NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Lara Fabian

Lara Fabian (born Lara Crokaert January 9, 1970 in Etterbeek, Belgium) is an international Belgian-Canadian francophone singer, known for her vocal prowess and skilled technique. She often sings in Italian, Spanish, and English in addition to French. She has also sung once in Portuguese, though she is not fluent in the language, and also once in German back in 1988 for a german version of "Croire" ("Glaub"). She does not speak German either. She has sold over 12 million records worldwide so far. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... January 9 is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belgium_(civil). ... Etterbeek within the Brussels-Capital Region Etterbeek is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For popular forms of music in general, see Popular music. ... French pop music is the pop music sung in the French language. ... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH ... Adult contemporary music, frequently abbreciated to just AC, is a type of radio format that plays mainstream and pop music, without hip-hop or rap since, as per the name, it is geared more towards adults than teens. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A singer is a musician who uses their voice to produce music. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... A comedian, or comic, is an entertainer who amuses an audience by making them laugh. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... 1920s vintage Polydor export label with its double-horn gramophone logo In 1954 Polydor Records introduced their distinctive orange label. ... Sony Records is a record label courtesy of Columbia, Epic and American Recordings. ... Universal Music Group (UMG), formerly MCA Music Entertainment Group, is the largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry. ... is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Etterbeek within the Brussels-Capital Region Etterbeek is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. ... French (français, langue française) is one of the most important Romance languages, outnumbered in speakers only by Spanish and Portuguese. ... A singer is a musician who uses their voice to produce music. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Biography

Early life

Lara was born to a Flemish father and a Sicilian mother. Her name comes from her parents' inspiration of the theme song of the film Doctor Zhivago. Although born in Etterbeek (Belgium), she spent her first five years in Catania, learning Italian as a first language, before moving back to Belgium, in Brussels. Lara began singing, dancing, and taking piano lessons at a very young age and began formal music lessons at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels at age eight. Lara began writing and performing her own songs during her ten years study at the conservatory. Lara's songs were greatly influenced as much by her classical vocal and music theory training as contemporary artists as Barbra Streisand and Queen. During this time, Lara entered a number of European competitions and won several prizes. A consequence of winning one of those contests was the release of her first ever single "L'Azziza Est Un Pleurs", a homage to the deceased French singer Daniel Balavoine, in the year of 1986. The term Flemings (Dutch: ) denotes the majority population in Flanders (the northern half of Belgium). ... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,708 kmÂ² (9,926 sq. ... Doctor Zhivago (Russian: Ð”Ð¾ÐºÑ‚Ð¾Ñ€ Ð–Ð¸Ð²Ð°Ð³Ð¾) is a 1965 film directed by David Lean and loosely based on the famous novel of the same name by Boris Pasternak. ... Etterbeek within the Brussels-Capital Region Etterbeek is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium. ... The Roman Odeon. ... Nickname: Map showing the location of Brussels in Belgium Coordinates: , Country Belgium Region Brussels-Capital Region Founded 979 Founded (Region) June 18, 1989 Government - Mayor (Municipality) Freddy Thielemans Area - Region 162 kmÂ² (62. ... Barbra Joan Streisand (born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, theatre and film actress, composer, liberal political activist, film producer and director. ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by Brian May, Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor, with John Deacon joining the following year. ... A European is primarily a person who was born into one of the countries within the continent of Europe. ... Daniel Balavoine. ...

1988-1993: Early music career

In 1988, the RTL TV channel in Luxembourg invited Lara to represent the country at the 33rd Eurovision Song Contest, held that year in Dublin, Ireland. The song presented to Lara was a composition made by Jacques Cardona and Alain Garciac entitled Croire (Trust) and reached a respectful fourth place that night. The winning song belonged to Switzerland, whose singer was no other than Céline Dion with Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi. "Croire" became a big seller single that year in Europe reaching nearly 500.000 copies. Lara still performs Croire live today. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... RTL TÃ©lÃ© LÃ«tzebuerg is the main television channel in Luxembourg, broadcasting in Luxembourgish. ... The Eurovision Song Contest 1988 was the 33rd Eurovision Song Contest and was held on April 30, 1988 in Dublin. ... The Spire at night WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: DÃ¡il Ã‰ireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: 01, +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ... Croire (English translation: Believing) was the Luxembourgish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1988, performed in French by Lara Fabian. ... CÃ©line Marie Claudette Dion, OC, OQ (born March 30, 1968) is a Canadian Grammy, Juno, and Oscar award-winning pop singer and occasional songwriter and actress. ... Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi was the Swiss winning entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1988. ...

Upon finishing her studies (Lara was originally planing to devote her life to child criminology), in 1990 Lara travelled to Canada to promote her third single Je Sais and fell in love with the province of Quebec. In 1991, with two suitcases and $1,000 in her pocket, Lara moved to Montreal, Canada to embark on a career in North America. She began her own music label and publishing company, Productions Clandestines. She didn't leave Brussells all by herself, as her then friend and music collaborator Rick Allison had also left his native Belgium and travelled with Lara to an adventure which became Lara's rise to fame and her career so far. Rick first met Lara in a jazz bar in Brussells some years prior and was impressed by Lara's vocals on Ella Fitzgerald's Summertime. The pair worked steadily on writing and recording songs. Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Capital Quebec City Largest city Montreal Official languages French Government - Lieutenant-Governor Pierre Duchesne - Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 75 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area Ranked 2nd - Total 1,542,056 kmÂ² (595... Nickname: Motto: Concordia Salus (well-being through harmony) Coordinates: , Country Canada Province Quebec Founded 1642 Established 1832 Government - Mayor GÃ©rald Tremblay Area [1][2][3] - City 365. ... North America North America is a continent [1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... Rick Allison was born in Brussels, Belgium on July 17th, 1964. ... Ella Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 â€“ June 15, 1996), also known as Lady Ella and the First Lady of Song, is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th Century. ... Summertime is the name of an aria composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. ...

In 1991, Fabian's self-titled French-language debut album,Lara Fabian, which had been recorded earlier in Belgium, was released in Canada in August 1991 and sold over 100,000 copies. The debut album went on to be certified Gold in 1993 and then certified platinum the following year. The success of such upbeat Dance-pop singles like Le Jour Où Tu Partira, Les Murs, and Qui Pense à l'Amour gave Lara the exposure she needed on the radio. Lara received several nominations at the 1993 ADISQ awards and a poll published around that time revealed that Lara was considered Quebec's most promising singer. Lara Fabians self titled French debut album is considered by some to be her best album because it is the only album Lara has ever record that is somewhat raucous, highly spirited, and very amiable. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Dance-pop is a style of dance music that grew out of disco-influenced beginning in the early 80s. ...

1994-1996: Lara's breakthrough album

Her constant touring in Quebec helped her 1994 album Carpe Diem to be her breakthrough album. The album went gold in less than three weeks of its release, and had three hit singles:Tu t'en vas, Si tu m'aimes, and Leïla. The following year, the album went triple platinum and Lara’s SRO tour attracted more than 150,000 fans. This success was recognized at the 1995 ADISQ gala in which Lara received two Félix awards: Best Show Of The Year and Best Female Singer Of The Year, a category that is voted upon by the public). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Capital Quebec City Largest city Montreal Official languages French Government - Lieutenant-Governor Pierre Duchesne - Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 75 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area Ranked 2nd - Total 1,542,056 kmÂ² (595... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... The FÃ©lix Award is a music award, given on an annual basis to artists in Quebec. ...

In January 1995, Serge Lama requested for Lara to join himself on the stage of the Paris venue Palais des Congrès to perform "Je suis malade", which she renewed on her Carpe Diem album. Impressed by the audience's response to his and Lara's duet, Serge right away asked Lara to sing the song once more on her own, which again delighted the audience. Serge Lama is a French singer. ...

In 1996, Walt Disney Studios immortalized Lara's voice when they asked her to do the voice for the character Esmeralda and sing a song for the animated feature The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Disney also included Lara's French version of the song on the film’s (English) soundtrack album beside that of Bette Midler's version, which was a unique move for the company. The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) is one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world. ... The Hunchback of Notre Dame, or Notre-Dame of Paris (in French, Notre-Dame de Paris) is a novel first published on January 14, 1831 by the prolific French author Victor Hugo. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

1997-1999: Mainstream international success

Lara's 1997 album Pure, was a two million-selling album in France from which came the anti-homophobia anthem "La Difference." The album went platinum in less than two weeks. Lara again was bestowed with awards, being awarded a Félix for Popular Album Of The Year at the 1997 ADISQ gala and was also nominated for two Juno Awards in the Best Female Singer and Best Selling French Album categories. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Lara Fabians 1997 album Pure, was a two million-selling album in France from which came the anti-homophobia anthem La DiffÃ©rence. ... A protest by The Westboro Baptist Church; a group identified by the Anti-Defamation League as virulently homophobic. ... An anthem is a composition to an English religious text sung in the context of an Anglican service. ... The FÃ©lix Award is a music award, given on an annual basis to artists in Quebec. ... The ADISQ (Association quÃ©bÃ©coise de lindustrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidÃ©o) is a nonprofit organization with the mission to help the music industry in QuÃ©bec. ... The Juno Awards are awards of achievement presented to Canadian musical artists and bands. ...

This recognition once again attracted the attention of movie studios. The producer of Daylight, (starring Sylvester Stallone), asked Lara and Rick Allison to write a song for the movie. The song they created is Tant Qu'Il y Aura de l'Amour, the French version of the song performed by Donna Summer and Bruce Roberts. Daylight is an action film, released on Friday, December 6, 1996, starring Sylvester Stallone and directed by Rob Cohen. ... Sylvester Stallone (born July 6, 1946) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. ... Donna Summer (born LaDonna Adrian Gaines, on December 31, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and artist, best known for a string of dance hits in the 1970s that earned her the title Queen of Disco and as one of the few disco-based artists to have longevity on the... Bruce Roberts (born May 30, 1962) was a Zambian cricketer. ...

Lara then signed a contract with the French Polydor label for several albums, and Pure was released in June 1997. Upon its release, Lara's European career skyrocketed. Sales of Pure hit the 2 million mark, while the singles Tout, Je T'Aime, and Humana each sold more than 1 million copies. In January 1998, Lara sang a duet with Johnny Hallyday at a benefit concert given for the Restos du Coeur in France. Lara's own tour during this time had two sold-out shows at L'Olympia (France). A month later, on that very same stage, Lara was given the Discovery Of The Year award during the Victoires de la Musique Gala. Soon after, Polydor released "Carpe Diem" in Europe. Year 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar). ... Johnny Hallyday Johnny Hallyday (born June 15, 1943 in Paris, France) is a French singer and actor. ... A benefit concert is a concert featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate humanitarian crisis. ... The Restaurants du CÅ“ur (more familiarily Restos du CÅ“ur; Restaurants of the Heart) is a French charitable association, the main activity of which is to distribute food packages and hot meals to the needy. ... The Olympias entrance and billboard Paris Olympia is a music hall at 28, Blvd. ... Victoires de la musique is a French award show that recognizes the best singers of the year. ...

After a sold-out two-night stint at the Paris Palais des Sports in April, Lara was even more in demand. Once again she was invited to perform with Johnny Hallyday during several concerts given at the Stade de France in front of 240,000 fans. The following fall, Lara undertook a European tour that reached audiences of more than 100,000. Johnny Hallyday Johnny Hallyday (born June 15, 1943 in Paris, France) is a French singer and actor. ... The Stade de France and the district of La Plaine The Stade de France (the English translation Stadium of France is not used) is a stadium in an inner suburb of Paris, and the national stadium of France, built for the 1998 Football World Cup. ...

Lara's popularity is perhaps exemplified by the famous Grévin Wax Museum's decision to unveil her wax effigy, as a Quebec City museum had already done. She thus became the first female Canadian singer ever to be honoured by the Paris institution. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The MusÃ©e GrÃ©vin is a waxwork museum in Paris with some 500 characters arranged in scenes from the history of France and modern life. ...

In November 1998, Lara received the Félix Award for Artist With The Most Recognition Outside Quebec at the ADISQ Gala. In December, Lara was chosen Revelation Of The Year by the magazine Paris Match, which put her on its cover to mark this occasion. Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... The FÃ©lix Award is a music award, given on an annual basis to artists in Quebec. ... Alexandre Coste, son of Albert II of Monaco, on the cover of Paris Match Paris Match is a French magazine. ...

Lara spent most of fall 1998 in France, where she embarked on an extensive tour of 24 cities including Paris, Lyon, Marseilles, Geneva and Monaco. During this sold-out concert tour, Lara performed for audiences of more than 150,000. In May 1999, Lara was honoured at the World Music Awards in Monaco, where she was given the award for Best Selling Record for the Year 1998 for her album Pure. The World Music Awards (founded in 1989) is an international awards show that annually honors recording artists based on their worldwide sales figures, which are provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). ...

In July 1999, with over 6 million records sold across Europe, Polydor released Lara’s eponymous (her self-titled debut from 1991) album. The European version of this early album contained slight modifications, such as a new album cover and the addition of the song Croire. Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ...

Lara released a live album, Lara Fabian Live, which debuted at #1 on the France charts in 1998. This helped solidified the international buzz around her and she received an international recording contract from Sony Music, which released her self-titled, English-language album, "Lara Fabian", in 2000. Sony Corporation ) is a Japanese multinational corporation and one of the worlds largest media conglomerates with revenue of $68. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

2000-2001: Extention of success to the U.S./Latin America

In the summer of 1999, Lara crossed the Atlantic to record her first English-language album in New York and San Francisco for the Sony label. The songs were written and produced with the help of her partner Rick Allison and Dave Pickell as well as with Walter Afanasieff, Glen Ballard and Pat Leonard. Lara Fabian is an album by Lara Fabian, released in 2000. ... Cover of Lara Fabian self-titled album Lara Fabian, taken from Amazon. ... Cover of Lara Fabian self-titled album Lara Fabian, taken from Amazon. ...

The Dance-pop song, I Will Love Again, her first English single, reached #1 on the U.S.A. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play. It also peaked #32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #10 Adult Contemporary), and the album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers new album chart. A follow-up ballad, Love By Grace, became a moderate Adult Contemporary chart hit peaking at #24. The third single, the Dance-pop song, I Am Who I Am remixed by Hex Hector did become an underground club hit, but barely missed the charts. Dance-pop is a style of dance music that grew out of disco-influenced beginning in the early 80s. ... For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... Billboards Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart is a weekly national survey of what songs are most popular in U.S. dance clubs. ... The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... Adult contemporary music, frequently abbreciated to just AC, is a type of radio format that plays mainstream and pop music, without hip-hop or rap since, as per the name, it is geared more towards adults than teens. ... Adult contemporary music, frequently abbreciated to just AC, is a type of radio format that plays mainstream and pop music, without hip-hop or rap since, as per the name, it is geared more towards adults than teens. ... Dance-pop is a style of dance music that grew out of disco-influenced beginning in the early 80s. ... Hex Hector (born in 1965 in the Bronx, United States) is one of the most famous House remixer of the 90s, and also one of the most famous in terms of mainstream crossover popularity. ...

Lara has recorded songs for several Hollywood motion picture soundtracks such as "The Dream Within" for the Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within soundtrack and, "For Always" for the AI:Artificial Intelligence soundtrack. Lara has also ventured into movies, appearing in the film De-Lovely, performing Cole Porter's So In Love with Mario Frangoulis, and the song appears on the movie soundtrack as well. Lara also appears on the soundtrack "Songs From Dawson's Creek, Vol. 2". ... Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is a science fiction movie by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy series of video games. ... A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (actual on-screen title: Artificial Intelligence: A.I.) (2001) was the last project that filmmaker Stanley Kubrick worked on. ... De-Lovely movie poster. ... Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 â€“ October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter from Indiana. ... This January 2007 does not cite its references or sources. ...

2001-2002: Return to the French roots with "Nue"

"Nue" (Naked) was Lara's fourth French album to be released in the Fall of 2001 in both Québec and France, making her return to her French singing roots. Her rollercoaster experience surrounding her first English recording album was so intense and, although critically praised, personally exhausting. Her emotional ride through the last previous years was somehow documented in a very personal record to which Lara, alongside her partner and producer Rick Allison, called "Nue". An album that undressed Lara from all the bad remarks she had suffered over the years as an artist and presented a much more vulnerable and fragile yet with an exceptional vocal strengh to open up her heart and mind. Her fist single released in the summer that year was the anthem "J'y Crois Encore", a top 20 french hit followed by the release of the album later that month. The album reached #1 in Belgium and #2 in France (but saddly did little impact in her home beloved Québec). Other singles followed, such as the Lara's personal favourite track "Immortelle" (a strong song that remains constantly present in Lara's live concerts), "Aimer Dejá" and the nominated song of the year in 2002 hit "Tu Es Mon Autre" (a duet with fellow belgian friend and singer Maurane), which scored the top 5 in France. This has become another trademark song in Lara's carear as she has performed it so many time with so many other artists (including Rick Allison during her 2001/2002 tour). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Alternate cover Rare Nue album cover Nue (french for naked), is Lara Fabians fifth album, and first French release in four years, since Pure, which earned Lara instant fame in Europe. ...

In addition, this album was also released in Portugal (having reached the top 10 on the album charts during the fall of 2001)as a consequence of her tremendous success of her previous English album, presenting the Portuguese audience with her French singing repertoire.

Towards the end of 2002, Lara released her second live album from her latest tour together with a DVD showcasing two of her recorded concerts in December 2001 in Belgium (at the Forest National and the Zénith of Paris respectively). A double CD set similar to her 1998 Live release it included mostly songs from her latest release "Nue" but it did not exclude under no means, her biggest older hits with a special emphasis for "Je T'aime" which basically was sung almost by the audience in full force leaving a tearful emotional Lara caught by surprise by this moment (a moment that can be witnessed on her same DVD). The duet of "Tu Es Mon Autre" was specially done that night by the two song composers, Lara and her long time collaborator, Rick Allison, as both say to one another before the performance "[...] a song that I wrote for you, and that you wrote for me [...]". The Live album included also two versions of the single "Immortelle", one first as a intro to the concert showing Lara at the piano performing a three minute version of this song and the second version closer to the original studio one where one can see the band leaving the stage towards a on-screen butterfly, a symbol Lara insisted on having seen on stage during this tour, as it also trademarked her album and portraited a strong singficance for the idea of womanhood on her album. There were two new studio recording included on the same album: "Tu Me Manques", a song soley composed by Lara and a cover of Charles Aznavour's "Comme Ils Disent".

At this very same time, Lara was once again touring but in a more intimate and acoustic way at the Casino de Paris every November Monday night. An acoustic set that became her transition towards a new Lara Fabian that the public was on verge of knowing and worshipping. During this tour Maurane and Daniel Lavoie were two of the main performing guests duetting with her on "Tu Es Mon Autre", of course, and "Je Suis Mon Coeur", written for Lara by Lavoie himself. This acoustic also led to another live cd/dvd release in the end of 2003.

2003: Acoustic live sections: "En Toute Intimité"

In 2003, Lara released the best-selling European DVD and CD, "En Toute Intimité", which was an intimate, acoustic piano-based collection showcasing Lara performing songs in English, Italian, and French. On the DVD recorded at the mythic Olympia theatre Lara made her homage to Celine Dion's biggest french classic "Pour Que tu M'aimes encore" making it clear how respectful was her appreciation for the Canadian singer despite years of media scrutiny against Lara in comparasion to Celine Dion. Besides some of Fabian's most remarkable hits and album tracks, one could find classics such as Dalla's "Caruso" (so often performed by Lara before); Jevetta Stelle's "Calling You" from the Bagdad Café soundtrack; "Mistral Gagnant" of French singer Renauld and a medley from the worldwide known French musical "Starmania". Lara had the chance to not only interprete the songs but she also took advantage of the intimacy in the room and closeness with the audience to play a role and share her passion for acting. The result, according to many who attended the tour, was amazing. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

2004: Second international English release "A Wonderful Life"

In 2004, Lara released her second English album A Wonderful Life. The project was commercially disastrous but critically-praised. The album did not surpass the success of her previous English debut effort, but created a path for a sound and musical change that would trademark Lara's music onwards. The more organic sound is due to the exceptional work of French guitarist Jean-Félix Lalanne, and also working with producers such as Desmond Child and the British team True North (composed of Take That singer Gary Barlow and fellow mate Elliot Kennedy) among others. The center piece of this record, as Lara stated on a promotional interview for this album, is "Review My Kisses", a song written by Desmond Child and planned to be recorded initially by Lara herself but was somehow left aside. Later in 2002, it was LeAnn Rimes who ended up recording it for her album "Twisted Angel." Lara ended up recording it for "A Wonderful Life" afterwards. The first single release (though only for radio) was "The Last Goodbye" in the US and most other countries (except France). The video premiered on Portuguese talk show "Herman Sic" one day before the album was released. In the meantime, Lara decided to release a different song in France, considering that "The Last Goodbye" was too "American" for an audience that was more used to her own songwriting. She released (with a video as well) the song "No Big Deal." Nevertheless, neither of the songs achieved massive or moderate success caused by Lara's personal decision to withdraw from the project, and also due to conflicts with Sony Music. This led to a lack of promotion for the album, as well as a cancellation of the album's release in the United States. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

At least one song from the album saw some light and shining moments when included on a Brazilian soap opera, "I Guess I Loved You." Brazil is still one of those countries strongly passionate for Lara's music, and therefore this song was chosen for the soundtrack of "Senhora do Destino" (Lady Of Destiny) almost gaining the same popularity that "Love By Grace" did back in 2001. The song also gained some popularity in Portugal for the same reasons, though it was never officially released or promoted. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Lara was almost in complete seclusion for the rest of 2004 from the music scene, having left her second English record aside. Newspapers began speculating about a serious disease that had affected Lara. The drama was so big and so exaggerated that Lara herself proved to be well enough to appear on a short interview in Québec later that year, explaining some of the reasons she withdrew from the public eye and also why she left Québec (where she lived for nearly 15 years) and returned to her native Belgium.

2005: "9" (Neuf)

She re-appeared on the music scene in France (and also in Canada) with a brand new record, an album that marked a completely different direction in Lara's musical and personal life. In early 2005 she released her 5th French album "9", a title that symbolically resembles "a change," "a rebirth [...]the end of a period of time in one's life and simultaneously the beginning of another." Lara sang differently, with smoothness, serenity and with a lot of joy. This was far from the in-depth and dramatic vibes of earlier recordings. Critical voices that had so often given bad reviews for Lara's vocal abilities, claiming that she "screamed," or that she was just attempting to "become" another Celine Dion finally saw a Lara that no longer used her vocal power to reach her audience. The album yielded the hit single "La Lettre," a song co-written by Lara and composed by her new-found partner and lover at the time, Jean-Félix Lalanne. He would, in fact, be the other element responsible for the composition and production of the album's 11 tracks with Lara herself. Other singles featured were "Ne Lui Parlez Plus D'Elle," "Un Ave Maria", "Il Ne Manquait Que Toi" (a song written by Lara and inspired by Lallane) and the gospel-infused "L'Homme Qui N'Avait Pas De Maison." The success of this album was then followed by a huge tour called "Un Regard 9" in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Lebanon, Russia, Quebec, Turkey, Luxembourg, Mauritius, French overseas territories of the Caribbean and Oceania (more than 60 concerts), and a summer tour. Lara also performed in Portugal for the first time, showcasing songs from her two English records and a few French songs like "La Lettre." Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

2005-2006: Un Regard 9

In the meantime, Lara has just released her new live CD/DVD "Un Regard 9 LIVE." Recorded in March 2006 at the Zenith in Paris, the CD presents 15 live performances plus a brand new song, "Aime," recorded in a studio in Montreal. This song has been recorded in both English and French, though the latter version is the only one officially released so far. It was initially presented live during a few concerts in Belgium as gift for her native Belgium fans, but the enthusiastic response and feedback was so huge that Lara felt she should record the song and include it on a forthcoming release. On TV shows, where Lara has been promoting the song as a single, one can see the audience putting their hands in the air in the shape of a heart, a sign Lara made during her tour and that has now became a symbol for the song and its meaning. The entire live concert features songs from Lara's latest studio album "9" and old songs all performed acoustically. Certain songs like "Tout" for instance were completely re-arranged to fit with this new sound and the concept of the show. A stand-out moment during the concert is the homage Lara makes to her idol Barbra Streisand, singing "Papa Can You Hear Me" and "A Piece Of Sky" both taken from Streisand's 1983 movie "Yentl." These two songs had been previously performed in medley by Lara, back in 1997, during a concert in Québec at the time Pure was released. This time around, these songs get the chance to fully showcase Lara's amazing vocals on a record. On the DVD one can find track that were intentionally left off from the CD, like "Je T'Aime" or even two English songs taken from Lara's two English records, "Broken Vow" and "I Guess I Loved You". According to Lara, these tracks had a more visual aspect on them than just being simply listened on a record. Therefore they are shown on the DVD and not the CD. Another amazing example presented on this DVD is the almost 10 minute performance of "Humana", a track and single taken off 1997 album Pure, which went longer than expect in running time during the concert due to the public's enthusiasm that took over during the performance and during 10 minutes besides Lara's normal vocal performance one ends up having the audience singing to the song all over during four or five minutes longer while Lara, caught by surprise with this reaction, jumps with joy motivating the audience to continue singing. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

2006-present: The "Italian" adventure

According to recent messages left by Lara on her official site, www.lara-fabian.fr, her next studio album will be her first Italian-language project. Few details have been released thus far, except that she has been working with Neapolitan singer and songwriter Gigi D'Alessio, who appeared once at one of her shows, and whose performance is included as a bonus on Lara's recent Live DVD. The two have recorded a song called "Cuore Malato" ("ill heart"), which they performed live during the fourth night of the 2007 Sanremo festival on Rai Uno, the main Italian public channel. Lara's Italian album is expected to be released around spring of the same year. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Location of the city of Naples (red dot) within Italy. ... Gigi dAlessio (born Luigi dAlessio) Italian popular singer and Neapolitan singer-songwriter. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... The Festival della canzone italiana (in Italian: Festival of the Italian song) is a popular Italian song contest running since 1951 and held annually in the city of Sanremo. ... Rai Uno is the primary television station of RAI, the national public service broadcaster, and the most watched television channel in Italy. ...

It has now been confirmed that there is a French/Italian version for this duet (Un Coeur Blessé) and that such version will be released during summer (now confirmed to be on the 28th May) in France to radio and TV performances will follow to promote this single.

Lara will working in Rome and Los Angeles until June 2007 to further writing and recording sessions for her Italian album. In the meantime, her current single "Un Cuore Malato" (with Gigi D'Alessio) has reached the top of the italian charts and reached the top 20 in France (#16).

2007 - 2008: Working with Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard on "multilingual" album for 2008/09

Since early June Lara has been working in Los Angeles alongside with Dave Stewart (off British band Eurythmics) and former Alanis Morissette producer and writing partner, Glenn Ballard on Lara's so aforementioned "multilingual" record which will include songs in English, Spanish, French and Italian and maybe a few other languages. This album is expected to be released somewhere around 2008 or 2009. Lara will return to Los Angeles next year now to finish the recording process around this record.

Lara revealed some time ago , related to this project, that she wrote a song with Dave Stewart called "Between Hatred And Love" and a few tracks with Glen Ballad, who had previously composed a track for Lara titled "Ivy" and released as a b-side for the single "Adagio" in 1999.

Other current career activities:

The birth of an actress (French theatre and a possible big break into Hollywood)

On a recent press release, Lara confirmed that she will start acting on a French play with two other famous French actors. Her role will be of a man, whose character Lara hasn't so far revealed. Lara expressed excitement on this new adventure she is embarking on an new adventure; an adventure that as she states "acting is related to being a singer, as interpretating a song makes a singer become a small actor on a song". And it seems as well that theatre isn't the only acting experience Lara will undertake in the near future: she was surprisingly asked about her expected audition to a upcoming American film in Hollywood she might be in, an issue that was supposed to be kept secret for a while.

Live Performances and Tours

As far as concerts are concerned, Lara has been in Québec to perform a two night concert at the Olympia de Montreal (re-opening this theatre room that had been in renovation for quite some time and it was also Lara's very first stage she performed in when she first came to Québec in the early 90s)presenting her Quebec fans a little bit of the vibe and feel around her European Un Regard 9 tour 2005-2006. After that, we found Lara performing in countries such as Portugal, Turkey and Russia (just to mention some) with private acoustic sections to delight of her fans.

On a recently given interview for a Russian radio Silver Rain, prior to her concert in Moscow, Lara expressed how much she loved and admired the deceased talented young singer Grégory LeMarchal and claimed he was her favourite Star Academy participant from all six editions done so far. She was also asked about what she thought of all these sort of shows that has brought out so many people to the world of music, she just said "Who are we to judge? [...] These young people don't know how this machinery works, but we can't kill their dreams, can we?". In addition, Lara performed Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" specially for LeMarchal during her concert ending her performance in tears.

Until this present moment she is still promoting her latest single alongside Gigi D'Alessio but also she will be expeted to be part of the "Festival Bar", in the small town of Catane in Sicile (Italy), where Lara enjoyed 5 years of her childhood. This is to be held on the forthcoming 29th June.

Personal Life: love and pregnancy (fulfillment of a dream)

During the summer time Lara will spend a few weeks in Québec with her now fiancé Gerald Pullicino (who had previously recorded her "Un regard 9" DVD in 2006 and Celine Dion's "Au Coeur Du Stade" DVD back in 1999)enoying the summer where she feels better and closer to her friends.

Lara announced on the 25th of June 2007 on her official website, that she is 5 months pregnant, expecting a baby girl. This is the fulfilment of a long time dream that has surrounded her over the years and also given a lot of buzz on the media since she has so often been asked about it. Lara states being in good shape and still no facing any in-the-middle-of-the night-nausias or huge food desires and so often happens during pregnancy.

Discography

Albums

Lara Fabians self titled French debut album is considered by some to be her best album because it is the only album Lara has ever record that is somewhat raucous, highly spirited, and very amiable. ... Lara Fabians 1997 album Pure, was a two million-selling album in France from which came the anti-homophobia anthem La DiffÃ©rence. ... Alternate cover European album cover After the huge francophones success, in 1998 and 1999, Lara went to New York City and San Francisco to record her first album in English. ... Alternate cover Rare Nue album cover Nue (french for naked), is Lara Fabians fifth album, and first French release in four years, since Pure, which earned Lara instant fame in Europe. ... The singer/songwriter, Lara Fabians sophomore English effort and sixth studio album, A Wonderful Life is a good album overall, but because of lack of promotion and disputes over creative direction, the album failed to make an impression on the pop charts in America and Europe. ... Un Regard 9 is the title of both the CD and DVD from Lara Fabians 2005/2006 tour of the same name which followed her 2005 studio release, titled 9. The CD and DVD were both released separately and together as a limited edition box set. ...

CD Box Sets releases

DVD and VHS releases

Singles

1989 The modern logo was introduced for the 2004 Contest to create a consistent visual identity. ...

1999-2001 Johnny Hallyday Johnny Hallyday (born June 15, 1943 in Paris, France) is a French singer and actor. ...

2001-2002 Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is a Grammy-nominated American singer/songwriter known for his mature and lyrical baritone voice. ...

Gigi dAlessio (born Luigi dAlessio) Italian popular singer and Neapolitan singer-songwriter. ...

Trivia

A lawyer, according to Blacks Law Dictionary, is a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person licensed to practice law. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Westmount is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada on the Island of Montreal, an enclave of the city of Montreal; pop. ... A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (actual on-screen title: Artificial Intelligence: A.I.) (2001) was the last project that filmmaker Stanley Kubrick worked on. ... A singer is a musician who uses their voice to produce music. ... Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is a Grammy-nominated American singer/songwriter known for his mature and lyrical baritone voice. ... LeAnn Rimes (born Margaret LeAnn Rimes August 28, 1982 in Jackson, Mississippi) is an American country music singer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Lee-Hom Wang (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; born May 17, 1976; also referred to as, Wang Leehom, or just Leehom) is a four time Golden Melody Award-winning American singer-songwriter and actor who has achieved highly recognized success in Taiwan, Mainland China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Thailand and the rest...

Related Francophone Artists

CÃ©line Marie Claudette Dion AngÃ©lil, OC, OQ, (born March 30, 1968) is a Canadian pop vocalist and occasional songwriter. ... Tina Arena (born Filippina Lydia Arena on November 1, 1967, in Moonee Ponds, Melbourne, Australia) is an ARIA award winning singer/songwriter. ... ChimÃ¨ne Badi is a young singer who got her career break on a French TV reality show, Popstars; she released her first album Entre Nous 2 years ago. ... Angguns Luminescence Album cover Anggun Cipta Sasmi (born April 29, 1974, in Jakarta) is a singer/songwriter of French nationality. ... HÃ©lÃ¨ne SÃ©gara (born HÃ©lÃ¨ne Rizzo February 26, 1971 in Six-Fours-les-Plages, France) is a French female singer. ...

Related International Artists

Mariah Carey (born March 27, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, music video director and actress. ... Whitney Elizabeth Houston (born August 9, 1963) is an American pop and R&B singer, songwriter, actress, film producer, and former model. ... Barbra Joan Streisand (born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, theatre and film actress, composer, liberal political activist, film producer and director. ... Maria Callas in a casual moment, 1960s Maria Callas (Greek: ÎœÎ±ÏÎ¯Î± ÎšÎ¬Î»Î»Î±Ï‚) (December 2, 1923 â€“ September 16, 1977) was a Greek American dramatic coloratura soprano and perhaps the best-known opera singer of the post-World War II period. ... Aretha Louise Franklin (born March 25, 1942) is an American soul, R&B, and gospel singer, songwriter, and pianist. ...

Contents

Biography

Early life

1988-1993: Early music career

1994-1996: Lara's breakthrough album

1997-1999: Mainstream international success

2000-2001: Extention of success to the U.S./Latin America

2001-2002: Return to the French roots with "Nue"

2003: Acoustic live sections: "En Toute Intimité"

2004: Second international English release "A Wonderful Life"

2005: "9" (Neuf)

2005-2006: Un Regard 9

2006-present: The "Italian" adventure

2007 - 2008: Working with Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard on "multilingual" album for 2008/09

Other current career activities:

The birth of an actress (French theatre and a possible big break into Hollywood)

Live Performances and Tours

Personal Life: love and pregnancy (fulfillment of a dream)

Discography

Albums

CD Box Sets releases

DVD and VHS releases

Singles

Trivia

Related Francophone Artists

Related International Artists

See also

External links

Contents

Biography GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Early life

1988-1993: Early music career

1994-1996: Lara's breakthrough album

1997-1999: Mainstream international success

2000-2001: Extention of success to the U.S./Latin America

2001-2002: Return to the French roots with "Nue"

2003: Acoustic live sections: "En Toute Intimité"

2004: Second international English release "A Wonderful Life"

2005: "9" (Neuf)

2005-2006: Un Regard 9

2006-present: The "Italian" adventure

2007 - 2008: Working with Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard on "multilingual" album for 2008/09

Other current career activities:

The birth of an actress (French theatre and a possible big break into Hollywood)

Live Performances and Tours

Personal Life: love and pregnancy (fulfillment of a dream)

Discography

Albums

CD Box Sets releases

DVD and VHS releases

Singles

Trivia

Related Francophone Artists

Related International Artists

See also

External links

Biography