From: owner-basia-digest@smoe.org (basia-digest) To: basia-digest@smoe.org Subject: basia-digest V4 #36 Reply-To: basia@smoe.org Sender: owner-basia-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-basia-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "basia-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. basia-digest Monday, February 8 1999 Volume 04 : Number 036 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Boom! Shake the smoe [Ray Navarra ] Leslie the inspiring [Ray Navarra ] Re: Diane Warren [karalta ] Re: Leslie the inspiring ["Leslie Brown" ] Oooh! Interview Alert! ["Leslie Brown" ] Re: Leslie the inspiring [Mike Nice ] The Sweetest Weekend (37 KB. Yikes!) [Ray Navarra Subject: Boom! Shake the smoe Hey all! I'll be sending the interview in a sec... but as it's 37 KB long... don't expect smoe to accept it before Christmas! :P Seriously, if it doesn't get there, I'll upload it on my site. Brian wrote: > In Basia's case, "soon" is a very relative term. Exactly my thoughts. When I read "the new album will be released soon" I think "oh great, another five years of waiting". And, considering the fact she's going out of her head to get pregnant again... do you really think she would tour with a baby? Ashoke wrote: > Ray, the naughty boy, asked: > > > Ashoke > > > (who is going to eat an obscenely sumptuous meal tonight in > > celebration of > > > the submission of his first manuscript. Bring on the sushi!) > > Yes ma'am! What would you like for the dessert? :D > Um, whipped cream and chocolate body paint. ER, I mean candy...:-D "Whipped" That sounds good too! :) > Ashoke (who almost scared an old lady today with his gyrations in the car > while listening to "The Sweetest Illusion"!) Ray, who's always surprised when he finds out that people look bizarrely at him, and then realises he's been singing "Brave New Hope" in the bus. Lovelove... (-) Ray - -=[ members.xoom.com/obvious ]=-=[ Soon to come: The Future Is Yours mp3 ]=- - -=[ Air discography: members.xoom.com/obvious/airdisco.txt ]=- - -=[ Number one this week: Dimitri From Paris "Une Very Stylish Fille" ]=- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Feb 1999 10:15:18 +0100 (CET) From: Ray Navarra Subject: Leslie the inspiring Hey all, Leslie wrote: > They need to get out of the mass production diva factory. I guess that's > why I was glad to hear that Basia had turned down the Warren songs- to > me Diane Warren is kinda part of that. (Like you said earlier about the > winning pop formula) Ohhhhh... I wanted to call my "best of" CD (released in summer) "Man Made Music" but now "Mass Production Diva Factory" is taking over... (-) Ray - -=[ members.xoom.com/obvious ]=-=[ Soon to come: The Future Is Yours mp3 ]=- - -=[ Air discography: members.xoom.com/obvious/airdisco.txt ]=- - -=[ Number one this week: Dimitri From Paris "Une Very Stylish Fille" ]=- ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 07 Feb 1999 18:49:30 +1100 From: karalta Subject: Re: Diane Warren Don't forget How Do I Live which both Trisha Yearwood and Leanne Rimes recorded with great success. Scott At 23:41 5/02/99 EST, you wrote: > > > >>I've never heard of Diane Warren. Who has recorded songs of hers? >Celine? >>Ack! > >>Jim P. > > ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 08 Feb 1999 07:14:41 PST From: "Leslie Brown" Subject: Re: Leslie the inspiring >Ohhhhh... I wanted to call my "best of" CD (released in summer) "Man Made >Music" but now "Mass Production Diva Factory" is taking over... Wow! Thanks! I'm blushing. Hey, maybe you might want to post the interview in parts. I have a sneaking suspicion that smoe will reject it. Grrr smoe... - --Leslie, not so inspiring ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 02 Feb 1999 16:10:08 PST From: "Leslie Brown" Subject: Oooh! Interview Alert! Wow! Aren't we lucky lately! Here's a link to yet another Radio Zet interview. Granted I couldn't tell you for the life of me what it says, but maybe we will be lucky to have the great Ray help us out ;-D We remember the last super-cool Radio Zet interview eh! I think we were tripping on that for a few days (so to speak ;) ) http://www.radiozet.com.pl/pol/radio/wywiady/basia2.html Lo and behold, the server works much faster than last time. I can discern the few proper names in it, something about Titanic & Boogie Nights, more dissing on Edyta Gorniak, and raves on this 'Catatonia' group (I've gotta look this up now) And, some Kevin guy gets a lot of play. Who's he? (big LOL) Dig the vibes, cats! - --a very excited Leslie ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 08 Feb 99 20:43:42 -0500 From: Mike Nice Subject: Re: Leslie the inspiring In <19990208151442.25511.qmail@hotmail.com>, on 02/08/99 at 07:14 AM, "Leslie Brown" said: >Hey, maybe you might want to post the interview in parts. I have a >sneaking suspicion that smoe will reject it. Grrr smoe... Be careful! Smoe is watching...he mocks you by posting a rerun: >Subject: Oooh! Interview Alert! >Date: Tue, 02 Feb 1999 16:10:08 PST ...There's been so many interviews lately that I almost thought there'd been another one. From the last one - "M: When you prepare the albums with Danny, you hardly ever use computers. " Does this mean Basia isn't on this list in disguise? - -- - ----------------------------------------------------------- Mike Nice - ----------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Feb 1999 10:02:53 +0100 (CET) From: Ray Navarra Subject: The Sweetest Weekend (37 KB. Yikes!) Bloody hell everyone, Two words before I begin: the grammar of the interview is terrible, it seems that nobody cared enough to correct it. Basia's favourite song "Yoning" gave me much laugh, just the same applied to her fans, Sumy Davis Jr and Lisa Minelli (grr! I hate it when someone misspells Liza Minnelli's name...) OK, here I go. Many, many thanks to Leslie! Without her neither you nor me would enjoy this interview! A WEEKEND WITH A STAR - BASIA TRZETRZELEWSKA January 16th, 17th 1999 This interview is protected by copyright laws. All its use has to be approved by Radio Zet co, Warsaw. (yeah well... let's say I forgot to ask them. R) (Seriously, I would ask them, but I have no phone number to Radio Zet) Q: Do you still like eating toasts, cheese with butter and jam for breakfast? A: Often, but not always. Q: Which means, something has changed. A: Well, what's changed? Kevin likes my scrambled eggs so much that I make it very often, I add many different things to it, but we don't eat eggs every day. Sometimes we simply eat cereals, sometimes toasts, sometimes some funny sandwiches, you know. Different things, I like changes. Q: And did your own favourite song change? A: Did I have my own favourite song? Q: Yeah, you used to have one? A: Three years ago? It must have been "Yoning" (ok, ok, no more "Yoning" R) Q: Yes. And now? A: You know, when we were completing the album the song of course was there, and I've been listening to all of this, but with Yearning, you know, mhmm - it was the song that made me, you know, get into some emotional state. Q: So we're staying with it? A: Yes. But I have to tell you that I really, really like the new one: "Clear Horizon". It makes me feel similar emotions, despite the fact it's not about me. I wrote this song to help a friend of mine, who was in terrible trouble, in really terrible heart trouble and, God... I thought that he was not going to make it, he was so depressed and in despair that I was really worrying. Sometimes I've been calling him in the middle of the night, just to make sure that everything's alright. And this song was written exactly because I wanted to make him feel better. And I did. Q: Did you? A: Yes, at least I think so, because right now he's in top form. It's not only because of me, but, it seems that something's worked. Q: Which must mean it's a good song for everyone who's in heart trouble and they will listen to it? (Believe me, I _do_ correct the original grammar... R) A: Not only the heart troubles, because "Clear Horizon" is simply about the kind-of inner calm, also the peace, isn't it? 'cause I don't know if you know... Q: I've been listening and reading... A: Oh yes, that... Q: ...your lyrics. A: Oh, the lyric. But this title has come from the quote. It's a quote from Alfred Hitchcock, who's said that his perfect happiness would be "clear horizon". I liked this quote so much that I wrote it down and it matched this very story. And it was simply an advice, that the most important thing in life is having this king of peace. Not caring about the things that aren't important. Q: Do you still like giving gifts? A: Yes, I do. Q: What did you give recently? A: The last gift I had given was for Kevin, his birthday was a few days ago, and I bought him... You know, Robinson's his last name, it's a Scottish last name... so I bought him kilt. (Yikes! R) You know what kilt is? Q: Hmm... A: Kilt is a Scottish kind-of skirt, which is now becoming very fashionable. The men wear them in London, not too often because there aren't too many brave ones, but I bought him an original Scottish skirt and he looks great in it, really great. Q: Does Kevin have nice legs? A: Very. He's got really great legs, really! I think it's the best part of his body. Really. He's got them greatly built, very muscular and so much slim. He's got very fine legs. Q: Are you mad sometimes? A: Am I mad sometimes? I have to think about it. You sure know, that, compared to some pals of mine, who live in my town, I must be really mad, because I'm impulsive and sometimes I can think up something really stupid and go somewhere, you know, not just because I can afford it, but just because I can go, even like 5 kilometres far from home and not go back for a week. So I've got mad ideas and Kevin is the type of guy who will always catch with all of my maddest ideas. Oh! An example. Last year we came to Poland, for, I think, 10 days, and the day we were supposed to leave I woke up in the morning and said "I'm not going". I've had the tickets that I couldn't exchange for the others, but I took the risk. I said "OK, we'll buy the new tickets, I just won't leave home" and we stayed for another week. Can you imagine that? I've bungled the job, I was expecting the big difficulties, but it didn't matter, I simply did what I wanted. And he did it too, with a little fear, but he's also stayed with me. And, you know, everything was alright. It came out that the tickets could be exchanged, and nothing was wrong. Q: Basia, which things you don't have the time for? A: Oh, lots of things. I'm very late with the books, movies, theatre. I'd like to see such many things. But, unfortunately, I have no time at all. I don't recall the last time I was at the cinema. Q: It must have been "Titanic"? A: "Titanic", must have, you're right. "Titanic", and after that "Boogie Nights". Because someone has come up to see me and I could find a moment. Apart from that, I really don't havetime for anything. Q: The people who become successful, also in the financial terms, say that they lose friends. What about you? Did you lose them or gain new ones? A: You know, my situation in England is so good that people don't care about this. I've got some poor friends and some better ones (I think she has meant the class divisions - R) richer, and we all are equal friends, there's no jealousy, no envy and it's, I think, honest. There's some professional jealousy. I know many musicians who, you know, don't do well. A lot of musicians, who don't do well and we're really sorry about it, but, you know, we managed to do it and release an album and some of them, really good musicians, can't even release a single song. So that's not that simple. But what can I do? Q: What are you best in? A: I'm good in the garden, in the cooking. Q: So you're simply a cooker or a gardener? A: Yes, you're right. But my real life passion was teaching. I really wanted to be a teacher. Q: Are you patient? A: My teaching experiences are limited to helping the friends at school, to teaching the young girls English here in Poland and also in France. I've got two girls I used to teach. Yes, I simply think that it's the very important job, that is absolutely underrated and the youths are the mirror of their teachers. But it's like it is. Sometimes I see the teachers who don't really try to be the best in their job, and I think I could do something about it. I've got a friend who's really made to be a teacher and I feel the terrible admiration for her. Q: What do you believe more in: the destiny or the fortune? What's more of in your life? A: Both, I think. Because everything that has happened in my life was obviously the fortune, but it's also the part of destiny, isn't it? I think that the path is made for me, I simply walk it. I'm just carried by the fortune. If I have the opportunity to do something interesting, I try to take the chance. If nothing comes up and I don't feel like working, I don't work. Q: It's comfort. A: Yes it is a comfort, but it's a very risky way of living, because I'm very often in a situation when my employers are very unhappy with this. And of course I have to live of something, so I have to work, to live. Q: Are you jealous? A: I used to, yeah. It might have been coming from the lack of self esteem, because we were apart so often. And right in this moment, as I said, there's full trust. I'm not jealous anymore. And I even find it funny, when someone's flirting with Kevin. Q: And the other way round, how do you think, how does he look at the fact you're surrounded by men? A: I also know that he used to be jealous. I don't know, is he still? Kevin is great in hiding those things. Even when he was jealous, when he was really jealous, I wasn't hundred percent sure of it. I had to ask him, really, saying "Did you really feel something funny up there?" and then he would admit it and it would turn out that he was. But it wasn't easy for him. I had to take it out of him. I don't know, this must be a kind-of male pride, to hide the jealousy. I don't know where is it from. Q: This question will be a woman question. Which things in men do attract you? A: Oh God, it's terrible. This interview sounds like a constant glorifying of this my Kevin, but he's got exactly those features of character that I like in men. Sometimes, my friends, especially girlfriends don't want to believe me, but it has never happened in my life, that I would ask Kevin something and he wouldn't agree. This is something incredible and it can be 2am and I want ice cream and he would go to the petrol station and bring me the ice cream. Q: Did it ever happened? A: Many times! I've been having stupid whims and he would do this immediately. I know, he's unusual in this, but he has something in him, he's always helping me in everything I do and he's got the fabulous sense of humour and always makes me laugh. My mum has told me, "You know, you're very bizarre, sometimes in the middle of the night I can hear you laughing". Because her sleeping room is next to ours. And she says "You've always got something to talk about, I can always hear your voices." And that's it, we never miss the subjects. And he's terribly funny. This simply unloads me. And I really love it when he talks with the various accents, from the various languages. For the example, he pretends to be Australian, Irish, it's so much funny. He has even learned to speak Polish, the way that Poles talk in English, or French. He's so incredible, I think he should work in the radio or somewhere and play various people. Q: Not onstage, yes? A: Exactly, I've told him that he really should, he's got a great radio voice. Q: Do you still do yoga? A: Hardly ever, but I try to. Especially I try, when I'm very stressed. But I do other sports. For the example, I play badminton, or swim, or ski if I can, in the winter. Q: And how's that with yoga, does it replace for you, in some ways, the faith in God? A: No, that's a completely different level. Yoga is for me only the kind of physical exercise. It has absolutely nothing in common with the spiritual experiences. Of course, there are people who count it as a part of Buddhism, but no, no, no, it's simply a sport for me. Q: Do you care about the gossip? A: It makes me angry, but I never fight with it. You know, if I wanted to tell the truth about all the gossip about me... Q: What did you hear? A: The first gossiping about me started when I was in the middle school, you know. My family was always the subject to talk, because we were different, my father used make the ice-cream and we had the cafe, so there's always been a scandal of sort. I've been hearing things about my family from the friends of mine, that I myself didn't know about. Yes, but I'm used to this, and there also was the fact that I was from a small city, divorced with the husband, this alone was a scandal. Q: Not once...! A: Exactly. Q: You're an optimist, I can see it from the first sight. But tell me, how do you react when you lose, 'cause it surely happens. A: Of course, I'm not a good loser. It's true. If I can't make something I go through it very deeply, sometimes I even lose heart to it. But luckily enough it never lasts long. There are people around me who let me get out of the depression, when it ever happens, and I'm a typical Libra, so when I'm euphoric one day, the next day you can be sure of finding me in the exactly opposite situation. (Just like me. R) Q: Your boyfriend is a poor man. A: Exactly, and he's been poor since we've been together. He's been helping me so much, because he's like that. Q: He's a Scorpio? A: Yes, How did you know? Very good. Q: How do Scorpio and Libra go together? A: I've been told it's an awful combination. I can't understand it, because I've never felt with anyone else such freedom, such calm, the care-free living I've got with him. This must be another affection of the Sun and the Moon, that can affect our character. Maybe we are an exception? But he's really got much in common with the fact, that I can gain any kind of the inner balance. He can get me out of the sadness and make me laugh when I need it. Q: There've been rumours that you never curse in Polish. Is this still true or do you sometimes? A: Yes, I really can't, I still can't, if I have to quote a joke to someone, or translate some cursings to Kevin, because they're a part of the joke. I've always got the big problem with it. In English it's never a problem, because English is not such... crude. There are two or three words they use to curse. They're so overused. People use them so often they must have kinda devaluated. And our cursings are very crude and they sound so cruel, oh. I really can't take our vocabulary. Q: But who knows, wouldn't it be the other way round if somebody who grew up in England would prefer to curse in Polish instead of English? A: Sometimes Kevin tries to make me angry and tries to curse in Polish. It's very funny with the funny accent. Q: Does he talk a little Polish? A: Yes. He's learned quite a lot. And he talks. He can make the banal talk with anyone, like, about the weather, or what would you drink, how are you, and is everything fine, how's it going. This kind of thing. And he knows names of various things. He can make the simple sentences, but he's also learning our idioms. Like, "nie mam nic przeciwko temu" [I have nothing against it - R] He can say it. And it's the most funny thing, cause it's so difficult. Q: And surely he doesn't always hit the right situation? A: Most often he hits. He's got the language abilities, because wherever we go, whatever country this would be, he can always communicate with people. I don't know how does he do it. Q: What languages do you know? A: I don't know many. I've been learning Russian and German in school. But the German has totally left my memory, completely. But I still remember Russian. Q: And the books, do you read them in English or Polish? A: Almost only in English, and I regret not having read more in Polish. I read more of the Polish poetry, because I write lyrics, for the songs of course, and I'm always looking for the inspiration. And apart from that it must have something in common with the rhythm of my life. And the poetry is short, so it doesn't take so much time. And about the Polish books... I didn't read the Polish novel for many, many years. I always read in English. And it's coming from that I still work on my English, I want to make it better. Q: How would you rate your English, in scale 1 - 10? A: English, oh my God, it's hard to say. It's not the perfect English, but I can talk and be understood by everyone. I don't have to use the dictionary as often as I did before. I've always got the handy dictionary, but using it is a very rare occasion. Q: But it's your everyday language, don't you really feel that Polish stops to be the language that's the easiest for you to use? A: Yes, I do. Q: Do you sometimes wonder how to say something in Polish? A: Yes, yes. Especially when I'm spending a longer period of time in England and come home, I forget the most basic words. But after a week or so... I've just spent a week at home. Q: So you're loaded. A: Yes, I'm a little loaded, even if, you know, those are totally different muscles that you use for Polish and you know, my spelling is a little rigid at the beginning. But I don't forget. Q: Basia, what if I asked you to name the people that you owe the most to. A: Oh God, it would be a huge list, of course I would begin with my mum. She should be there at the very top. I've learned so much from her. I'm beginning to understand that we're the same. It's so incredible, when you begin to realise that you and your parents are the same. But you know, my mum is 75 years old, she'll turn 75 this year, but she's so young in the heart and soul. She knows exactly what's on every chart. She knows you perfectly, all the radio stations. She's got them all programmed on her remote control and she knows literally everyone; she's very up-to-date with everything. Q: Does she give you advice regarding the music? A: Of course. When I sometimes want to get rid of something, of some work... "You know, you should do it, because you know, it's a very important radio station, you should avoid the interview for them..." When I was playing here in Poland, she came to my Katowice concert and helped a few of the journalist to get the interview with me, because they couldn't get me. I've had such security there. She arranged this for them privately. "Don't worry, you'll get there". My mum would be the world's worst manager and even worse as an agent. And, apart from that, my son Mikolaj has got such an incredible influence on me and has helped me to get out of many troubles - sometimes psychical ones. Q: How old is he now? A: 22. He's a student and overall he's a man. Q: And where does he study? A: He studies in London. He studies the antropology with sociology. Q: And does he live there, in London? A: Yes, yes, he's a very interesting young man, my biggest pride. Q: Have you got a photo? A: No, I don't have one with me. And he's free. He has no girlfriend. Right now, at this very moment, he has no girlfriend, for last two years he hasn't had one, so I think you should go and take him. Q: We've got your mum, your son... A: Surely Danny had a major influence on me. I've known him for the 16, almost 17 years and we've been working together for like 15 years, so despite of the fact that personally he must have had the biggest influence on me, he has injected me with self-confidence and belief, that there's something I've got to give, or show. And I never had this before, so I owe the fact that I am in this business to him. And, of course, Kevin. Kevin is my life's biggest joy - except for Mikolaj of course! He's there simply everyday. He helps me stand in the hard times and he's the greatest companion. Hm. Who else...? Q: I think you've already named so many important people. A: Yes, they were the most important ones that I didn't have to think about. Q: You're always very warm about Kevin and it's quite characteristical that when we had the last weekend with you, 3 years ago, you were talking about him as happily as now. How's that with this love you have? Does it evolve? A: I have to admit that the first 5 years were just like an entry to our being together. Q: You mean, it's even better now? A: Listen! We were simply putting up together then. And it was good, really good. You know, it's only now that I realise the difference, because he was so much out and was leaving, and this acquientance (sp? R) that we have... Sometimes I would forget how he looks, because he's been out so long, that I had to look at his photo. The phone talks, this simply wasn't it. Especially for the last two years we're tied together like a brother and a sister, like husband and wife (that's probably more like it - R) I don't know, like two closest people. We've got together to the degree where I trust him entirely. It takes much time to be able to trust somebody so completely. Q: But could you say that you've found your second half? A: Yes, now for sure. God, I'm almost afraid to say that, but I think that he's the one. Q: Do you cry with happiness? A: Yes, it happens. It happens sometimes. Sometimes even the sight of something beautiful can make me tearful. Look, even now I have tears in my eyes. Q: Simply from talking about such things? A: Yes. Somebody asked me... oh, I know who... somebody has sent me the question, the journalist, he faxed me the question because I couldn't talk to hom and he asked me why do I always cry singing "Szla dzieweczka do laseczka" at the end of "Yearning" - my song... Reading this question I started to cry. Nobody saw me doing it. Q: Oh, that's so sweet. A: It's a terrible cry-baby. But, unfortunately, that's what I am. Q: Do you remember your feelings when you first were at the West? What did you feel at the beginning? A: At the very beginning? Q: Yes. A: I was really scared, for the first time I remember that I had gone to Belgium and it was only two days. I went with Alibabki, we were performing on the Ostenda TV show. I was looking at everything, really terrified. It seemed to be on entirely different planet. Everyone was looking so much beautiful, the shops were so great and the cars so beautiful. Recently I went to Ostenda again and I couldn't believe it was the same town. Dirty, ugly, I didn't like anything there. And the first impression was so shocking. I don't know if it's Poland that has changed so much, that the contrasts aren't so huge anymore. I don't know where it comes from. Anyway, those first overseas trips were terrifying. The next trip I took was to States. In Chicago, I remember, we came there during the Christmas period. The same thing, this incredible splendour, all these things that you could simply buy, the amount of them. It was really shocking for me, but it was so long ago, that Poland now looks the same. Q: It's not a secret that you used to dream about a daughter. A: Yes. Q: Is it still actual? A: Yes, I still dream. I think I might have a few months before it's too late. Q: Oh, you're already counting in months? A: Yes, I count the months. As I told him before, if we don't work on it (because it's work too) we might miss the opportunity. But he's travelling too much. He's travelling all the time. It's only been a year since he's started to be at home... really be there, but always there's something, or I do something somewhere. Anyway, so far we didn't succeed. Q: But you didn't give up the dreams? A: No, never. It would be great if we succeeded. Q: Do you believe in friendship between woman and man? Because that's what's between you and Danny. You used to be a couple - now you're friends. How did you get through this? A: It wasn't so easy. We've had about 2 years that were, umm, not too friendly I would say, but we must have put much into this friendship and it would be stupid to simply break up. Now we're friends, but he got married and has his own life, has his wife, a child was born to them few months ago, so our ways have split a little. But always when we need somebody close, I'm always there for him, and he's always there for me, so this friendship lasts and it is possible. But maybe it's because we had this romantic period, I don't know if it normally happens. I've never been in a situation where I would have a friend with nothing romantic between us, so I don't know if it's possible; maybe it is. Actually, I have some such colleagues, but they're not friends, they're simply colleagues I work with, with whom I have some ocassional professional connections. I don't know if it's possible. I'm not an expert. Q: If you were in the school, and had to work on, let's say, you're a teacher and have to work on the lyrics of Basia Trzetrzelewska, what could you say about the author, based on the lyrics? A: Oh, you can read my character like an open book. Because actually everything in these lyrics is about my feelings, my attitude to life, my attitude to the friends and family, to the country and to the foreign countries. All the things I survived since I left Poland, and that was almost 18 years ago. It's incredible. Nobody believes that. It's terrible, it came up to my mind recently that in 2 years it's going to be 20 years since I came there and I think it would be enough. Q: Is it time to come back? A: Yes, I think so. I'm slowly moving already. I've got the place at home, there in Poland, in Jaworzno, in my family home. I've started to care more about that home and less about the English one. I've stopped taking care about that place. If something breaks, I just leave it like that. I simply don't care. I don't feel such an emotional connection with it. Q: Are you sentimental? Do you often come to Poland? A: Of course. Q: When the plane is landing, what do you recall? All those nice moments? Or you've got so much used to it that it's a normal trip now? A: Yes, it's actually a normal trip now, but the moment of landing and looking down at this our ground, especially when I land in Cracow - because it's so much a known place, a little hilly - it fills me up with something, kind of lyrical... Q: Nostalgic? A: Yes, nostalgic. It's true that I've always been sentimental, but it becomes worse and worse. Q: It happens with age. A: Yes, with age, because now when I talk to my sister, we sometimes get into any subject and we both cry, and the same thing happens to my colleagues, we all... it can't be cured. Q: You took the question before I asked it. Which situations make you cry? A: Too much of them. Everything! I don't know, am I too sensual? Where does it come from? Sometimes I try to understand it myself. The stupid things make me cry. But most often I cry because of the stupid people's obstinacy, lack of tolerance, racism. This kind of things, the lack of understanding between people. It really hurts me deep inside and sometimes it makes me quarrel with the people I know, especially in Poland... Especially in Poland! Q: Because we like to dispute. A: Yes, we're great disputants, and living in London, such a cosmopolitan city where all the nations and races connect, I'm so much used to it that it's perfectly normal for me. So even the smallest hints of racism or prejudice against the other people, or other nations, cultures or religions make me literally furious. I try to control this, but I get really angry because Poles, who seem to me so... you know, I've got a very good opinion about Poles, that it's an intelligent nation. But sometimes they have such a parochial point of view. Some of them... I don't say that all of them of course... but there are some people who have a very parochial point of view on the world, just like there were only us and no one else in the world. A complete lack of understanding sometimes... and that's the saddest thing for me. Sometimes. Q: And what do you care of most when you meet people? A: I care very much about their faces and it's most often in their eyes. I do rate people very quickly, maybe too quickly and I simply feel if someone is really true, is he honest, is he kind to the people or is he an egoist. I can really quickly unravel such people, I don't know where it comes from. It's such an inner intuition. And most often, when I get to know them better, the first impression gets confirmed. Q: Maybe you're a fairy? A: I might be. Q: Are you conscious about your vices as a woman? A: I don't know if I'm conscious about them, but from the other people's reactions I know that, oh God, I don't know really. It's very hard to talk about your vices. I can gladly talk about my faults. Q: No thanks, it's so Polish. A: Yes, and it's so American to talk about your vices, isn't it? Q: But they're not honest, and we are honest. A: Exactly. I know, I've got an answer. I've got a friend in England, who's told me that he really loves to talk to me, because I listen to him, I listen to people. And it's true, that I really try to concentrate on what the person I talk to tries to tell me, if it's his story, or a pain, or joy, whatever. I really try to listen to what the people say and maybe it's where this easy communication with people comes from. Sometimes I really have no problem talking to anyone, whether it's a total stranger in any country, if it's in Japan or Poland. I've always made contacts easily. Q: How do you react to compliments then? A: I've used to react terribly when people told me the truth, I thought it's all untrue and I simply couldn't take any compliment. But I've already learned to. Now I think it's funny when I see people, who can't accept them, it makes me angry and I always think how I had to make others angry with this thing I had. I don't know, it wasn't false, I simply didn't know that, I couldn't manage that. [Just like me. R] Q: And what compliments you hear about yourself most often? A: Oh, Englishmen always say "Oh, she is so nice" and I sometimes get queasy with this whole "be nice". I'm not really so "nice". How could you translate this to Polish, she's what? "Przyjemna", exactly. Q: Sounds terrible. A: It's a terrible word, that she is "mila", or... Q: It's a "key" word. A: Yes, it is and it's a very superficial word. Maybe I am superficial too. I don't know, oh, it's very despiriting, but maybe it's true. Q: Is there someone from the show business you'd like to meet? I know you used to dream about meeting Woody Allen. Did you make it? A: No, I never made it. Q: Or is there someone else you'd like to speak to? A: You know, there's such person, I don't know whether you know him or not, it's an old man, who's called Peter Justinov. D'you know him? Q: No, I've never met him in person. A: No, of course, I understand, but he must be world's biggest erudite. He's multilingual, writes books, acts, he's an author. It's an incredible man. Everytime he's in TV, my jaw drops. He's got a Russian background - that's why he's called this way. He's made a series of programs about Russia and they were so beautiful, moving. And he lives in France - in Paris, despite the fact he's in fact British. I've always dreamt that I could talk to him. Older people always have so much more to say than the ypunger, so I've always been most interested in the older people, who survived much, know much, whom you can learn from. Q: The people say that pop stars lead the false life. Where are you treated as a pop star? A: Nowhere. You know, when I come to promote, to the various countries, of course I do meet fans after the shows and so on... It's a kind of anormal life, it's got nothing in common with the reality. I've got friends in the band who went into this life and when they're back home they can't get used to the normality, the normal life, paying bills, shopping. Q: Driving small cars? A: Yes, or even worse, buses. It's a real problem for many people in this business and that's why some people tour for years and simply don't want to stop. Like, Mick from Simply Red, it's one of his problems. I know him very good, because my girlfriend sings in his backing band and I know exactly what happens there. They're always on tour. But for me it's an opposite thing. For me the private life and my family life is so much important that I couldn't go through all those job things if I didn't have something to hold on in my private life. I really love my normality, being anonymous, the peace, the very normal life. Q: And do you have this in London? A: Of course I do, absolutely. Q: You've got many fans, you've sold millions of albums. And who of your fans has really surprised you, like, has any famous person told you "I listen to your music, you're great!" Was this surprising? A: Yes. There are some people, but the biggest shock, maybe because she hasn't had anything in common with my kind of music - this person - was Liza Minnelli. Once I was in Paris and she has invited me to her hotel and we got to know each other and she's even told me that she'd like to do a duet with me. It was incredible. Q: And what? A: Oh no, this was a really incredible idea for me, she's sang "Baby You're Mine" for me and she was really great, she's turned to be such a fan. It was a few years ago, I don't know. I don't remember when Sammy Davis Jr died, but she was his friend and she said "Oh God, Sammy won't believe when I tell him I met him". Can you imagine this? A little Jaworzno girl. It was incredible. Q: How do you rate the chances of Edyta Gorniak? [Her first single is now released in Europe, "When You Come Back To Me" - R] A: I think she's a world class singer and she's got all the chances, if only the material she sings will be simply different from all the things that are played in the West. But, apart from that, I think that there's nothing that could stop her becoming one of the biggest girls. But we have many of them... not only Edyta Gorniak. Q: But she's on charts now, she started to record. A: She's done an album, yes. I didn't hear this album, I've really got to listen to it, because I don't even know how does she sing in English. I've only heard her once in a song with Carreras in the television, it's the only song I've heard. Q: Who of the show business people makes you impressed, whom do you like? A: Lots of people. Every now and then there's someone whom I like. Now there's this English band, called "Catatonia". They're really from Wales, but they're a British band. And this girl had renewed my faith in the show business, because I used to think that everything's so much copied, and unoriginal, without feeling, such standard. And now there's a girl who sings with whole her heart... oh there's so much in this voice. Once I've been driving a car and I heard her singing live. I had to stop the car, I was so much impressed. I simply couldn't believe that there's someone who can sing like that at 10 am, live in the studio and only with a guitar. Really, "Catatonia" are a band of the future. You have to buy the album. Q: What time do you sing best? A: 5 pm, 6 pm. Q: Not in the morning? A: No. In the morning I'm out of life, really. Q: Basia, you're connected with a big record company. Did you ever have a moment when you thought you're over-exploited? A: No, there was never such a moment. It's a big record company, but the kind of music I make doesn't make anyone exploit me, because it's very hard to put this kind of music into the radio anyway. I've got real troubles with it in England, for example, that anybody would play us. The music simply doesn't match, stylistically doesn't match any radio station. Luckily there are some other stations worldwide that would play us. So I've never felt over-exploited. Sometimes when we're on tour and I work too hard, I feel like this, but it's not connected with the company, it's simply what the tour demands. They need some really hard work and marketing, so I sometimes feel I have enough, maybe that's why I tour so rarely. Q: I'm really interested, was there ever a moment in your life when you wanted to leave the music? A: Imagine that there was once such a moment and it was before I came to England. I've been working with Alibabki here in Poland and then I went to States and worked with a band for few months, then I worked with another American band and it was very demoralising for me, because the everyday concerts for the audience who wasn't really interested in what we were doing made me lose heart to it. I went to England and decided I won't ever sing anymore and I've been trying to become a social worker, even work at an orphanage somewhere. I've been searching for such a job, but because of my very poor English and lack of experience in this kind of thing I had to start working in music business again. It's been much easier to live from. And I've met Danny and that's how it was. I've never managed to work in another job. Q: How much does the album recording cost? Are you still the artist who's not in debt with the company? A: Well, recently I went out of debts again, because you know, the debts come and go and it's like this all the time. Everytime when I do something new I'm in debt and I have to buy it out, selling the CDs. When I make a video I'm in debts again and everything's always like borrowing money and giving it back. It all depends; if you're recording the whole album in the studio, you have to remember that one day in a good studio in London costs 1000 UKP. The day of a studio time, where you record everything digitally costs 1500 UKP, so count it - it's a terrible money, so that's why we try to record a little cheaper now. We record many things at home, because the technology allows us to; there are many digital machines that are really small, they can even match in my bedroom. I record most of the vocals at home. We saved a lot of money this way, but the real instruments, percussion and brass have to be recorded in the studio. The albums are, unfortunately, still very expensive. You can't get rid off it. Interviewer: Marzena Chelminiak. - -*- Whoo...! I hope you enjoy it. (If you don't, I'll probably kill you, because I've spent about four hours translating it) Sorry for the comments... if you don't like them, simply ignore them. Yours eternally - (-) Ray - -=[ members.xoom.com/obvious ]=-=[ Soon to come: The Future Is Yours mp3 ]=- - -=[ Air discography: members.xoom.com/obvious/airdisco.txt ]=- - -=[ Number one this week: Dimitri From Paris "Une Very Stylish Fille" ]=- ------------------------------ End of basia-digest V4 #36 **************************