"Everything was surrounded by guards, but we found an opportunity to escape."
The members of the trio did not suspect that the songs of the West German band Arabesque ("Arabesques") were fantastically popular in the USSR and did not come to the Union on tour. In 1984, the band broke up, and in the mid—noughties, a member of the original line-up, Michaela Rose, revived the project - then she was invited to perform in Russia. For almost 20 years, she has managed to visit even remote corners of the country, get acquainted with rural life, learn how to drink vodka and eat red caviar properly, and also become a popular participant in retro concerts with new Arabesques, where Midnight Dancer is sure to sound. Mikaela spoke about this, as well as about escapes from a strict producer, Uzbek roots and threats by the police from her own father in an exclusive interview with Izvestia during her visit to Moscow.
"We were wading through waist-deep snow"
— What connects you with Russia?
— I am always happy to come to Russia. This country has been very close to me since I visited it for the first time. I like even its most remote places, and I've probably been to all corners already. What I like is that I have counted eleven different mentalities in Russia. It's very interesting! Each region has its own traditions. Can I tell you a little joke?
"Please!"
— When we arrived in Okhu, this is the Sakhalin region, there was such a lot of snow there — taller than me! And we really wanted to visit a local hut, see what such a house looks like inside, and get to know its owners. They didn't believe us at first! They thought we were joking! And we were really just very interested in finding out how the locals live.
Then the organizer of our trip said, "Okay! There's a village nearby, but you have to walk because it's completely cut off." We said it wasn't a problem at all, and go ahead! We were wading through waist-deep snow! (Laughs.) But in the end, we had a lot of fun. At that time, we were very surprised by the cellars, which were completely filled with blanks. It was a delight!
— Moscow is meeting with more favorable weather today.
— Moscow is a completely different world! I really like being here at this time of the year. It is so beautifully decorated — everything shimmers and glitters! Unfortunately, this has not been the case in Germany for a long time.
— And why?
— I guess these are the times. In recent years, people's moods have been gradually changing. It has been going on since the time of the coronavirus. Perhaps because people began to be separated. There are clear pros and clear cons. It's either black or white, and there's no dialogue. Plus, the European government that we have now has a lot of questions for ordinary people.
— Does this have any effect on the cultural sphere? Do you feel it?
— Of course! You can express your opinion here, but it's far from certain that you won't suffer because of it, because there is a right opinion and there is a wrong one. The same comedians, especially those who turn to political topics, are forced to seriously weigh every word. That is, there is no easy communication between people. The feeling that dark energy has been deposited. That's why we have such a mood in general.
— Now many foreign stars are afraid to go to Russia because of the difficult geopolitical situation. Why doesn't that stop you?
— There are probably people who try to think with their own heads, look with their own eyes and draw their own conclusions. And there are people who don't want to do that. And what needs to be understood is that some artists, for example, work a lot in Europe. And, of course, they are afraid to come, because there may be a certain demand for it. But there are also those who are ready for this.
I first came to Russia in 2006. I already have a relationship with this country, and I can't just cut it off, because we'll go back to black and white. People need to hear each other. All this time, I've been watching what's going on here with my own eyes and have drawn some conclusions. If you take my first visit, at that time many people did not speak foreign languages, were clamped down, and it was difficult to get in touch. Before going on stage, I learned a lot of phrases in Russian — I wanted to be understood. And now, years later, I see that the country has changed a lot. People have become more open, more welcoming. You feel completely safe and absolutely comfortable.
"The producer could have woken us up at night and asked us to sing"
— In 2006, you revived the Arabesque band when you were invited to perform in Russia. I read that you were surprised at the time that your songs were known here. Why?
— Yes, it is absolutely true. There was an iron curtain, and we didn't know that our songs were being released in the Soviet Union. In 2006, we came at the invitation of Retro FM. And when we went on stage at the Olympic and saw how people were singing our songs, we were very surprised. Then we had artists from Italy with us, who also suddenly found out that they were popular here.
— Why didn't the band tour the USSR?
— We couldn't come then. It was very difficult, almost impossible. At that time, Arabesques were extremely popular in Asia — in Japan and Korea. They were stadiums! But we didn't know that someone was waiting for us in the Soviet Union. It came as a complete surprise to us so many years later.
— In the 1970s, when Arabesques appeared, women's groups were generally popular. How did you manage not to get lost among the others?
— It's probably about the time itself. In the 1970s and 1980s, people wanted a holiday, lightness and freedom. This is due to our composer, who was able to choose the exact and necessary notes. We have very easy and understandable songs that you want to dance and party to. That was the time.
— And what were the rules of existence in this team? Was there a special discipline?
— We had a very strict producer! And let's not forget, at the age of 15 I won a singing competition, and at 17 I already signed my first contract with the Arabesque band. After all, we were very young and, of course, the control was very serious. The producer could wake us up at night and ask us to sing, say, the second line of a song and repeat the movements. And we had to do it. (Laughs) We were also always surrounded by guards. We were protected from many things. But besides that, each of us had our own internal discipline. We were very shy at the time.
— But still, it's an age when it's interesting to go to a party for the first time, maybe fall in love and have an affair. Didn't they break the rules?
— Of course! (Laughs.) Of course, we broke the rules! This has happened many times in Japan. So that you understand, in the hotel where we lived, all the corridors were completely closed, everything was surrounded by guards. That is, not to enter, not to exit. But we always found an opportunity to escape! Local organizers secretly helped us. We had as much fun as we could. (Laughs.)
— How did the producer punish you?
"He didn't know anything!" (Laughs.) I was very young and, of course, I was fascinated by all this. It was an extravaganza compared to how I feel now. Now I'm an accomplished person, I feel the audience differently, but the main thing is that I haven't lost myself.
"When I called, my father threatened me with the police."
— How is your audience changing? Do you see young people at your concerts today who know these songs?
— Yes, sometimes I am very surprised when fans come to concerts with their children and they just come off to this music. It's probably about the contact between the audience and the artist. Nowadays, a lot of people are on their phones, on their computers, immersed in themselves and do not see the world that surrounds them. Here we are sitting face to face, feeling each other — this is live communication. The same must be true between the artist and the audience.
— By the way, I have your songs in my playlist.
"Which ones?"
— Of course, it's Midnight Dancer, also Friday Night. Are there any Russian songs in your playlist?
— There is a song by Vladimir Presnyakov that I really like, I can't remember the name. I love Lolita. I like the way it sounds. Also Sergey Lazarev. And I love Emin very much. I like oriental motifs. By the way, DJ Nejtrino from Russia made a new version of our hit Friday Night, also in oriental style.
— Representatives of the event industry have told us that you are currently one of the most sought-after foreign artists at New Year's corporate parties in Russia. Do you feel it?
— Of course, I am aware of this. I come here often and get great pleasure from it. The secret is that people understand that I'm real, they want to see me for who I am.
I also believe in chance. For many years, I didn't know who my father was, but it was important to me. I knew that I looked a little different from the Europeans. I think it was in 2018 that I was invited to shoot a program on Russian television. The team actually found my relatives in Uzbekistan. They even conducted DNA tests. I consider myself a man of the world, because on my father's side I have Uzbek blood, on my mother's side I have Jewish blood and a lot of other things. I feel absolutely comfortable with any people, I'm open, and that's probably why I've done a lot in my life. We are all human beings.
— Did you have the opportunity to meet with your father?
— It wasn't a very pretty story. Yes, I found out who he was and tried to contact him. He was living in Germany at the time, and he had another family, and I was an unwanted child for him. I called him and said, "I don't need anything from you. I just want to know what kind of blood flows in me. Tell me—who are you?" He told me some nonsense at the time, but we agreed to see each other when I was performing somewhere nearby. I even sent him my childhood photos so he could see what I look like. When I called him the next time I was near the concert, he threatened me with the police and told me not to touch him. Such contact was a great disappointment and shock.
But I managed to find my stepbrothers and sisters, and they told me one thing: "Be happy that you didn't get to know him." I made peace with myself then, found inner peace. My happiness is that thanks to this story, I celebrated my birthday last year in Uzbekistan, where I met most of my family, whom I still did not know. I've been told many different family stories. I hope that we will meet again in the near future.
"I've taught my entire entourage to drink vodka like that."
— The most family holiday is ahead, at least in the Russian tradition. How will you spend the New Year, and do you have your own special rituals? For example, it is customary for us to make wishes while the chimes are striking.
— There are traditions in Germany too. We're melting tin. We put a piece in a special spoon, heat it and bring it to the desired consistency, and then lower it into cold water. It turns out to be some kind of picture, and we are trying to see our future in it. (Laughs.)
As for the plans, we always work on New Year's Eve. The last time I spent it was here in Russia. We'll see what happens this year. Work is underway, and we are dealing with this issue.
— Our artists have a lot of stories of unusual concerts in stock. For example, when you had to perform for only one person. Have you had any special cases here?
— It was somewhere in Siberia, I don't remember the name of the city, and not on New Year's Eve. Each of the three of us was given a huge teddy bear. They were as tall as us! We are walking through the airport with these bears, everyone is looking at us, laughing! And we are such girls with bears under our arms. It was very funny for us! (Laughs.)
I remember another case. Once we were somewhere in the Caucasus region, I think. We really liked one fish. And they gave us one of them frozen for the trip. We packed everything in our suitcases. By the time we reached Germany, the fish naturally defrosted — the smell was amazing! (Laughs.)
— This is Russian hospitality!
— We like it, especially the food! (Laughs.) I'm thinking about her right now. I like to go to restaurants with typical Russian cuisine. It's very bad for the figure, but I really like it. At one event, I was given a large jar of good caviar. I came home, invited my friends and taught them how to eat it properly. I made potato pancakes with sour cream and served caviar with a large spoon. What else have I learned here? Since I'm half Asian, I have a very bad alcohol tolerance. But they showed me how you can drink a little bit so that nothing happens — a little bit of good vodka from the freezer. I've taught my entire entourage to drink vodka like that! (Laughs.)
It was my birthday the day before yesterday. I baked pancakes and made two toppings. Everyone really liked it! By the way, as far as I know, is Izvestia one of the oldest newspapers?
— Yes, we are more than a hundred years old.
— Wow! Next year I will celebrate my fiftieth birthday on stage. I'll catch up with your newspaper soon.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
