The Belgian snow rose - Lara Fabian

Excuse me for beginning this post with a little rant, but the fact that Lara Fabian isn't worshipped like a goddess, is irrefutable proof that there is no justice in this world. With that out of my chest, allow me to begin :-) . As it happened with Céline Dion, I have found it pointless to try to make some sort of biographical ‘article’ about La Fabian, mainly because every possible aspect about her life has already been divulgated, but also because it is even less dramatic than Céline Dion’s. There are no heartbreaking choices, a love that’s been sacrificed or a meteoric explosion into glory after years of misery in Lara Fabian’s life. As it happens with her music, everything about her has been a measured collection of happy moments and wise, well-meditated decisions driven by the sheer power of her voice, which reflects the unbendable strength of her determination to succeed.

Gifted with an impeccable voice that is object of significant discussion among her fans (finding out whether she is a coloratura soprano, as Hugues Gall, the then director of the renowned Opéra National de Paris, enthusiastically declared in 2001; or a mezzo, as Lara likes to refer to herself, takes a significant part of the lives of her fans), La Fabian majestically belts, gracefully chirps, delicately whispers and beautifully bares her soul both on record and across scenarios all around the world with an elegance and modesty that are both mystifying and admirable. Simply put, she is superb.

However, something strange about Lara is that she is neither mutable nor adaptable as a singer; stubbornly fixed on her vision of herself as a 'traditional' belter, she explores her art by encasing it within the confines of her voice and forcing it to find a new form of expression in every varying colour and wanton changes during performances. This places Lara in a category of her own, because she remains alien to changing trends in music or to the notion that singing in her native language is equivalent to personal and artistic freedom (as it happens with Céline Dion) – Lara is always the same, even though she definitely sounds more comfortable performing in any other language besides English.




I like to compare Lara’s voice to a blossom that combines incomparable beauty with cold, impossibly detached technical precision; which is not to say that her music is devoid of emotion – her particular feelings and experiences are what colours and gives substance to her singing, making Lara and her voice two separate entities united in their aim to please and enthrall an audience. This could be reflected in this interview (followed by an amazing performance of Lucio Dalla’s Caruso); in it, Lara mentions how her love for her mother and the closeness she has always felt with her grandmother give her singing in Italian an enormous personal value. Italian is the language or Lara’s early childhood in the beautiful region of Catania, in Southern Italy: French, Spanish, German and English would come a bit later (mind you, only a bit later), when she moved back to her native Belgium. This ability to express her own feelings through music while using her voice as a mere instrument is what makes La Fabian so incredibly special, and her albums such a wonderful experience.

However, not all things about Lara are positive. Sadly, as of late she has been indulging excessively in her insufferable (and erroneous) Barbra Streisand-inspired attempts at giving greater emotional resonance to songs by sucking all the life from them with empty, soul-less displays of perfectly melodious droning. Which is fine (my grandmother loves it), but we should not forget that Barbra has only managed to be memorable whenever she has actually bothered to perform her songs, rather than partaken in her solipsistic love for her own voice and public persona. Quite frankly, I cannot imagine anyone being capable of listening to most of La Streisand's records without falling into a coma (there are very notable exceptions to this, of course, and I shall talk about them soon enough) - what made Lara so special is that she was never afraid to show off that she is a vibrant, technically proficient performer with a wonderful, hurricane-powered voice. Not just a whispering ego with no musical taste whatsoever, which is what she seems to want to emulate for some strange reason.



And well, we finally come to the selection I’ve made for today. I hope you enjoy it and, as always, I remind you to go to buy her records. Fnac or Amazon are both good options.

Je Suis Malade/I Am Ill

The spectacular first single of the marvelous album Carpe Diem/Seize The Day (1994), this ode to desperate, hopeless love was first made a classic in 1973 by singer/songwriter Serge Lama. Few words could express how beautiful this song is, nor how utterly and most completely wonderful Lara manages to make it with almost no effort at all. Delicately, the melody navigates through sorrowful piano scales that tiredly build a melancholic atmosphere, only to be overshadowed by the instrumental and vocal explosions that take place during the choruses. The end is simply spectacular, with Lara belting away up to a deafening climax. Watch this wonderful live performance and be amazed.

Je T'Aime/I Love You

My favourite song by Lara, this was the second single (and GIGANTIC hit – so much so, it has become a classic) from her 1996 album Pure. If you just have to buy an album by Lara, this is it. Especially if like myself, you cannot be satisfied unless and album has an abundance of ballads, you are going to be delighted! However, and as impossible as it might seem, this song is far above the rest in quality – or better said, this should have turned Lara into a legend. The song delicately navigates from slow, delicate verses to the stormy choruses, which will thunder their way into your heart (oh-my-god, tell me that that display of shitty, cheesy and stupidly bad writing isn’t mine – I should just quit this blog and start writing Harlequin novels ;-P) with the force and passion of a torrential rain. If you are one of those sad persons who love to torture themselves by listening to melodramatic love songs after their relationships have ended – why do I keep letting people into my darkest, filthiest secrets? – you’re gonna love this. And if you are even remotely human, you will as well. Video of a live performance.

La Différence/The Difference

After receiving three e-mails politely objecting to the inclusion of Carola in this blog (sorry guys - the Bee Gees made me weak!), I have decided to redeem myself by including this beautiful anti-homophobia anthem, which was originally released as an independent single and included as part of Pure in later pressings (I told you it was an amazing album). It also happens to be the second biggest hit from the album – rapidly reaching the number one position in France, and staying in the top ten for over three months. There’s not much to say about this songs besides the fact that the lyrics are fabulous, and inspirational – far from being a ridiculous Kumbaya-inspired preachy, condescending mess (which is what most songs with a social message are), it just tells how gay people are normal people and, well, that’s it really. Video.

J'y Crois Encore/I Still Believe It

This is a sample of Lara’s Streisand-esque newfound style. However, it is a rather interesting ballad (that’s why I have included it :-) ), and one of the highlights of the lovely 2001 album Nue/Naked. It has a rockier sound than her previous songs, and the change suits Lara wonderfully! Needless to say, this is much more interesting than the majority of things that Barbra Streisand has ever done (the majority, but not all - let's take a moment to remember that La Streisand's high points are unsurpassable by any mortal), but it nevertheless is tinged by her style. Great song! Video.

Adagio (Italian Version)

After this overdose of French songs, what about a little touch of Italian to remind us how awesome Lara is in her mother tongue? Directly lifted from Baroque composer Tommaso Albinoni’s overused to death Adagio (Pachelbel’s Canon et Gigue is a close second, ugh!), this could have been disastrous, but Lara wisely focuses on performing it as a delicate heartbreak song and leaves all pretences of classical legitimacy aside (not because she can’t have them by the way – unlike that fat sow Mariah Carey, Lara is an opera singer first and foremost). The ending is particularly impressive, with a thunderous final belt that will leave you awe-struck. Video of a superb live performance.

Otro Amor Vendrá/Another Love Shall Come (I Will Love Again)

And I couldn’t leave without including a danceable song. You all know about this track, so I’m just going to say that Lara’s Spanish is impeccably pronounced, and she sounds infinitely more comfortable singing in it than in English. This version was a HUGE hit in Spain and Latin America (the summer of 2001 I happened to travel both to Mexico and Argentina, and it was impossible to escape from this song – it was everywhere!!!). What I like of this version is the bridge, which Lara belts at full force, unlike in the English version, which has an annoying F5 in head voice. Lovely! Video.

The Italian voice of heartbreak - Laura Pausini

I can’t believe that it’s taken me so long to write about Italian pop singers! Some of the best, most sophisticated pop ever has been produced in Italy; there’s no doubt about it. The country has a wonderful musical legacy, both in the classical and the contemporary pop genres – as well as some amazing, extremely talented singers. But I digress! Allow me to begin the article: Laura Pausini is the most commercially successful female singer in Italy, and also a megastar in the Spanish and Portuguese speaking worlds - since all her albums have been translated to Castilian language, and a few of her greatest hits have been re-recorded in Portuguese. This is also probably because no one portrays quite like her the feelings of shock, boundless despair and utter defeat that destroy people’s ability to reason properly once they realize that love has abandoned them, and won’t come back. Or maybe it is because she just chooses excellent material and sings it with passion… Either way, La Pausini has enthralled many a person wherever she’s gone, and given a tearful backdrop to millions of ending relationships. Her music is mostly brooding and depressing, and that’s why you have to lover her, right? ;-) No, seriously, her music can’t be categorized as anything else than beautiful, and her liquid, vibrant soprano voice is just a joy to listen to.

La Pausini belongs to a generation of young singers who have internationalized Italian pop, both traveling with it all around the world, and bringing new influences into it. Laura in particular seems to have gradually progressed from melodic ballads to American-styled acoustic rock with notable ease, and even though her repertoire isn’t exactly what you could call varied, she more than compensates for it with enormous passion and enthusiasm.

Born in the picturesque town of Faenza in 1974, Laura had a very comfortable childhood surrounded by her doting, ever supportive parents in the extremely wealthy province of Emilia-Romagna. There’s a reason why I am saying this: when Laura was eight, she started singing professionally – by thirteen she had published her first album, which was mainly produced by her father, who obviously had the means to leave his job and dedicate himself to promote her daughter full-time. Obviously, the Pausinis weren’t poor, and the region had enough infrastructures to support financing the public events in which Laura frequently sang - being paid for it, of course. By 1993, eighteen-year-old Laura was famous enough as to be selected to participate in the San Remo Song Festival (a.k.a. Eurovision just for Italy, and with ridiculous pretensions), which she won with La Solitudine/Loneliness, one of her signature songs.



After becoming a star overnight, Laura released her first, self-titled album, and spent the next two years promoting it all over the world. I remember those days as pre and post-Laura Pausini. Simply put, she came in like a tidal wave, and flooded all the markets where her album was released. This trend has continued since then, and while she has often kept participating in the San Remo Festival to promote many of her singles in Italy (it seems to be some sort of bizarre tradition that all singers must observe), she’s kept reaping on the rewards of being fabulous about everywhere else.

I know that there weren’t any melodramatic and sordid things to say about Laura, but that’s what you get when you start liking wholesome, serious career-oriented musicians who truly have talent (let me tell you, it’s sheer agony! ;-P). Sorry. I promise something shocking before the end of the month. Thus, I leave you with the selection I’ve made! I hope you really enjoy it. But as always, I have to remind you to go to buy Laura’s albums here first.

In Assenza Di Te/In Your Absence

This exceptionally beautiful song was the biggest hit from Laura’s 1998 La Mia Risposta/My Answer – and when I mean it was the biggest hit, I mean it was ENORMOUS. Personally, I have always found that, strangely enough, Laura sounds more comfortable singing in any other language besides her own. When she sings in Italian, she is always far too careful and it seems that it’s difficult for her to let loose. Still, few things could mar this song; it’s simply marvellous. A wintry tale of heartbreak, it combines a delicate background that gracefully evolves by adding new little elements to the whole, while keeping the focus on Laura’s impeccable voice. Video.

Surrender

In 1997, David Foster heard Laura singing in the radio, and was so impressed that contacted her management, offering to collaborate with her. Their first song together was a very depressing ballad called One More Time, which was included in the soundtrack of the awful film Message In A Bottle - shit film and even worse soundtrack, by the way. If you want the song, I’d recommend you buy her Greatest Hits collection, E Ritorno Da Te/And I Come Back To You (2001). However, it wouldn’t be until three years after that song that Laura would release her English language début, From the Inside (2002). It is a lovely album that could be best described as Céline Dion dabbles with blues and a little techno. Lovely, to be clear. This song is quite danceable, and was the first of the two only singles released to promote it. It literally bursts out of your speakers with joy. Just as I said a moment ago, lovely. American version of the video.

Resta In Ascolto/Listen Carefully

This is the title track from Laura’s 2004 return to her two main markets, Italy and the Spanish-speaking world. In it, the melodies as polished as always and the production is impeccable, but there’s a greater sense of freedom as she comfortable jumps into rock music. This song in particular combines very soft, mellow verses with an impossibly catchy belted chorus highlighted by electric guitars that give a certain harshness to the song. I have to say that I really loved the transformation. Video.

Nei Giardini Che Nessuno Sa/In The Gardens That Nobody Knows

This is my favourite song from her latest album Io Canto/I Sing, from 2006. The songs are lovely, but this is just adorable. A pensive, melancholic ballad that slowly navigates through an oppressive, yet surprisingly sparse musical background, it takes more than two minutes to reach the spectacular chorus, which emerges from the misty guitars of the beginning like a through of fresh air in a hot summer day. It’s one of the best ballads I’ve heard so far this year.