"Helena Paparizou (Interview 2014)" interview
Helena Paparizou (Interview 2014)
- 25/02/2014 by PARISGAYZINE
- FRENCH Version
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Meeting with Helena Paparizou at the 1st semi-final of Melodifestivalen 2014. The Eurovision 2005 winner with her song "Number One" give us more infos about "Survivor" and her next album.
Hello, have you ever been in France ?
Yes, of course, I’ve been to France. I actually remember I was invited to "Vivement Dimanche" with Nana Mouskouri. I was in a very big show with her and I had the honor to sing with her. And of course, I've been shopping in Paris. Paris is one of my favorite destination to go for shopping. Milano too.
Hello, have you ever been in France ?
Yes, of course, I’ve been to France. I actually remember I was invited to "Vivement Dimanche" with Nana Mouskouri. I was in a very big show with her and I had the honor to sing with her. And of course, I've been shopping in Paris. Paris is one of my favorite destination to go for shopping. Milano too.
You recorded a duet with Nikos Aliagas "L'envie d'aimer" (I zilia monaksia)
Yes, from Pascal Obispo. (She sings). I met him in the airport the other week actually. He was on his way back to Paris.
Is he a friend of you ?
Yes, he is a very good friend of mine. And I know that everything is gone really well for him, with his family and the new baby… It’s really good, really good. I met him 10 days or 2 weeks ago. I met him in the airport, just like that. If you see him, give him my love.
Yes, from Pascal Obispo. (She sings). I met him in the airport the other week actually. He was on his way back to Paris.
Is he a friend of you ?
Yes, he is a very good friend of mine. And I know that everything is gone really well for him, with his family and the new baby… It’s really good, really good. I met him 10 days or 2 weeks ago. I met him in the airport, just like that. If you see him, give him my love.
You are close to Sakis Rouvas and Kostas Martakis ?
Yes, my baby boys, I love these boys very much. To be honest I’ve never done any concerts with Sakis Rouvas but I would really love to work with Sakis. With Kostas Martakis, we were working last winter together, we had an amazing time. Like every time we meet together, we are having so much fun with Martakis. But we’re always talking about doing something but it never happened. Like doing pop music because we were working in the Greek bouzoukia clubs last year only for a few weeks… but we probably would do something together.
A duet maybe ?
Why not, why not. I would love that.
What are your best memories of Melodifestivalen ?
Well, first of all, I have to say that the big old classics of Melodifestivalen will always be ABBA with "Waterloo" and of course Carola with "Främling". The thing is odd because… 83 was with Carola, and I was born 82, so I've not grown up in the same way. The only thing I do remember with Carola was my sister had cut her hair, she was singing Carola everywhere… I own many video tapes with all my sister singing that song.
My favorite songs is "Eloise" with "Arvingarna" (she sings). Of course it's Charlotte Perrelli with "Take me to your heaven”. I mean Melodifestivalen has been one of the most beautiful festivals Swedish people have, but now it's not only one festival, it's like a moving tour festival. It’s 6 destinations, so this competition is really big… and it's really joyful also for the Swedish people.
Yes, my baby boys, I love these boys very much. To be honest I’ve never done any concerts with Sakis Rouvas but I would really love to work with Sakis. With Kostas Martakis, we were working last winter together, we had an amazing time. Like every time we meet together, we are having so much fun with Martakis. But we’re always talking about doing something but it never happened. Like doing pop music because we were working in the Greek bouzoukia clubs last year only for a few weeks… but we probably would do something together.
A duet maybe ?
Why not, why not. I would love that.
What are your best memories of Melodifestivalen ?
Well, first of all, I have to say that the big old classics of Melodifestivalen will always be ABBA with "Waterloo" and of course Carola with "Främling". The thing is odd because… 83 was with Carola, and I was born 82, so I've not grown up in the same way. The only thing I do remember with Carola was my sister had cut her hair, she was singing Carola everywhere… I own many video tapes with all my sister singing that song.
My favorite songs is "Eloise" with "Arvingarna" (she sings). Of course it's Charlotte Perrelli with "Take me to your heaven”. I mean Melodifestivalen has been one of the most beautiful festivals Swedish people have, but now it's not only one festival, it's like a moving tour festival. It’s 6 destinations, so this competition is really big… and it's really joyful also for the Swedish people.
And for your, it’s joyful too ?
For me ? Of course it is… I’m really try to really live up to every second I'm passing or which is passing, so I don't wanna forget any moment I'm gonna live here in Melodifestivalen in Malmö. And of course, I would like to go Friends Arena too so I hope I would have, you know, have a good luck. I hope I'll have a lot of votes from the people, so I can go actually to the next competition.
You have a good song, so…
You like the song ? Yeah, did you like the rehearsal ?
Very powerful, your voice is perfect.
Thank you very much.
Can you tell us more about this new song "Survivor" ?
Christer Björkman has tried to invite me into Melodifestivalen for over 10 years and actually I never had the right song and I always said "Well, Eurovision / Melodifestivalen…Then should I ? Should I not ?". And I never actually had the material in my hand. So this time or maybe the last 2 years, Christer didn’t asked me to be in this event. And this year, I was passing by in my record company in Sweden because I was recording the last things for my album which was supposed to be released in November here in Sweden. I passed by the studio and I heard the song and I was just taping to the studio and I saw a few guys (the producers) like Henrik (Wikström) and Karl-Ola (Kjellholm). And, of course Bob (Bobby Ljunggren) is one of the composers too, but he was not there… And I said “Guys, this is a very interesting song, what is this about ?” “Well this is one of the songs we’re supposed sending to the Swedish television for Melodifestivalen.” “But I want it in my album ?” “No, we’re gonna send this to SVT.” “Well… then I'm joining !” So, it used to be like a very spontaneous thing that happened. Sharon Vaughn has wrote this lyrics that really can express how I feel about the last ugliest five years, what's happening in my life. So, yes, I am a Survivor and many people are survivors.
For me ? Of course it is… I’m really try to really live up to every second I'm passing or which is passing, so I don't wanna forget any moment I'm gonna live here in Melodifestivalen in Malmö. And of course, I would like to go Friends Arena too so I hope I would have, you know, have a good luck. I hope I'll have a lot of votes from the people, so I can go actually to the next competition.
You have a good song, so…
You like the song ? Yeah, did you like the rehearsal ?
Very powerful, your voice is perfect.
Thank you very much.
Can you tell us more about this new song "Survivor" ?
We know you more for your up-tempo songs. Is your goal in Melodifestivalen to show an another side of you to the Swedish audience ?
I have a very good song which I wanna reach up to the Swedish people. It's not an up-tempo song, it's a mid tempo ballad. It's taller different to what people know me but generally in my career I’ve been singing a lot of ballads. I haven't been in Sweden for many years. Specifically 7 years since I released my last album… It's just a small taste, maybe to see how much Helena has become ; a little bit more mature then she used to be. She's not a little girl anymore, she's a grown-up woman.
It’s what we feel when we listen to this song…
Oh, you feel that ? Thank you very much ! It means everybody has been thinking correctly about this number… Thank you very much.
So you recorded many songs for the new album ?
Well, for the new album which is gonna be released here in Sweden in the 26th of march, we have 12 songs. We were supposed only to have 10 but then I did a beautiful duet with Jill Johnson which is a very big well-done singer, she has been at Melodifestivalen also, but she is more a country singer… And of course "Survivor". It's almost the same album that I released in Greece, but it’s gonna be only with English lyrics.
There are more dance songs for Swedish market ?
Oh of course… Oh God, I have an amazing song called "Chainsaw" which is from Holter & Erixson. I just love that song, it feels so powerful, girly, womanly... I have a new song which is not recorded in Greek also, which is called "Don't hold back on love" with Jimmy Jansson for the lyrics.
And do you write your own songs ?
Well I haven't written a song for a very long time… When I started my career from Antique, I always used to write one song, one lyrics, something but I actually haven't really written any song for a long time now. But usually, you know, I’m starting to write but I'm not always really to publish things. J'aime donner "the teaser song".
I remember that I started to write a quite serious song in a Greek album (Vrisko to logo na zo) which was called "Mathe prota n'agapas" and when I actually finished the first verse, I felt that it was too personal… And I was working also with Giannis Doksas which I still have worked with. It has been one of the biggest lyrics writer that I've been having in my Greek career. I asked “Can you please write the song with me ?” So he wrote with me, because it just started too personal. So, I usually wanna have funny songs, not too personal songs.
And you can express the same things in Greek and in Swedish, or in English ?
The first language I was talking in my life was Swedish, then it was Greek and then it was English. But when I sing, I would say my mother's language is English when I sing, then it's Greek and in the end it's Swedish. I actually tried once to do two songs with Anders Glenmark for a movie called “Arn (The knight Templar)” ("Genom krig och kärlek" & "Allt jag vill") and it was so difficult for me to sing in swedish because I'm from the west coast of Sweden (she's speaking Swedish with her rough accent) it's like a very heavy pronunciation in everything. So, Anders was like "Helena, I think you have to go home, and get inspired for my song… Listen to how the Swedes are singing the song…” It was really rough in my pronunciation. It was really difficult but I actually made it in the end...
And maybe a song in french ?
Oh, I've done. "C'était le temps des fleurs, on ignorait la peur et les lendemains avaient un goût de miel… (…).On était jeunes… Dans une taverne… Yes, it's Dalida ? Yes, it is. I really love Dalida yes.
Thank you.
Facebook d'Elena Paparizou
Twitter d'Elena Paparizou
Les tubes d'Elena Paprizou sur Youtube
Site du fan club d'Helena Paparizou
Site français sur Elena Paparizou
Eurovision.tv (Site officiel de l'Eurovision)
Site de France 2 sur l'Eurovision
Eurovision-quotidien
Eurovision-fr
Tout l'Eurovision sur Wikipedia.fr
I have a very good song which I wanna reach up to the Swedish people. It's not an up-tempo song, it's a mid tempo ballad. It's taller different to what people know me but generally in my career I’ve been singing a lot of ballads. I haven't been in Sweden for many years. Specifically 7 years since I released my last album… It's just a small taste, maybe to see how much Helena has become ; a little bit more mature then she used to be. She's not a little girl anymore, she's a grown-up woman.
It’s what we feel when we listen to this song…
Oh, you feel that ? Thank you very much ! It means everybody has been thinking correctly about this number… Thank you very much.
So you recorded many songs for the new album ?
There are more dance songs for Swedish market ?
Oh of course… Oh God, I have an amazing song called "Chainsaw" which is from Holter & Erixson. I just love that song, it feels so powerful, girly, womanly... I have a new song which is not recorded in Greek also, which is called "Don't hold back on love" with Jimmy Jansson for the lyrics.
And do you write your own songs ?
Well I haven't written a song for a very long time… When I started my career from Antique, I always used to write one song, one lyrics, something but I actually haven't really written any song for a long time now. But usually, you know, I’m starting to write but I'm not always really to publish things. J'aime donner "the teaser song".
And you can express the same things in Greek and in Swedish, or in English ?
The first language I was talking in my life was Swedish, then it was Greek and then it was English. But when I sing, I would say my mother's language is English when I sing, then it's Greek and in the end it's Swedish. I actually tried once to do two songs with Anders Glenmark for a movie called “Arn (The knight Templar)” ("Genom krig och kärlek" & "Allt jag vill") and it was so difficult for me to sing in swedish because I'm from the west coast of Sweden (she's speaking Swedish with her rough accent) it's like a very heavy pronunciation in everything. So, Anders was like "Helena, I think you have to go home, and get inspired for my song… Listen to how the Swedes are singing the song…” It was really rough in my pronunciation. It was really difficult but I actually made it in the end...
And maybe a song in french ?
Oh, I've done. "C'était le temps des fleurs, on ignorait la peur et les lendemains avaient un goût de miel… (…).On était jeunes… Dans une taverne… Yes, it's Dalida ? Yes, it is. I really love Dalida yes.
Thank you.
Apprenez-en plus en visitant les liens ci-dessous
Site officiel d'Elena PaparizouFacebook d'Elena Paparizou
Twitter d'Elena Paparizou
Les tubes d'Elena Paprizou sur Youtube
Site du fan club d'Helena Paparizou
Site français sur Elena Paparizou
Eurovision.tv (Site officiel de l'Eurovision)
Site de France 2 sur l'Eurovision
Eurovision-quotidien
Eurovision-fr
Tout l'Eurovision sur Wikipedia.fr
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