An evening with Ryan Paris (Part I)

From my last visit to Germany, I had many interesting experiences, one of them was my visit to Ryan Paris in Mainz. He is a very nice and open person and he talked in my language. My partner and me were very grateful with his hospitality. I felt lucky to know the singer of the famous song "Dolce Vita" and of course I could not lose this chance for make to him an interview. 

Here the first part of this conversation with Mister Fabio Roscioli, more known as Ryan Paris.  

How did you start inside the music world? Do you have relatives who were related to music?

The brother of my grandfather was a lyrical singer, who sang with Maria Callas, in Italy and Europe. And my grandfather had all the records, the vinyls of all these songs, the arias, the operas. And when I was very little, I liked it very much, I do not know why, but I sang it all, so I started to sing there. Time after I was evolving, I liked the guitar, I had a group when I was 15, a rock group, I started with the performances, always on, then I was a South American’s guitar teacher when I was 20 years old, and at one point someone told me that my voice was beautiful, then I tried to sing and I met the composer of "Dolce Vita", who wrote this song for me, and I started like this.

Who told you about the talent of your voice?

Who told me? I was told by a great Brazilian music guitarist. He was touring by Europe with Maria Bethania, a Brazilian singer who was well known in the 70's - 80's, in Brazil, and he liked Rome a lot, came on tour and stayed in Rome. In Rome he worked doing shows. And on Saturdays he invited all friends to his house, also to me as a Brazilian guitar teacher, he was a very nice person and we started the friendship. Because I really liked the music of Vinicius de Moraes, Milton Nascimento, Jobim and one day, they were playing together, because there were many people, the best ones of samba music in Rome and there was a song called "Insensatez", and I sang it, I said I can sing it. Then I was singing sometimes, and he came to me and said: You Fabio, you have to sing!.

How old were you?

With him I was 24 - 26

Was that after your rock band?

I had a rock band, we made New Wave, I had rock bands when I was 17 and we made Led Zepellin covers, The Beatles covers, songs like that.

Covers of your favorite bands?

My favorite bands at that time… Pink Floyd, I really liked the Beatles, then I started to know more like Queen, Led Zepellin, then I got to know more and more and listen more. I liked English music a lot.

If you were not into the music, what else you could do?

I could do music, if I weren’t doing music, I would make music (laughs).  I have studied architecture, I have worked as an actor in the world of cinema. I worked on science fiction films like "The Conquest of the Moon" and then small roles to earn some money. Also in "Once Upon a Time in America" ​​with Robert de Niro.

That’s interesting, because you know this movie was took for the Modern Talking videoclip of "Brother Louie" in 80's

Oh really?, I did not know ...

And did you continue acting after this?

No, I did that to earn some money and then I've always been doing music.

So, do you like music more than acting

No, both, I am a singer and I am an actor, but the music is more my... I also like acting, but it is difficult if you start with music ... there are few cases of singers and actors that they are good in both.

What musical genre you like the most?

It's hard…. I like rock, I like Italodance, I like South American music, I mean Brazilian music, I like all music, I also like classical music, you know, everything. I also like modern pop music now, I also like hip hop, rap, but if I have to say a genre that I like the most, it would be pop music, in English.

Do you know the German scene, the Schlagerpop? What do you think of this music?

The Schlager has interesting things, it seems to me many times that the Schlager is similar to the music Italodisco of the 70's. Well in one part, the other Schlager that is more sung, I do not like it so much because it is sometimes too simple.

You speak Spanish very well, how many languages ​​do you know?

I'm Spanish! My name is Ryan Barcelona (laughs). No ... because I really like Spanish, I did my first tour in Spain in 1974. I was never in Spain before. I arrived and the man from Catalonia tried to speak to me a bit of Catalan that is different. And we were talking, we were speaking in Spanish and I did not realize it, because Spanish and Italian are very similar, Portuguese is harder, French I speak well, I studied a lot it and German I studied here, It's about 24 or 25 years I'm here.

Why did you come to Germany?

I married a Dutch woman, and then I had a son, we separated and I could not leave my son here alone, then I stayed in Germany.

About producing, which influences you follow and put on your songs?

I can not say that I am a producer, I am a co-producer, because I worked for example, in my first production that was in 93, I worked with several DJs in Italy. But before I was produced by Pierluigi Giombini who wrote "Dolce Vita" , "Fall In Love" the first LP, "Besoin D'amour", all these songs, and then… I started myself, after the period of "Dolce Vita" that became fading, (because it is difficult to be always number one). But I have always continued writting and in 1994 I wrote a song called "I Wanna Love You Once Again", which I presented to Enigma. This song came out in 2000 in a compilation "The best of Ryan Paris", produced in Torino by a friend and then was released on 2009 produced by Eddy Mi Ami, and was a great success. And I did in 2013 the Spanish version. "Yo Quiero Amarte Una Vez Más", so with this song that was started with the producer of Enigma, but we did not finish it, later came the version of 2009 and 2013, so I worked with several producers and I contributed, I go with my ideas, I play a little guitar, I sing ... I do not know if you can say producer, better co-producer.

Wich genre is this song?

It is called Italodisco New Generation.

By the way, there is a new generation of Italodisco producers of the 80's, but this music has different sounds.

No, it is done with the same sound, the difference is many times, that the sounds are not made with the original keyboard but with a virtual keyboard, then the sound is not exactly like the old one. For example, all the productions I have done, from my penultimate vinyl with Tony Costa, is done with virtual sound. In the last production are 2-3 songs made with the original keyboards, you feel the difference. The first "I Wanna Love You Once Again" was made with virtual and original, then also you feel the difference. I have worked with Eddy Mi Ami, who has done a lot of things, one of my songs produced by him is number 2 in Poland, number 1 is the song of Albert One, produced by Eddy Mi Ami. Then the Italodisco New Generation works.

Why do you think the Italodisco can never die?

Of course, like the pop, like the Beatles, like everything else, it can not. A friend of mine in 1995 made a film and won an award, he made a short film that practically said it. He go to a city and discovers a cinema, because in this age of the future, people did not know about the cinema anymore, people could not see it because it did not exist. And they open the cinema, people discover the cinema and part of the movie is a film by Charles Chaplin, and then men discover that they could laugh and smile again and this short film won an Oscar. Then the music is like the smile, if there is not ... very bad!.

And do you have any favorite producers now?

I really like Eddy Mi Ami, I also like Phil Rizzi... I also like Andy Emme, who does not do music from the 80's, but he actually worked on my album very well. I know there are many like Italove, there is Fred Ventura, Italoconnection, I really like them.

There are also singers from the 80's who keep up with the years, like, for example, he is not exactly italodisco, but he is very successful at the moment, the ex-singer of Modern Talking. Thomas Anders.

Because he seems to me a very good person and he sings very well.

And other 80’s singers are coming back like for example Tom Hooker

Personally, I do not know Tom Hooker, but he has been the singer of Den Harrow, he did all those songs, and he also made a song that I really liked "Looking For Love", was number 7 or 6, or 1 or 2 in The charts, it’s a beautiful song, Tom Hooker is a great singer. Then I know, Albert One, Ken Laszlo I know Ken very well, Fred Ventura and Scotch. Now I was in concert with Ivanna Spana. Then I meet P Lion, another great singer. I met Mark Francis.

I usually ask this question to disco singers. Do you feel that disco music is not valued by crowds, like for example other music genres like rock?

Rock has many different situations, it also means different styles of rock. Disco music is a very nice music, it is for people who like music, sometimes rock is preferred by people who like to be accelerated ahh!! uhh!!, but it's beautiful, when you go to see a concert of Queen, Scorpions, rock music has the greats ones and very known, many people go and when people get together a lot of people feel better.

That’s maybe because, like this saying says, "Fans make the stars", if one has many fans, become famous and become a great star.

Yes, it's true, fans make stars

And sometimes you can be a great singer, a great musician, but if you do not have fans, nobody will know about your work and you can end up forgotten and in oblivion… this usually happens

Yes, right!, I'm very happy because coming from singing "Dolce Vita", I've done songs now in 2009, 2013, 2015, songs that were number 1. It's great. I got it, because it is not an easy thing. People think that a singer like that makes a lot of money, but actually is not truth, the truth is this, it's not always like that, this is a second thing. A musician singer, he has to make music and sing, he can not always stay in "Dolce Vita ". One can not do the same from morning to night, people like to change to new stuff and other songs, and if they are written by me and work ... oh well!

To be continued...

Italove + Fred Ventura

This collaboration brought us many expectations. Today was officially released the new single of Italove together with Fred Ventura, "Never Surrender".

You can get it by iTunes

Tracklist:
 
1 Never Surrender
2 Never Surrender (Italoconnection Remix)
3 Never Surrender (NeonNights Club 33 mix)
4 Never Surrender (Synthetic Dream Club mix)
5 Heading for the Sun (Energy Voice M.D.R. mix)
6 Never Surrender (Extended)

CC Catch in Argentina

Report shared by CCCatch Perú 

On Thursday 6th October, CCCatch first set foot on South American land. The chosen country was Argentina. A group of fans congregated around the international arrival gates at the airport of Ezeiza in Buenos Aires. I had arrived to that country just a couple of hours before of the announced arrival and I witnessed how the group started to grow little by little. Fans waited impatiently with banners, flowers and even teddy bears.

It was about 8:30 a.m. and after a long wait, finally appeared. She came along with her dancers Hakeem and Gilly, and the international manager Alexander Wolf. Very quickly the promoter and his team led them to the limousine that would drive them to their hotel. Unfortunately we had no more access that day. But we got some photos and some autographs. I only tried to rest and wait for the next day of the big event. 

CCCatch had a local press conference the day of her arrival

CCCatch also shared a video of the sight from her Hotel by her official facebook page

Then, the next night, we were ready for the long-awaited concert. We arrived at the venue of the Sur Rock Kori Megadisco Hall in Pompeya, after a rough adventurous trip... this because it was a bit complicated area, especially for a foreigner. In spite of that we arrived early enough to realize that we would have to wait some more hours to get in. We also were told that CCCatch would begin her show around 1 a.m. Time enough to chillin and chat with some fans. After an hour, the line was already beginning to turn the corner. And after a moment more,  the long queue of people seemed to round the block. It was amazing how a lot of people were arriving and arriving and finally we were able to get in. To my surprise the majority were from Bolivia, fans of the 80's disco music living several years already in Argentina. Everyone was quite excited and eager to be a part of this retro party.

DJs began to set the music as the venue began to fill up. There were three shows prior to the CCCatch concert, but by the time the third show started, people were already beginning to show their weariness. That pre-concert show was extended till more than 1 a.m. The excessive alcohol consume between fans was starting to wreak havoc and was not possible to avoid to hear those who began to complain loudly, how many time more they would have to wait. The public was already bored, perhaps very anxious, claiming CCCatch, CCCatch, CCCatch !! desperately. When finally the consoles and keyboards were removed from the stage, and two chairs were placed for the dancers of the singer, we knew that the stage was ready for her. And so it was, the dancers gave the anteroom to prepare us until CCCatch finally came to the stage at 2 a.m. approximately. Hundreds of smartphones were lifted and the crow ran to place the more near they could to the stage. There were screams of relief from an exhausted audience but happy.

CCCatch started her show

The first song was the rap version of "House of Mystic Lights". The noise was tremendous, the room too small, at times it was almost impossible to hear something fine due to the sounds in all directions, my ears were destroyed. On the stage, while CCCatch was talking to the public, someone abruptly threw an object at her, this was impertinent and dangerous, a lot of people were quite dizzy and we were a bit worried about the behavior of some people, fortunately nothing bad happened. Caroline continued with the show without any problem. The next song started, it was the famous rap megamix of their comeback in the late 90's with the songs, "I Can't Lose My Heart Tonight", "Cause You Are Young", "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Soul Survivor ". Hakeem with the rap vocals and Gilly showing his dance talent with a spectacular choreography to which CCCatch regularly joined. When she finished, the audience again screamed CCCatch, CCCatch, CCCatch, she answered moving to the rhythm of the call, then she talked in Spanish and English: "Muchas Gracias from my heart, mucho amor" and asked everyone start to clap, following her next song "Heaven and Hell", which she began singing in acapella. There were hundreds of selfies among the audience, fans could not believe how close they were tothis star and she dedicated them some dances to drive them more crazy.
At the end of the song, people were chanting CCCatch, CCCatch !!, louder and louder, she thanked all her fans again and announced that she was going to sing one of her most famous hits, "Jump In My Car", a nice downtempo song, full of feeling. It is true that all tracks were with playback, but she sang over and we could hear her voice live, especially at the end of the song, with her already known end of acapella. While she was singing, she asked us to follow her clapping, because there was no more background music. At the end of this song she bowed to the audience, this act left her fans moved, they recognized the humble gesture to them. Has been more than 30 years that CCCatch owe her success to her fans and this was the first time she was performing in front of a South American public.
Again the people repeating her name again and again. Caroline asked everyone, always listen to the heart and then announced her next song, "I Can't Lose My Heart Tonight", this wonderful song written by Geff Harrison and that was her first hit during 80's, but now she played it in a rap version which was enjoyed by everybody. After that she made an extensive appreciation to the fans, she thanked for the support they gave her in all these years, people only called her name. Caroline then continued with the next song making first a question, "Are You Man Enough?". The party was unstoppable, people in the VIP level seemed wish to come down when during the song she went close to the side to shake hands and approach some fans. The audience again called her name at the end of the song and her dancers returned to the stage. CCCatch took off her white jacket. Hakeem asked to the people if they wanted to go bed, but public only asked for more. So then they played the rap version of "Soul Survivor". Fans showed their affection and did not stop to call her name. CCCatch announced the "Anniversary Megamix", the medley with songs "Strangers by Night", "Cause You Are Young", "Like A Hurricane" and "Midnight Gambler" released in 2005, but in the short version which is always included in her shows.

After this song fans continued calling her name. Hakeem announced that they should leave already, because was already a lot and he was too old for that, he even spoke a bit in Spanish "Mucho trabajo for me, I'm finished!". But fans were still very excited, the show was too short for them to accept something like that. Caroline and the dancers then thanked the people from Argentina and also from Bolivia, they brought the both flags of these countries and all the people said loudly Bolivia Bolivia, in fact, most of the public was from this country. Hakeem tried to make a competition for each country, but it was obvious which won. This moment was taken by Caroline for a short break.

Hakeem announced the "Long Megamix 98", and CCCatch returned to the stage to dance with this mix of unforgettable hits that we all know so well. CCCatch and her dancers danced to us until be exhausted, so they asked now, to go home. They all left the stage and it really seemed like the end, but they were called out loudly by people. There was a small break until Hakeem returned again to entertain the audience while Caroline was preparing an extra song. So after a few minutes, she was able to return to the stage to sing "Strangers By Night", she was very open to the public and came closer to shake hands with those who were near to the stage. The same Caroline then encouraged the audience for a next song, "In The Backseat Of Your Cadillac". Showing to be full of energy and that she still had a lot to give for her fans. After this song she already began to say goodbye speaking in Spanish.
Hakeem again came to entertain the people, while Caroline went to take another small break. So he announced the last song, asking to the DJ one more time the Long Megamix and Caroline returned to sing while he made the rap vocals. They gave us once again the typical CCCatch's show that so many times we watched only by videos in those thousands of performings around the world, the difference was that now it was for us and we saw it live and direct. They attempted to improvise a dance floor on stage inviting more people to dance with them. Hakeem with the rap and Gilly making spectacular jumps.

After this performance, the show had to end, but the people began to throw their jackets hopping that CCCatch touch them, this began to be annoying after a moment. The promoter brought some red flowers to Caroline and she with her team thanked them. People continued throwing their jackets, so Hakeem even dressed with one, but then he warned the public, "I do not want to be disrespectful but please do not throw more jackets, better throw money" - he joked. CCCatch then announced to everyone the last song, their first single "I Can't Lose My Heart Tonight" (rap version). CCCatch was jumping happily on the stage and the audience celebrated it clapping.
At the end of this last song, Caroline thanked and extended the flags of Argentina and Bolivia together, (little anecdote, the Argentine flag was upside down). The people insisted on bringing their coats and whatever for her to touch them and then everyone chanted her name. They finally left the stage and that was the definitive end of the show.

The discoteque played Eurodisco music and CCCatch went to the backstage. Unfortunately we were not allowed to enter there. However, when she left after an hour, and before she got it in her limousine, she was surrounded by many fans. Some were lucky to get her autographs, and touched her hand, she was always guarded by bodyguards, so she quickly boarded the limousine to go to the hotel, while her dancers still outside and in another van,  stayed a moment for take some photos with all the fans who asked for it. Finally, around 4 o'clock in the morning, the fans began to leave.

About one thousand fans went to the concert and they seemed to saturate the capacity of the hall. CCCatch enjoyed Argentina a couple more days, she was invited to a private party at a local club and she took pictures in some places of the city.

Tracklist of the show in Argentina:

• House Of Mystic Lights (Rap Version)
• Rap Megamix 98 Short Version (I Can’t Lose My Heart Tonight, Cause You Are Young, Heartbreak Hotel, Soul Survivor)
• Heaven and Hell (Original Version)
• Jump In My Car (Original version)
• I Can’t Lose My Heart Tonight (Rap Version)
• Are You Man Enough? (Original Version)
• Soul Suvivor (Rap version)
• Anniversary Mega-Mix (Strangers By Night, Cause You Are Young, Like a Hurricane y Midnight Gambler).
• Rap Megamix 98 Long Version (I Can’t Lose My Heart Tonight, Cause You Are Young, Heartbreak Hotel, Are You Man Enough, In The Backseat Of Your Cadillac, Heaven & Hell, Soul Suvivor)
• Strangers By Night (Original Version)
• In The Backseat Of Your Cadillac (Original Version)
• Rap Megamix 98 Long Version (I Can’t Lose My Heart Tonight, Cause You Are Young, Heartbreak Hotel, Are You Man Enough, In The Backseat Of Your Cadillac, Heaven & Hell, Soul Suvivor)
• I Can’t Lose My Heart Tonight (Rap Version)

Special thanks to Javier Mellimaci, Guillermo Vines, Jonathan Espinola, Norberto Grillo and Graciela Mabel.

*Pictures and videos were found by facebook,and they belong to their respective owners.



 

Ryan Paris - You're My Life Album

Our good friend Ryan Paris is promoting his album "You're My Life", which is a good compilation of some old and new italodisco songs. There are different versions, and styles in this interesting album.

Tracklist:
CD 1
01    You´re My Life (Dance Mix) 5:54
02    Yo Quiero Amarte Una Vez Mas (Short Mix) 4:50
03    Dolce Vita 2k16 (Italian Radio Rap) 3:22
04    Sensation Of Love Featuring – Valerie Flor 5:22
05    Together Again (Short Mix) 4:29
06    Bailando Con Tu Amor (Spanish Mix) 3:37
07    Belle Remix 3:47
08    I'm In Love 3:18
09    Dont Wanna Loose You    3:42
10    In Love Again (Pepper Version) 2:57
11    Deep In Your Heart (Dance Version)    3:49
12    Parisienne Girl (Original Vocal Mix Short) 5:03
13    Niente Ci Separerá 3:09
14    This Is Your Life (Synth Version)    3:14
15    You're My Life (Ballad Version) 4:02
16    You're My Life (Eddy Mi Ami Remix) 5:00
17    Deep In Your Heart (Space Version)    3:35
18    Without You    2:54

CD 2
01    Dolce Vita 2k16 (Spanish Radio Rap)    3:22
02    Sensation Of Love (Original Version) 3:43
03    Light In The Dark (Short Mix) 5:37
04    Te Quiero Mas (Summer Version) 3:50
05    Sensation Of Love (Andy Emme Remix)    3:43
06    I Wanna Love You Once Again (Guitar Version) 3:08
07    La Femme (UK Version) 3:08
08    I Promised Myself (1:1 Version)    3:57
09    I Wanna Love You Once Again (Earth Shy-T Remix) 4:38
10    I Wanna Love You Once Again (Potec Remix)    3:08
11    Amor, Amor (Short Version)    2:26
12    Nothing Will Keep Us Apart 3:09
13    Te Quiero Mas (Latino Version) 3:50
14    This Is Your Life    3:14
15    Bella Che Sei (Salsa)    3:38
16    Con Tu Amor 4:37
17    Dolce Vita Reloaded 5:01
18    Tiki Tiki 3:24


There is also a limited Vinyl version with six songs, this special edition comes in six different colours. A precious treasure for all Italodisco Lovers

Vinyl Version Tracklist

A1. You’re My Life (Dance Mix Tony Costa)
A2. You’re My Life (Eddy Mi Ami Remix)
A3. Bailando Con Tu Amor (Spanish Mix)
B1. Dolce Vita 2k16 (Spanish Extended Version)
B2. 2k16 Dolce Vita (italiana Extended Version)
B3. En lo profundo de su corazón (Dance Version)

Tom Hooker is back!

It is true we enjoyed the proyect Tam Harrow, created by the duo Tom Hooker-Miki Chieregato, but now it seems that Tom wants to continue releasing new stuff as himself.
So we have here his more new song, which is called "Tell Me". 

 

Fancy Interview 2016 (Part II)

Here the second part of this exclusive interview to Fancy done by Talking Forever Fanclub

1.  What do you think is the main reason people still enjoy the eurodisco 80’s in nowadays?

I think they loves it, because it’s timeless music. Also young and different generations like this music.I think is to dance, the sound is easy to dance and it’s important a good melody, the mix between a good melody and to dance, this comes together and then it works.

1.   The “Back for Good” of Modern Talking gave a big influence for an important revival of the Eurodisco music in 1998. Do you think a next revival of this music can be possible?

Yeah, I think Modern Talking is an example that is also in the 80’s. It was first in MT and BBB and all the artists coming on 84-85. This was a time situation and time spirit, and I think this was coming in the 90’s again, with the rap and rappers were doing it and then from us coming. So I think is a music for the people around the world, and they keep these songs on the mind, they like the melody and they can dance. I think that’s why this is evergreen and timeless.

1.  Many young producers worldwide are currently trying to remake the old 80’s Eurodisco style, what you would say to them?

It’s ok, it’s a compliment when somebody is trying to make this 80’s music, is not bad, but the original it’s the original, you know what I mean. There are acts and the originals. And then if somebody is doing it later, the same style, is not bad… I am sure the sound of those songs are good. The future will see, also from the radio, hits now or from the charts in ten years. We will see, what is an evergreen from 2000’s to 2010’s, or from 2010 to 2020. You can watch later if they are an evergreen from the time. From the 70’s and 80’s we know, from the 90’s also. The time will show.

1.  The production of physical records is not the same than before since many years already. Now are more popular the digital releases, but some options like the streaming platforms don’t bring the right retribution to musicians.  Which is your opinion regarding this problem. How do you think should be the music distribution and purchase process in nowadays?

This is the time spirit, first was the vinyl record, then came the CD, digital then, now the streaming and download, like this, but this is fast, and you have the song fast and get it quick from the internet, but it’s different when you have a vinyl on the hand or CD, it’s different.

It’s a different situation, now I see that the time is coming that many people and also companies… people is liking vinyls and companies are checking that so they are doing now, new vinyls incredible…. This is a new styling and is very modern, because it’s a different thing when you have a big vinyl on your hand or when you have from internet the song wherever and you have the access but you have nothing, you can only listen. And the vinyl and the CD is a little bit more, it’s better for the people I think.

The time is running, the time spirit is incredible what you can do, with internet, things like this.

1.   There was a release called “Fancy and Friends” and it contains an interesting selection of many of your participations for another singers. Maybe can you give us a clue. When is coming “Fancy and Friends II”?

When is coming?... Yeah I promise... with the first Fancy and Friends, there are a part II that is coming, you are right, and we will do it this year, I hope on fall, this year will be released. The first Fancy and Friends was a special limited edition, so the second part II, we will do also a limited edition, but we will bring them around the world, on CD could be and on vinyl also, so it’s ok you will get it also by eBay and also by Discogs, ok, that’s normal, this is the normal way now. But for special fans and for people that likes this music, is nice to have this on CD directly or the vinyl. We will see. This year we will have “Fancy and friends Part II.”

1. In 2013 Adam Pokorny made an interesting compilation with many of your productions, this is called Another side of Fancy.  In fact was already released a part I, II, and now is announced a third part. How came up the idea of make this compilation?

Adam Pokorny was looking a long time to find out all these masters, because the masters sometimes were not there for every song, so he had a big work to find them, for bring it together, then there was a CD and he made different parts. And I like the making of “Another Side Of Fancy” because it shows me as producer and advertise a lot of other artists. I think he will do another collection, I’m sure, from “Another Side of Fancy”. This would come... could be next year.

1.   What kind of music you listen in your free time?

Yeah, I told you, I have a little bit the 80’s music I like. But also, sometimes classic music, I like different styles. What I like is big hits. 
Here in the radio, in the hotel, it’s fantastic, they have a program that every song is a hit what they are playing. Some radio stations, play different songs, some are never heard or I don’t like, next I like. But here there is a radio program I like every song, it’s fantastic!.

Latin music also, sure. There are another big program with latin music.

1.  This is a question that was sent from the Pet Shop Boys fans. We know that you produced some of their official remixes, right? And in some of your performings you sing some covers of their songs, Do you consider a fan of Pet Shop Boys?, how was for you to work with them?

They were produced by Bobby Orlando, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, both guys from England. They went from New York back to England, and at the same time they had Westend Girls producing and the company said ok - to me -, please do us remixes from two songs of the PSB. “Westend Girls” and “One More Chance”.  So I made it and have it on Fancy and Friends on these CDs, this both PSB songs.

These are my two remixes for the PSB, then later I visited sometimes in concerts in London or in Munich, where they had concerts so we talked about… There is a german movie star, not famous in Hollywood, Hildegard Knef, she died, she was an old lady and she had a very characteristic voice.

And I told to Christ and to Neil Tennant, the singers of PSB, I want to work with her, “It’s A Sin”, in a german version with german lyrics, singing Hildegard Knef. But this was not possible because we had a perfect lyric in german for “It’s A Sin” and Hildegard liked this song. I was in Berlin, I visited her, she made own texts, own lyrics for this song, so we had different lyrics, one from Hildegard Knef and one from Sabrina (Sabrina Lorenz). I liked lyrics from Sabrina more, and then we had a problem with Hildegard, she said: “No, I want sing my lyrics”, and we said from the production “no, we like the Sabrina’s lyrics more”, so it didn’t success. But I made with Hildegard Knef on the Fancy and Friends a ballad, so she is on this CD also, with the ballad of “Ways Of Love”. This is the story about “It’s A Sin” in german language that was not possible… it’s a funny story, I told to Neil Tennant that, and he said oh!...

2.   We know you also like to paint, besides the music, which other activities you enjoy to do?

Besides the music, you see, I am travelling a lot, I need a little bit of rest also. I go on Friday to fly wherever. I am working for a Foundation, first for human beings, I am supporting to orphan kids, they were found down on streets, have not parents, no homes, and then I have on the other side, for animals, also for tigers. I made, for example, a big territory in Slovakia for two lions, these were lion babys, very little babys, but now they are big lions, sister and brother. I am happy about that, they have a nice luck and they have a lot of space. And this also give me a good feeling that I am supporting homeless kids, they are found, and one of them, they gave him a name, a birthday,  so then they brought him to my orphan house and later he came to Slovakia and there works for the tigers, so this is a good foundation. And I see he is closer with the animals, not with the people… you understand?, he likes animals more, with humans beings he had bad experiences.

2.   Is there something that you regret in your personal life?

If you listen a song, it’s original from French people and Paul Anka made an English lyric of the song, and it was a hit with Frank Sinatra and the song is called “My Way”. In this song is everything, listen to “My Way” and then you will know… I have nothing to explain… and there is also a regret but there is everything in my way.

I made it in my sound, wait for Fancy and Friends, you will have it on the Part II, “My Way”, it’s a very special cover version and I made the end close to the nice orchestra with Nina Simone, she made a fantastic version of My Way. Listen my “Fancy and Friends” Part II.

2.   Have you some last words for your South American fans?

I am surprised and I am happy at same time, because it’s really amazing for me... the people were enthusiastic. I like the way how they react to a concert. The mentality is closer to me. For me, I like North America also, but I like south America more. It’s a compliment. 

Gracias, muchas gracias!!.

Thanks a lot dear Manfred!! and we hope to see you again soon!!

Fancy was in Lima on 2nd April of 2016, you can read the report of his concert here.