Garrett Bithell, SX, reports
Celebrated songstress Tina Arena makes a triumphant return to the
Australian stage performing with the Sydney Symphony. She speaks to Garrett
Bithell.
A woman in possession of a voice that can raise the roof, buttressed by
a symphony orchestra at full throttle, is an awesome experience. Hence when one
of the original darlings of the Australian music industry, Tina Arena, teams up
with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for a run of concerts at the Opera House,
the demand is overwhelming.
“It’s so lavish,” Arena tells SX. “It’s like getting behind the wheel of
a Ferrari. It’s really beautiful watching those charts come alive with the
orchestra playing, and you’re hearing an oboe or a French horn or the timpani
drums popping out of somewhere – it’s an absolute pleasure.”
Last year saw Arena experience a major case of déjà vu when she was a
judge on the second-coming of seminal television show Young Talent Time, which
launched her career in the 1980s. “I experienced all sorts of emotions,” she
says. “Seeing those kids on stage and understanding how they’re feeling – the
flashbacks I had were pretty surreal. But the great thing was being overcome by
the beauty I saw in their innocence – it’s terrific when you’re surrounded by
non-calculation.”
As Arena tells, watching the fresh batch of contestants on Young Talent
Time reminded her of how naive she was during her time on the show all those
years ago. “If I could go back in time and give that young Tina some advice, I
would say ‘be aware that not everyone sees things the way that you see them’. I
was a little too idealistic. I didn’t have enough discernment to judge
characters or understand who was there for the right reasons.”
After her time on Young Talent Time, Arena relocated to America, and
eventually released her debut album, the disco-heavy Strong As Steel. But it
wasn’t until her sophomore album Don’t Ask dropped in 1993 until she hit the
big time with ‘Chains’. Since then, she has released a further 10 studio albums
and sold over 4.5 million units in the process.
But Arena’s French success is particularly unique, having sold over one
million albums in France alone, including two chart-topping albums in French language.
She has lived in Paris since 2008 and is one of the few Australians to be
awarded the ‘Order du Merit’ for her outstanding contribution to French
culture. “To say I was shocked would be an absolute understatement,” Arena
laughs. “It was a special evening and the Minister for Culture, Frédéric
Mitterrand, is an absolute champ!”
In 2009, Arena took to the stage at the Mardi Gras Party alongside
Alison Jiear. “The Mardi Gras gigs are definitely some of the highlights of my
career,” she says. “The support of the gay community has been a fundamental cog
in my wheel, and without that cog, the wheel would have been unbalanced. I’ve
always had such a great time in that environment and always feel a great deal
of love and support.”
Tina Arena performs at the Sydney Opera House 13 – 16 June,
www.sydneyoperahouse.com
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