormous - and well-deserved - success. Never one to rest on her laurels, she's been extremely careful with every single one of her releases, looking for good quality material and a little class and originality that set her apart from everyone else... Which she has managed to do splendidly – even if these days she is in no condition to show off her lady charms. ;-p

So here's the selection I've made but, before, please go to buy her records here or here :-).

Amor Perdido/Lost Love

This is one of my favourite songs ever. Even though the arrangement is uneven and it obscures Marta’s voice with a faux-Gospel chorus at the end of the song, the melody is simply magical. It begins very slowly, delicately flows into a barely-there crescendo and suddenly opens into the chorus, which appears out of nowhere like a shot of light. Needless to say, this is a ballad! :-D The message that the lyrics convey is extremely sad, expressing at the same time hope in an uncertain future and the certainty of an almost lost happiness that could never be… Beautiful! Video of a 'live' performance.

Desconocida/The Unknown One

This is one of Marta’s greatest hits, from her fourth album in 1998, of the same name. Before everyone started exploiting... er, I mean, raving about Hindu culture and sitar-laced musical ornamentation, she released this very interesting track, which manages to be exotic without sounding alien in any way at all, and was far ahead of most by at least two years. It is also very danceable, of course! The chorus is particularly nice, and I can assure that you’ll feel the need to sing along. Video.

Soy Yo/It's Me

This is the title track for her latest proper album, from 2002. It has also been her penultimate great hit before a soporific ballad she dedicated to her deceased sister (I am not criticizing her for this - I am truly sorry for the loss of her sister, but that song was, strangely enough, her only shit single). This was written and produced by Paul Barry and Mark Taylor from Metro. Which explains why it was so big, I guess. It’s a very upbeat, cheerful song about re-asserting one’s independence after an unhappy relationship (it could be best described as Marta’s ‘Believe’, in short). Video.

Dime La Verdad/Tell Me The Truth

This was the most successful single of Marta’s second album, Mi Mundo/My World (1995). Which means it was enormous! It is reminiscent of Madonna’s Secret, even though the instrumentation is a bit more prominent and the tempo is considerably faster – it is also much more beautiful, with a sinuous, alluring melody and Marta showcasing a very polished lower range. Video. Enjoy!

The Russian Cinderella - Valeriya

Valeriya is a wondrous singer gifted with an adorable soprano voice who has a knack for finding simply fantastic material. As topical as that might sound, the truth is that everything that Valeriya records is a little piece of pop Heaven brought to earth, and all her albums are indispensable additions to your collection - even the bad songs are delivered with so much charm, that you will not be able to help loving them in their sheer cheesiness! It’s like being in Kinder-garden again, only surrounded by spacey bleeps and thumping dance beats! Isn’t that fantastic? :-P That is not to say, however, that Val’s music is bland in any way, although it isn’t exactly innovative either. Melodic pop with an edge is the best way to describe it.

Born in the tiny town of Atkarsk at a conveniently forgotten date, Valeriya comes from the Southern region of Saratov, which also can boast of being the birthplace of legendary cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin and too-shady-for-his-own-good billionaire Roman Abramovich! With these credentials, it was obvious that she was meant to be a celebrity. And her life has given enough material to tabloids to keep her being one for a long, long time.

Her beginnings were a bed of roses, as far as I’ve read: happy family of professional musicians, élite musical education and massive success when she exploded into the Russian music scene in 1992. In a few years, she had won more prizes than she could keep, so she started throwing them away… No, that was a lame joke. The part of the prizes is true, but things in Valeriya’s life were turning sour really fast: apparently, she found it increasingly difficult to hide the bruises with which her husband-cum-business-and-artistic-manager liked to ‘embellish’ her face (I’m trying to be sarcastic here). Tired of being constantly slapped around, she publicly announced that she was firing and divorcing the wanker without telling him beforehand! Unfortunately, things didn’t go well – the guy was ridiculed, but he took all of Valeriya’s hard-earned money and left her and their three children in the streets. Literally.



Disillusioned, she declined all offers to sign for a major label and went back home to raise her kids. Things were really looking dim… Until one of the most important record executives in Russia went to her hometown to offer her a recording contract. Needless to say, she accepted, then married him and bounced back bigger and better than ever!!! Isn’t that fantastic? Cinderella all over again! Then people say that reality ain’t better than fiction. So there goes my selection… But before – please, go buy her records at ebay.

Чёрно-Белый Цвет - Chyorno-Byelyj Tsvyet/Black and White Colour

This is one of Val’s greatest hits ever – it was released in 2004, and became massive in Russia. Only her previous hit, Chasiki (Locks) has managed to be even bigger by staying 15 weeks at the number one position in the charts. Still, I prefer this song, so it’s the one I’ve posted. It’s a TERRIFIC dance number that has a very cold atmosphere in the verses, and explodes into an impossibly catchy chorus that will have you dancing across the room in no time! God, I LOVE this song! Video of a 'live' performance.

Рига-Москва - Riga-Moskva/Riga-Moscow

This is a very sweet fast ballad that attained quite a lot of success back in ’98. And if you listen to it, you’ll see why: you just have to love it – and it’s danceable, which is a plus. It’s a very relaxed melodic song that showcases the prettiness in Valeriya’s voice like few other songs could manage to do. In fact, it is so sweet and pleasant, that I don’t have a lot to say about it – that’s a first for me! :-D Video.


Была Любовь - Byla Lyubov'/There Was Love

Oh, this is just marvelous! It truly is one of the loveliest piano ballads that I have heard in years. The instrumentation is very sparse, and it allows the voice to take center stage. And let me say, that metallic soprano is just wonderful – and very, very warm and evocative. It’s impossible to escape the allure of this song, which narrates a (duh!) love that was lost long ago in the most poignant of ways.

Нежность Моя - Nyezhnost' Moya/My Tenderness (Ural Dance Mix)

This is one of Valeriya’s latest singles and the title track of her latest album. I didn’t want to sabotage her, so I’ve posted this particular remix, which can only be found in the CD. If you love this gorgeous remix, you’ll love the original, which is a superb soft rock song. The chorus, which here is anthemic, only manages to acquire legendary proportions in the original (my use of superlatives is starting to seem annoying even to me! :-P ). Seriously, this is a fantastic song and I would find it difficult to believe if a pop music fan didn’t love it. Enjoy!

Special Songs Pt 1

Every month I am going to post three songs for which I have a particular liking. Obviously, being the annoying drone that I am, a *little* (ha!) introductory paragraph will accompany each song - so you pop music quiz fanatics have a little time to enjoy yourselves reading my silly musings over facts that absolutely everyone knows! :-D Now isn't that something?! I thought so, too ;-)

However, in this case, and just because it's the first time, I am going to post only one track... That lasts as long as three songs put together! :-) The song in question is (cheesy drum-rolling)... The classic No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) by the incomparable Barbra Streisand and God... I mean, THE Donna Summer!!!!!! AAARRRGGHHHH!!!!! Before you faint of sheer extasis, let me prevent you about something - the file is a bit large. But 11:42 minutes of sublime disco fabulousness are well worth it. Of course! :-D



The single was released during what was arguably the commercial peak of Summer and the beginning of the short-lived creative one for Streisand.



Donna's albums always were rollercoasters of epic proportions that included as many glorious heights as they contained disastrous descents into laughable kitsch (there is such a thing, and you know it is SAD), but the outstanding quality of her thunderous mezzo and the conviction with which she delivered disco anthems, bizarre ballads and what were to become the beginnings of electronic music allowed her to elevate every moment to the rank of Musical History - yes, with capital letters. Soon after the release of her greatest hits, which contained the overdubbed 12" version of this song - the one I'm posting! - Donna's career started its slow and often not very glorious downwards journey into vaudeville status and general kitschy awkwardness.

Negatively affected by allegations of Christian-motivated homophobia (which she has always denied) and less than sterling material, her career stalled soon enough, being briefly revived by a few incursions into rock in the mid-eighties, and her spectacular collaboration with disposable pop wizards Stock, Aitken and Waterman in 1989, Another Place And Time. Still, she has acquired and kept her legendary status over the last twenty years just by deploying her exceptional talent in endless concerts around the world.



La Streisand is one of the most versatile and unique voices in the story of pop; a perfect musical instrument the sheer beauty and power of which are yet to be matched. While her occasional dealings with rock music during the late 60's/early 70's were apparently horrendous (I have never been enough of a fan to try and find out for myself), she managed to maintain relevance by venturing into folk rock with her fantastic album Stoney End, and more or less adapting changing fashions in popular music to her highly refined, yet often affected and soulless, style of ballad-singing - as well as promoting the soundtracks of her often misguided, contrived and soporific films.

Disco music, however, seemed to bring out the best in Streisand, and her offerings from 1976 to the glorious pinnacle of her career, her Bee Gees collaboration Guilty in 1981 (which she has never been able to surpass) are some of the best music of the Disco Era. Or popular music for that matter. Even though she managed to remain relevant until the mid-eighties, the truth is that Barbra's albums have become increasingly lacking in quality as time went by, with a concomitant decline in sales. Still, her legendary status is undeniable, and unlike Summer, she is publically adored everywhere.



Well, I hope that I didn't bore you too much, and here's the song No More Tears (Enough Is Enough).

Oh, before I forget - you can buy Donna's On the Radio - Greatest Hits and Barbra Streisand's Wet at Amazon.

Oh, and here's the superb live performance that Donna and the awesome Tina Arena gave in New York in 1999!

Or else, and I'm only including it for its comical value, watch this video of Juggernaut Donna crushing those annoying whiny-voiced attempts at mediocre pseudo-crooners, Westlife.

Enjoy!

The German nightingale - Sarah Connor

Sarah Connor is Germany's fabulous answer to the myriad of melissma-crazy American singers who have become hugely successful since Whitney Houston first appeared in the mid-80's. And this is the most peculiar thing about Sarah - even though she is German, her music has a distinctively American feel to it. She is also very gifted, having started her classical studies at the age of ten in a Performing Arts school where she was the only student allowed to use her voice as an instrument - yep, that's how good she is! :-) However, Sarah's style is justified by the fact that her grandfather was born in New Orleans and was mad about soul music - Sarah spent many times listening to his records and voilà! She became a freak that sang Britney-level R&B with Mariah Carey's voice! WHO else can say THAT?! Oh, and if that's what listening to soul does to you, I'm gonna buy all of Aretha Franklin's records and listen to them 'till I am able to do more than sound like a shrieking pig with a sore throat - be ready world, here I come! ;-P.

The rest of her story is very much one of those boring and predictable Cinderella-modelled tales that record companies send to magazines to promote their artists: at seventeen, she was magically picked by Michael Jackson to have a singing spot in one of his concerts; this was a life-altering moment for her and prompted her to leave school and try her luck by sending demo tapes to record companies... And you can imagine how things went.

When Sarah released her début album in 2001, she was pretty much the only German singer to fully embrace the Mariah Way of ultra-high shrieks and effortless belting, but still things were not so easy for her - not all her singles were successful. After what I guess was a little shifting things here and there, she started delivering increasingly good music - to the point when almost everything that she does is essential for any self-respecting pop junkie like myself (AND anyone visting this Blog, I hope :-) ).



Anyway, something that sets Sarah apart from the rest of the singers featured in this page is that she is not marketed as a diva in any sense, nor does she have any larger-than-life mannerisms - she is just an unadulterated spoonful of wholesomeness directly fed to the public without a single trace of affectation!!!! This is almost enough to make me run away screaming like a hysterical chimpanzee - were it not for the fact that Sarah is WONDERFUL. That's why I've had a hard time deciding what to post here today. However, being the dedicated sweetheart that I am (you BETTER acknowledge it, haha), I have taken on the task of making a few selections that will hopefully make you realize that I am right as usual (as if - please, just ignore me; it's been a hard day :-D ), and go buy her records here or here.

From Sarah With Love (Kayrob Dance Mix)

The SPECTACULAR ballad version of this was Sarah's first really big hit. It was a huge success in Central and Eastern Europe, but for some reason most other countries just ignored it - which proves my point that many people are severely deaf. The original ballad is very sad and melancholic, almost crepuscular - if your heart has been broken, you will understand the feeling of 'all light has been drained from the world' that this song conveys so beautifully. However, this remix version is VERY fun, and if you're still sad while listening to this... Well, you need to book an appointment with your doctor, because you're obviously suicidal. Cheer up! ;-) Video version (the original is much better).

If U Were My Man

This song is pure bubblegum Heaven. It sounds like some of the best slices of teenie pop that have come out of Sweden, only this is sung by someone with actual talent. Here Sarah takes on a slutty persona by making a pass at a random boy who stares at her, ehem , 'charms' while out with his girlfriend. What else could be better?!?! An impossibly catchy piece of disposable music with a really tawdry subject matter! Isn't that what fun's really about - don't answer that!

Music Is The Key - featuring Naturally 7

This is Sarah's monumental duet with the amazingly talented boyband Naturally 7. This is VERY Mariah-esque... Only a thousand times better than anything that Mariah has ever done. This is a gorgeous melodic ballad that showcases what passion and careful arrangement can achieve - and it's undoubtedly my favourite of Sarah's songs. It was her second number one in Germany, and opened a string of huge successes for her :-) By the way, you have to get her album Key To My Soul - it's WONDERFUL! Video.

You Are My Desire

This is from Sarah's latest album, Naughty But Nice. In it, she has made a concise effort to change her sound a little by adding more Eurodance and scrapping a little of the 'American R&B princess' make up that she put on at the beginning of her career, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but kept her from doing things as great as this song – pure electro-pop joy! It is very peculiar: it has ordinary R&B beats under successive layers of electronic effects and sitar arpegios that keep it danceable. The chorus is very catchy sing-a-long-y, but the best thing is Sarah's voice, which manages to take center stage without much effort on her part. Just lovely.

The Greek demi-goddess - Despina Vandi

Despina Vandi is one of those singers who can't be anything other than famous. While her personal life lacks all those soaring heights and horrible lows that are the stuff of legend (and tabloid juiciness... Is that even a word? :-P), her charisma and commercial instincts make her one of the most engaging and innovative artists in Greece nowadays, and that has translated in huge sales and near-insane adoration from fans.

However, her professional life isn't devoid of all drama. From early on, everyone decided that she would be Anna Vissi's nemesis, and since then she has been trying to do her best to live up to her public's expectations. And while Anna Vissi is THE consecrated Goddess of Greek music, and La Vandi has never quite managed to substitute her in the hearts and the ears of most Greeks, the truth is that Despina has always set her sights outside Greece, and has steadily built a reputation beyond its frontiers - something that most of her contemporaries have not managed to do well.

With a powerful voice and passionate delivery, Despina has a highly mannered singing style that catches people's attention from the very beginning - it's not like she tries to convey sensuality, but there's something so raw about the way she sings that it's impossible to miss it, or to escape from it. Still, this doesn't mean that all her music is good. Her highs are pretty high, but her lows are... Well, shit. The risk that artists who always strive to be trend-setters have to take is either sounding silly at best if they fail, or crashing badly at worst. In Despina's case, when she doesn't soar, she crashes spectacularly. This makes her albums very uneven, although very interesting - she seems to have a love for all things Middle Eastern, electroclash and just about anything else you can imagine - listening to one of her records is like walking through a gallery of contemporary music from all over the world, and this makes them quite fun! If you want to buy them, go here.



Υποφέρω - Ypofero/I'm Suffering

This is by far Despina's greatest hit ever and a historical track - when it was released as a single, it became six times platinum in Greece, selling more than 200,000 copies! This is the most successful single in the story of Greek pop EVER. When you hear it, you'll be able to see why: this is beyond excellent. This is AWESOME!!!!! It starts with a few lingering piano notes that open what looks like a bizarre electronic ballad, and then builds up slowly only to explode (literally) into one of the best dance songs you'll ever hear. This is, simply put, amazing and it's my favourite song by hers, because it's SO fun to dance to, you won't believe it. Besides, the music and the lyrics are quite dark, and that makes the song all the more enjoyable for the twisted nuts among us :-D! Video.

Γειά - Geia/Hello

This is the UK Radio Edit version of her unique Greek dance epic - the original has a very long and unsettling instrumental introduction that has Despina whispering 'γύρνα' (come back) while a child repeats the title of the song from time to time - I don't want to you to have nightmares, so I've uploaded this Greenglish version instead. It's much shorter, but lets you have all the fun from second one. This is a seriously good song, and it was quite successful in clubs. The album from which it's taken is quite and experience, and you won't regret it if you buy it. Video.

Opa Opa (English version)

This is Despina's second international hit, and it's unbelievably catchy - so much so, that several singers in Greece have covered it, including Elena Paparizou when she was with Antique (more on that on a future post, yay! :-) ). It's also very cute, with a lovely chorus that will stick to you mind for days and some really great guitar instrumentation that makes the song unique - who else could have thought of something like this? Video.

Στην Αυλή Του Παραδείσου - Stin Avli Tou Pardeisou/In Heaven's Yard

This is the title track from Despina's -in my opinion- best record to date, from 2005. It's also a slow traditional song, but it's amazingly beautiful and very, very sad; which is strange, because the lyrics are happy. Needless to say, Despina shines with this type of songs. However, this is not all that the album has to offer - there are some really good pop/Arabic-style dance songs, a few amazing upbeat folksy numbers and, in the superb Special Edition you get, among other things, her wild hit Jambi plus her awful and weird techno-hip hop collaboration, Amanes! Ain't that somethin'?!?! Yeah! Video.

The Spanish panther - Mónica Naranjo

Mónica Naranjo is the Spanish über-diva that makes every gay man's dreams come true. She is outrageous, vociferous, melodramatic, tacky and cheesy in all the right ways. But the important thing is, she has one of the greatest voices ever. EVER. If you listen to her, you'll just keep wondering how someone can be so unbelievably good and not be internationally famous. Her ability to reach impossibly high notes will leave your mouth agape, but it's the songs that will most probably make you wanna run out, tripping over your feet to get one of her records. The fact that she writes and co-writes all of her material is most commendable, because it's VERY good. You can buy her albums at Amazon.

Monica's career hasn't been without its accidents and few fairy tale-style highs. She left home at fourteen to make her own way in life, since her family was very poor. Soon enough, she started sending tapes to various recoding companies while struggling as a waitress, and that's how she met a music producer who would give her singing lessons through the phone for a very long time - when they finally met two years later, they realized that they were in love and married after a few days. The situation, however, wasn't a fortunate one: they both had to fight very hard to get Mónica a recording contract, which attests to the stupidity of record execs. Sadly, her awesome début album was totally ignored (and when I mean totally, I mean totally - she sold less than a thousand copies in a year). That's when her manager decided to take her to Mexico, and she became HUGE in Latin America, to the point where she sold in a short time a 3,000% more than she had sold in Spain during one year - 3 million copies.

If her début was huge, her follow up was massive. It's the best collection of songs that she's ever released, and almost touched the six million mark, which is exceptional for the Spanish speaking music market - sadly, attempts to promote it in Spain failed miserably due to lack of interest. Undeterred, Mónica fought with tooth and nail to make a place for herself, and came on top amidst a sea of controversy - while some said that she was a transvestite, other people said that her husband, jealous of her success, had abandoned her (seriously, don't tabloid reporters have anything better to do with their time?).



Anyway, Mónica has become one of the brightest luminaries in Spanish music, and although she decided to terminate her contract with her record label two years ago, it's rumoured that she's going to release an album internationally in 2007! Get ready for the hurricane Mónica!

El Amor Coloca/Love Makes You High

This was Mónica's fantastic début single, which was inexplicably ignored by the Spaniards (are they deaf??!?!?!?!?!!!!), but stormed the charts all over Latin America. It's a very unique song, and it's really difficult to pigeonhole it - it starts as a ballad, after a few seconds it looks like it's going to be a bubblegum pop song, and then it becomes a bombastic dance anthem. The message behind the song is a bit trite ("don't do drugs; make love instead"), but the melody and the voice are far too amazing to make you care about that. Video of a 'live' performance.

Tú Y Yo Volvemos Al Amor/You And Me Are Coming Back To Love

This is from Mónica's unsurpassable second album, Palabra de Mujer (A Woman's Word). It's the closest she's ever come to doing a sweet, teenybopper-ish kinda song. Only, this is a beautiful fast ballad with acoustic guitars and a rousing chorus. It's one of the lightest moments in an album that's full of wild dance epics and even wilder melodramatic ballads that will leave you speechless for days. It's TERRIFIC! If you have to buy one album from hers, this is it. Video.

Sobreviviré/I Will Survive

This is the Groove Brothers Club Mix for one of her most successful songs. The original is a spectacular hard rock song that has Mónica reaching heights that few people could ever dream of touching, but I thought that this post required something a bit less dramatic and a little more fun, so I've included this remix, which is beyond words - just what you need when you've had a hard day and want to forget about the world. Spectacular video for the original version.

Sacrificio/Sacrifice

This is yet another amazing dance track written by Louis Biancaniello and Sam Watters (the team behind Anastacia's biggest hits), and in its English version is called What About Love?. It's a really catchy dance song that will surely satisfy most pop fans everywhere, especially those who like a more 'international' feel to their music. The album from which this was taken, Chicas Malas/Bad Girls, also comes in an English version that was quite successful in Eastern Europe. 'Live' performance of the English language version. Enjoy! :-)

The Rose of British Soul - Dina Carroll

Dina Carroll's story is one of constant struggle against adversity - which, sadly, she has frequently lost. She was born to an Afro-American G.I. father and an English mother who separated when she was two. After this, Dina and her mother went to live to Cambridge, where Dina was often a victim of racist bullying due to her mixed heritage. This, however, didn't keep her from participating (and often winning) many talent competitions, and when she entered her teens she started sending tapes to recording companies in London. She was soon signed to a tiny label called Streetwave. Sadly, the label couldn't support launching Dina even at a local level, and she left them soon enough. Unfairly ignored, she decided to go to the U.S. to gain some experience. There she was signed by Jive/Zomba, and the rest is pop/soul history!

Dina met the success she deserves with her first album, which was the first album by any British female artist to break the 1 million sales mark in less than a year. However, her hectic touring schedule and problems with her contract delayed the release of her second album, and when it was released, reception was, well, blah... success could have been greater, but Dina developed a disease that affected her hearing, and this almost destroyed her career.

A couple of years later, after corrective surgery , she was staging her comeback when her management company entered in crisis: most of their artists, who had been really successful until then, were dropped by their record companies - at the same time! Needless to say, this didn't help Dina's career, and she left both her recording company and her management after a couple of very bad years.

Dina has been touring since then, as many of her songs remain popular to this day. Sadly, she is still looking for a new contract... Since she needs all the help she can get, I would really recommend you to buy her AWESOME records. You can do so at Amazon.



It's Too Late featuring Quartz

This was Dina's first substantial success, with the production team Quartz. It's a cover of the Carole King classic (No! Really? You must be asking yourselves - I amsooo bright, ain't I? :-D ), and it features some really interesting production that suits the song really well - who would have imagined that a Carole King song could be reworked as a rousing dance anthem? Here, Quartz did it with the help of Dina's spectacular vocals, which make her version a classic on its own right. Video.

Ain't No Man

This is FUN! Seriously, this is one of the best dance songs I've heard. Yes, the production's a bit dated, but this song would have been a classic at any point in history regardless of the production it could have had. Here Dina shows what a diva truly is with her wonderfully unaffected and cheerful delivery. Unlike other singers (ehrm, Beyoncé? Christina?), Dina manages to communicate sensuality without having to look like a total whore. Isn't that what a diva is all about? Class? Yeah! That's Dina for you all. Video.

Escaping
This is a really, really sweet song, the first single off her second album, Only Human. This song will lift your mood even at your worst times, even if the lyrics are a bit sad - the melody is lovely and bright and you can almost feel yourself being filled with light as this song progresses. Gorgeous stuff :-). Video.


Son Of A Preacher Man

This is Dina's somewhat urban-ish version of the Dusty Springfield classic. Now, I have always liked Dusty, but I have to say that Dina's version is a thousand times better. Dina's voice is far richer, has more weight and is much, much more beautiful. Her delivery of the song is not self-conscious at all, but she sings the lyrics with a certain flair of mischievousness that really captures the message behind them. Again, lovely.

The Turkish princess - Sertab Erener

The Greek Siren - Anna Vissi

There's one indiscutible truth about Anna Vissi: she is the queen of Greek pop... But not exactly. Anna doesn't always sing straight pop, and most of her albums could be considered as part of an altogether far better category: Modern Laika. Now, you must ask yourselves, what the heck is Modern Laika? Well, simply put, Modern Laika is an everything-goes sort of genre that fuses Greek traditional music with influences of all sorts. And when I say all sorts, it's ALL sorts!!!! But if you don't believe me, just go and buy one of Anna's amazingly varied records. Some of them are kinda bizarre, and sure, she has had a couple of really shit moments (even God had them - we just CAN'T blame The Anna, can we?), but the vast majority of them are amazing. You can buy them here.

And that's exactly what La Vissi has done: EVERYTHING. From hard rock to house to Turkish pop to acoustic folk to a myriad of styles, she has covered them. That's how versatile she is. BUT the great thing about Anna is her voice. There's only one thing I can say about it: wow! It's a gutsy, raw, thunderous mezzo that will take you to Heaven from note one (there's no way you could tell I'm a fan, is there? LOL). Which leads me to the next things I want to say: Anna has been labelled the "Greek Madonna". Even though comparisons with successful 'singers' must be flattering for some, comparing Anna to a nasty old hag that burned up fourteen years ago ISN'T fair. Anna is just great. Madonna... Well, don't they say that Britney is her successor? That explains it all.

Mind you, it has been difficult to make a proper selection - I really wanted to show the many exciting things that Anna has done in her thirty-four years of career (she started singing professionally in 1973, when she was fifteen... You do the math! And then thank The Almighty One for the fabulous airbrushing that she gets in these photos, ahem). Still, I really, really hope you enjoy this... I sure do! Well, enjoy! :-)




Για Σένα Θα Πεθάνω - Gia Sena Tha Pethano/I'm Gonna Die For You

This is from Anna's latest album, Nylon. Personally, I don't like it much - I think it tries to be so experimental, that it ends up being downright silly. If you want to hear Anna singing techno-rock, or be admired at how she swaps verses with a Greek rapper -how awkward is that?- over a cacophony of violins, then you'll love this album. I'm a bit of a traditional person (that's code for a dull, annoying cunt ;-) ) and prefer her traditional numbers AND the awesome rock songs! This is one of those songs. When I listen to this, I just wanna lock myself in a room and do my best Tina Turner impersonation... Yes, I need a psychiatrist THAT bad. Video.

Φεύγω - Fevgo/I'm Leaving

This is from Anna's penultimate album Paraxenes Eikones (Strange Images). Oh my God, is that album FANTASTIC or what!!! Not only are the songs awesome, but you get 25 of them in a spectacular double album. If you have to buy one of Anna's cds, this is it. There's no way you won't be satisfied. I have chosen this song because it's quite exotic, but nothing too strange. It's very danceable, and combines a beautiful guitar arrangement with a thumping beat that will have you dancing in no time. AMAZING.

Αγάπη Υπερβολική - Agapi Ypervoliki/Excessive Love

This is one of the catchiest, funniest and most danceable songs I've ever heard. Try to keep still with this! It's from the first one of Anna's double albums, Kravgi (Scream), and it's also excellent. Again, you get 24 songs from absolutely all genres, and all of them will leave you awe-struck - I can assure! Watch the hilariously tacky video here.

Τα Ραδιόφωνα - Ta Radiofona/The Radio Players

Right, this isn't exactly a ballad - it's more Greek folk than anything. BUT it's so spectacular you won't be disappointed. So please, don't be scared of it - try it, and you'll be hooked for life. This is from one of Anna's more experimental records, X (Chi) - here you have techno tunes mixed with swing, Middle Eastern electro-folk (how bizarre does that sound?) and bellydance hip hop. That's how fabulous that album is. Uh-huh.

My First Post Ever!

This is so exciting! I would have never imagined that I would end up summing up enough courage to do this, but well, here I am!

I just wanted to welcome you all to this Blog, and hope that you will enjoy it as much as I will (hopefully) enjoy writing it.

Here I will dedicate a little space to share my thoughts on some great singers from around the world, and post some of their songs for your enjoyment. Needless to say, the majority of these artists will be pop singers - occasionally I might post something a bit more serious, but don't worry: nothing will be too dense, and certainly far from boring.

Well, that was just an introduction. Welcome once again, and I really hope that you like it here! :-)