Alizée Article Translations by me

[garçoncanadien]

“Like a movie scene/In the sweetest dreams/I have pictured us together/Now to feel your lips/On my fingertips/I have to say is even better/Then I ever thought it could possibly be/It’s perfect, it’s passion, it’s setting me free/From all of my sadness/The tears that I’ve cried/I have spent all my life/Waiting for tonight/oh oh oh!” The people in the room immediately find some problems, a nasal voice that needs some work, a bad choice of song, but they agree on the fact that the little girl has an incredible charm. The bet is won. Could it be necessary, in retrospect, to think about another song so that she can really give it her all in a live show?

Life in red

It’s finally “Ma prière” (My prayer), a song from the second album of Axelle Red, À tâtons (By feel), that the production team gives Alizée for the big night. The singer is concentrating, her baptism by fire will happen on the 25th of February 2000 on the fourth anniversary of the program. In Corsica, her friends at the school of theatre gather together to make sure not to miss even one second of her first appearance on TV. Her sober and no-fuss attitude convinces the viewing audience who will choose the big winner of the night, to offer her the possibility to compete during the next show. “She had a real sweet face and a different style, remembers Laurent Boyer. Not the kind of singer with a Mariah Carey voice, but someone with a real stage presence like Vanessa Paradis.” On the 14th of April, she again tried the refrain that made her famous a few weeks earlier: “Moi qui aurais tant voulu/Un monde qui évolue/Je cherche mais je ne trouve pas/Un pays qui me va/Moi qui aurais tant aimé/Me sens paralysée/J’ai traversé la terre entière/Ecoute ma prière.” (Lyrics translation: I who wanted so much/A world that evolves/I look but I don’t find/A country that I can get along with/I who loved so much/Feel paralyzed/I traversed the whole world/Listen to my prayer) The TV show puts on a little report in a way that only journalists at M6 can do. Alizée’s father talks about how happy he is to see his kid sing, the very well hardened character of his baby and her resemblance to her mother. The little one gives us this secret: “I am very shy, I really don’t have any confidence in myself. That’s why I take classes (…) to conquer my shyness.” She appears dressed in a big green camouflage shirt and sings live with a voice that has a bit of a soul flavour, without forgetting to swing her hips, discreetly… but surely! The whole package under the watch of the duo of the comedians Kad and Olivier, and of Larusso (Editors note: for the young ones among you, Larusso was a singer in vogue in the 90s, who did “Tu m’oublieras” (You will forget me), one of countless variations on the song “I will survive” by Gloria Gaynor, on the highest steps of the French singles list, and who set herself apart by a petulant strabismus). Despite an a cappella on “Envole-moi” (Take off) by Jean-Jacques Goldman that was pretty good and the advice of Larusso (“You must not lack confidence. The sun shines for everybody. There is room for all styles of music, and if you get there and you persevere, if you believe, and may you always believe in yourself!”), the good fairies will be absent tonight and another young girl, Marie, will take the crown from her. But what a surprise, Alizée is caught one month later and M6 gets her to do another performance. When it rains, it pours, you tell us… Still, she declines the invitation for “personal reasons”, without even a word from the doctor! In the wings (GC’s note: theatre wings) of the show, it is already rumored that the young Corsican could have signed a golden contract with a renowned French artist. Who is hiding behind this mysterious producer? What secret is Alizée hiding? These two questions burned the lips of all of France at the beginning of summer.

Some days after her appearance on “Graines de star”, the record company Polydor told her that the very discreet Mylène Farmer has seen her performances and wants to meet her.

Mylène is calling

In reality, it’s a hydra with two heads that is hiding behind this mystery that is as full as the hair of the leader of Tokio Hotel (GC’s note: a French band). A bit disappointed by her sudden eviction, Alizée wisely decided to keep dancing. Sure that she doesn’t want to be thrown around by the Parisian limelight, she swears to her friends that it won’t be done again anytime soon. Still, several days after her return to Corsica, she receives a call from the record company Polydor. She is told that the very discreet Mylène Farmer has seen her performances on “Graines de Star” and wants to meet her. In reality, the deal is a lot more intricate than the producers want to immediately admit. Mylène Farmer and her accomplice Laurent Boutonnat are looking for a young girl to sing a song that they have in their desk drawer and smells like a good one for a video. With some well known songs (“Sans contrefaçon”) (Without counterfeit) and generational (“Désenchantée”) (Disenchanted), Mylène is a different kind of artist who has had success since the 80s making herself a repertoire that has both intimacy and grandeur, sadness and smiles, and putting herself on stage with sumptuous videos (“Libertine”, “Pourvu qu’elles soient douces”, (Given that they are sweet) “Beyond my control”, “California”, “l’Âme-stram-gram”, “Je te rends ton amour” (I return your love) …). Disappointed by the lukewarm welcome for her first film Giorgino but reassured by the success of her two previous albums, Anamorphosée (GC’s note: Anamorphosis, what you see in a hall of funny mirrors at a circus) and Innamoramento (GC’s note: Italian for 1st moment of love), she just finished a tour of royal proportions that took her as far as Russia. While her fans expected her to be ready to leave the media scene after the release of her next disc, she surprised the world in the month of May 2000 by wanting to produce Alizée.

The young girl and her future mentors met during a meal. Alizée knew the fame of the duo, but isn’t really a big fan of the star. Interesting point. Reassured by the behaviour of the adolescent, Mylène and Laurent were relaxed and the meal went on very well. Alizée sealed her musical destiny that day by accepting to record the song that they provided to her. The song is called “Moi…Lolita” and the signature recipe of the team was applied to the letter. “Moi…Lolita” is a very effective dance-pop bombshell, both good for the dance floor and perfectly calibrated for the radio. If the first two bars of the introduction sound like they come from the main theme of the film Giorgino and give the harmonic whole a mysterious and somber tonality, the rest of the song makes you want to dance with forceful synthesizers, a very present bass and nice rhythms that are dear to the composer. The first couplet is sufficiently long to let the levels of programming enter in crescendo and to make an explosive entry on the refrain. Mylène, who delights in neat words and scoundrel evocations, really had a field day with the play on sound and play on words. The Lolita costume that she conjured up owes as much to Dolores Haze of the novel by Nabokov as to Serge Gainsbourg’s Melody Nelson.

Without a doubt, a scandal will surround “Moi…Lolita”. Alizée is a minor. She sings a text with a sexy background made of incestuous relations, of impossible attraction, of age differences and sexual awakening. Nothing better than that to excite the media! The song brushes upon transgression, and only evokes false candor (“C’est pas ma faute/Et quand je donne ma langue au chat/Je vois les autres/Tout prêts à se jeter sur moi ») (Its not my fault/And when I give up/I see the others/Ready to jump on me) and secrets to keep quiet in the name of Judeo-Christian morals (“Motus et bouche qui n’dit pas”) (Keep quiet, don’t talk) …even if it is obvious that the adolescents of today say the three syllables of “Lo-li-ta”, “rêve[nt] aux loups” (dream about the wolves)) without blushing and are not ignorant. Too proud of her little jewel, the redhead godmother of Alizée can’t hold herself back from signing her authorship by innocently sounding out her own first name in the second couplet (“Moi je m’appelle Lolita/ Coléreuse et pas/ Mi-coton, mi-laine”) (I’m called Lolita/Quick tempered and not/Half-cotton, half-wool).

THE CHEEKY ONE

As soon as the song was recorded, the staff started working on Alizée’s image, taking advantage of her undeniable charm. The personality of the high schooler took form first under the lens of Philippe Salomon, fashion photographer more used to professional models than starting singers. And since there is no one better to rely on than ones self, Laurent Boutonnat directed by himself the clip “Moi…Lolita” like the short musical films that he has the secret recipe to. For a first filming, Alizée is spoiled. Her producers didn’t save or skimp on anything. Filmed in three days, the video uses the cinematographic favourites of the director, but also the flavour of the long films of Claude Miller. To shoot the exterior scenes, the team set up near Senlis, and then came to the heart of Paris to shoot at the Bains Douches. Alizée pays dearly for the bucolic scenery of the Oise. Bitten in the eye by a horsefly, she forced the team to postpone the two day filming. The young girl shows a Lolita sure of her attributes and who knows how to get what pleases her. To get away from the fields where boredom racks her and to leave a filthy-mouthed and fat mother, she gets an odd lover and shamelessly gets 200 F from him. With a look of genius and a smile, Lolita goes back home and experiences motherly rage. Accompanied by her little sister, she takes a bus – registered to the heathens! To get herself to the disco

[article continues after Maurane interview]

INTERVIEW

Maurane
LA JOLIE RENCONTRE

CROISEE in the cours of the Enfoirés, (GC’s note: A yearly big musical event, with France’s biggest artists, that is a charity benefit for the poor. The funds from this show go to support the network of Restos du Coeur (Restaurants of the Heart), which cook free food for the poor.) The woman from Brussels is one of Alizée’s favourite artists. Story of the birth of a friendship.

Is it always a pleasure to find Alizée doing the Restos du Coeur?

Whats good about these shows, is that you meet people when you least expect it. Alizée and I weren’t initially destined to meet, since our musical universes are different. For her first Enfoirés, she was rather introverted and quite shy. This year, she really became a part of the team. I get the sense that she is less afraid of herself.

You shared with her an homage to Gainsbourg last March. You could have found her arranger Jean-Claude Vannier, who wrote you several beautiful pieces (“Sur un prélude de Bach” (On a prelude of Bach), “Juste une petite fille” (Just a little girl), “La chanson de la pluie” (The song of the rain)…) but was not one of the invited artists?

He still could have had his place. At that time, we didn’t really meet each other. He proposed to me three magnificent songs for my last disc, one of them being “Le jardin de mes soucis” (The garden of my worries), but they unfortunately came too late. I was very well aware that Alizée was singing strong lyrics and working with somebody like Vannier. Her timbre has been refined, there is a pretty grain in her voice that she will put the finishing touches on and I don’t think there is anything bad in her voice anymore.

Did you think she was at ease on “La javanaise” (The Javanese) that she sung as an acoustic version?

Yes, she understood that in growing up, one goes back to the acoustics. The further one gets, the more one wants to take away and not add. I just finished a tour with some twenty people. We are a family, but when we are in a little committee, like I was able to do with “Au milieu d’eux” (Among them) or my acolytes from HLM (Editors note: her jazzy trio which released its second work Un ange passe (An angel passes) in 2005), its not the same thing. When we eat, there are only two musicians and three technicians. Suddenly, the other links weave together.

What do you think about Alizée’s unusual journey?

At the beginning, I reacted like most other people. I thought that she was the new Farmer product. However, she may have brilliantly sailed her boat. During “Moi…Lolita”, was she really taking that seriously? She was a cute little girl, a little pussycat, … I was surprised when I heard she had the guts to tell Mylène Farmer that she was mature enough for other things. It must not have been easy because, even if I don’t know this woman, I know that she is a personality that is rare, a woman of taste and a strong character. She must have been its mother because when she works on a project, she completely puts her back into it. Today, Alizée uses what she experienced as a springboard and has not stopped surprising us. When we hear “Mademoiselle Juliette”, one can imagine that she will have a great career.

In the space of several years, you have seen her grow up…

… and pass from Lolita to mature woman. Maybe this happened since she became a mother? She knew how to stay authentic, but she has gained in security and openness towards others. In addition, she lacks neither the intelligence nor the energy to do things well.

You are also a client of Camille, Olivia Ruiz and other Jeanne Cherhal as well as personalities with a more consensual appearance like Alizée or Nolwenn Leroy for whom you have written “Sereine”, (Serene) a song that you have created on your last disc…

I forbid myself to do any segregation. I don’t listen to Alizée over and over again and she doesn’t use her platinum with Maurane albums, and look at the good it does her [laughs]! That doesn’t prevent us from having real tenderness and true mutual respect when we meet. If I ever have the chance, like today, to present my friendship or support, I will do it with pleasure.

Like her, do you think you have had to fight against labels?

Sure! For a lifetime, one fights against labels. Alizée will have to rise over her image as a Lolita. She truly had to see immature people, and I know her desire to evolve. As for me, I frequently hear talk about my voice and my curves. I am not big and thin, but I am not an ugly beast either [smile]! A good girlfriend, is good for five minutes. Yes, I know how to sing, but maybe do I also want to impose another image?

If they knew the insecure abyss that is hiding behind this fake smiling face?…

I wrote that, and I don’t deny it. But like every melancholy person, I like laughing a lot. And like every funny person, I sometimes know how to be completely devoid of humor.

You share an infinite love for Corsica Is there a Corsican soul?

In any case, Alizée calls the shots – talking about islanders. She never lets anybody take advantage of her, and still, she is very sweet. I need to go to Corsica at least one or two times each year. One feels good there, it’s at the same time relaxing and not too far away from home. One has everything at the same time, mountains, sea, an island of beauty and an island of goodwill.

In adolescence, when Alizée was triumphant, over-protected by her producers, you sang Brel and Leonard Cohen in the streets with your accomplice Dany with the utmost independence… Your paths are direct opposites, right?

Exactly, and it’s probably also what brought us to talk to each other. Our itineraries are so different that our conversations are great.

Are you up to date with Alizée’s success outside the country?

Yes, I saw the riot in Mexico on the internet. In Paris, she does her errands alone. In Mexico, thirty bodyguards are not enough! For me, I think I am convincing in French more so than in any other language. I am able to sing in Spanish, but in English I get the impression that I am a bad imitation of somebody…

You still recorded English versions (“Breath of life”, “Down for the last time”) for Différente in 1995. Was this an idea from the record company?

Absolutely, I didn’t believe in it at all. What wasted time! In retrospect, I know that Alizée is very well known in Asia where there are a lot of Francophiles, and me too, I dream of going to Japan. I sang three nights in Tokyo at the Quattro club. I was welcomed like a princess, even if over there they don’t laugh on the promotion. I have also sang in Algeria for one of the biggest moments of my career and I remember a surreal concert in a room for several hundreds of people in Italy where I am completely unknown (Editors note: in Aoste).

Alizée is also a star in Russia. What memories do you have from your tour with Brel in 1000 times at the beginning of your career?

The last time I went to Moscow, was in effect 1986. We experienced three grueling and passionate weeks while sometimes doing three shows a day. With the help of vodka, we worked on speaking every language. People asked about news about Brel, since they were cut off from the world. It was before the fall of the Berlin Wall. I am curious to see the change today, the passage from one state to another. I am going back to participate in a concert with Michel Legrand, my father’s idol who cradled my childhood and my adolescence with “L’été 42” (The summer of 1942) and “Les moulins de mon coeur” (The grinders of my heart).

[b]This friendship with Alizée shows your taste for friendly and musical meetings done in a feminine way (your duos with Lara Fabian, Les Muzik’elles, Bach au féminin…). It has been said that you are writing witih Colette Nys-Mazure, the author of Singulières et plurielles ?

Yes, but that will be for later. This is about a book linked to music and to the interpretation of dreams. I have written the first one, La Vie en rouge (Life in Red) with Gilles Verlant which helped me to structure my memories. Today, I am working on something called Maurane au jeu de l’intimité (Maurane in the game of intimacy), under the direction of Muriel Beyer of the Plon Editions and about an idea of Daria of Martynoff, my lyricist friend and director, who created this game in the line of Stratégies obliques. There will be deep reasoning about philosophy, religion, sexuality or spirituality, but rest assured, I will answer existential questions like “Have you already worn a helmet?” or “What do you think about the kangaroo slip?”. Maybe I will be ready then, to write alone…

Do you regret that we still don’t recognize your talents as an author in your discs?

I have to admit that my style is quite distorted. I don’t trust myself and I don’t see why I would refuse a good song to get texts that are less than successful… I attract talented composers and authors. If a song fits me like a glove, why not do it? In my last album, I worked with Art Mengo, which I have known for twenty years. The jazzy or Brazilian sounds, the rich and complex harmonies, it was always my thing! I know whom I inherited this from: my dad was a professor of harmony and director of a conservatory. It is not by chance if one of the albums that I am most proud of is Toi du monde (You of the world), where despite the great orchestrations, we did quite some research and exploration work. It was my fault, I wanted to hear everything!

Si aujourd’hui (If today) isn’t it justly called the ideal equilibrium between the effectiveness of Quand l’humain danse (When the human dances) and the profoundness of Toi du monde?

It’s possible. Each album is a piece of life, its never something plain. When I feel that it could be good, I act on instinct, like Daran, who presented Pablo to me (Editor’s note: Pablo Villafranca, her ex-husband and father of her daughter) and who convinced me to let myself step aboard… to the whim of an electro arrangement or of songs that make me deathly afraid like “Si aujourd’hui”. On the stage, now, it is a pleasure to sing it. I have the feeling of being a bird flying over great spaces, like in a dream.

If Bertrand Burgalat wrote “L’effet” (The effect) for Alizée, its with his ex-colleague Valérie Lemercier that you did your third film. Hows it going with Maurane the actor?

Very good, thanks [laughs]! When I filmed Carnaval, I didn’t take advantage of it because I was tired. I filmed from 8 in the morning to 6 in the evening and left to sing afterwards. As for my role in Le Comptoir (The Bar), it suffered from my too great of a friendship with Sophie Tatischeff. She could have been less lax on certain scenes. I think I am very uneven in this film, frequently too soft. For Palais Royal, I was never directed with such strictness. Valérie never let anything get by and forced me to go beyond my shyness. To be an actress in reality, I think requires you to know how to lack shyness.

Will you go and clap for Alizée in the Grand Rex in October, a room that you have been to in 1996 and that you didn’t like too much?

Yes, I even indicated on Facebook that I will go and see her! I am curious to see how she is in concert, it will be a first for me. I wish her much happiness on that stage, even if personally that room makes me scared. It lacks warmth and I don’t like the vibes in it. My show at the time was still magnificent. I was surrounded by an orchestra of eleven strings, which came all the way from London…

Maurane, Si aujourd’hui
(Polydor/Universal)

[ggin]

Thanks so very much for these, Garçoncanadien!