English transcript of En coulisses avec Celine

[Victorine]

Yes indeed, as it had been asked by SFchick, I made the translation of this show, aired on March 14, 2000. René himself said that it was one of the best shows ever, hosted by Celine's friend Julie Snyder. She's traveled the world with Celine during her Let's Talk About Love and Falling Into You tours, with very rare footage (exclusive interviews of Celine, even when she couldn't talk, her closest friends, her team, René of course, backstage after some ceremonies,... and at their home in Florida). I hope you'll all enjoy yourselves!!

(There are several parts)

 

PS: If I had to choose one French TV special to show you all, it would definitely be this one!!!

 

 

This show begins with a very special song performed by Celine’s closest friends (Feeling Productions, her golf teacher, Mia Dumont, her musicians, bodyguard, brothers and sisters, Patrick and Anne-Marie Angélil, Donald K Donald, Celine’s lawyer, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Celine’s accountant, G.-H. Germain, Barry Garber, René and many others). Celine watched this special clip while celebrating her 30th birthday, that took place in Montreal.

 

Julie Snyder, the host, and René, in Palm Beach:

 

Julie: René, we’re here in Florida and within a few hours, you’ll be flying to Hong Kong, you’re going to Asia for several weeks. We were right in the middle of the Let’s Talk About Love tour. It’s the greatest tour of your life. What was the experience you got out of it ?

 

René: It was an amazing tour, it’s… what more can I say. It’s sold out everywhere. It’s a moment that Celine and I will never forget, that’s for sure. And with the center stage, it’s also a new experience for Celine, to do a show with people around her.

 

Julie: Everyone’s wondering how Celine… because she comes onstage, there’s an elevator, below the stage. But once the 25 or 35,000 people are in the stadium, in the arena, how can she be here, under the stage ? Does she come the night before and sleeps under the stage, until people come in ?! Is there an underground tunnel ? How does it happen ?

 

René: No, but we can talk about it now. There were some shows in Montreal, it’s true that there’re 2 others, 2 other shows. You gotta watch a small black box, that’s all I can say. You gotta watch, not the small one she skirts round in a plane, but a bigger one, that at one point appears, with other boxes.

 

Julie: So maybe, we’ll show this later, the famous black box.

 

Celine is in Tokyo, in late January of 1999. She comes to see the people in the audience after the show, in her famous red dress.

On stage, she’s talking to the 51,000 people: 2 years ago, we were here. It’s so wonderful to be back and see all of you, Tokyo!!

Singing To Love You More.

 

Singing To Love You More on the Madison Square Garden’s stage, N.Y., on Sept. 3 and 4, 98. Celine gives autographs outside her hotel.

Before a show, Julie asks her: “Do you know that you hold a record: you sold all tickets in 38 minutes ?

Celine: I didn’t know that, but there are always records and records and records! That’s why I make records! That’s why the little girl makes records!

Backstage.

Julie, before the show: Suzanne, what’s going on ?

Suzanne Gingue, tour director: Right now, we are moving all the TV crews on because Celine’s about to enter the stage.

Julie: The crews don’t have the right to be here.

Suzanne: They can’t be here.

Julie: But WE will be here!

Suzanne: But for you, it’s not the same!

(Laugh)

Celine is indeed getting ready in her dressing room: My tour director is very edgy right now!

Later…

Celine: Gotta go ?

Suzanne: Yes.

Julie: So we follow until you enter the box.

Celine: Ok!

Julie: Are you claustrophobic ?

Celine: You’ll tell me when I’m locked in the box. No! No, not at all. I only have 2 people to take care of me, and… You have to trust! In life, you have to trust. If you don’t, you have a big problem. Especially in show business. The guy’s telling you “I lift you 40 foot up in the air, the show starts, and I take you back down. You hold tight, you get ready”.

Suzanne: And I do trust you that in 2 minutes from now, you’ll be on stage!

(Laugh)

Celine: Ok!

Julie: Ok, we follow you, girls!

Celine looks at herself in the mirror.

Celine: All my teeth are here! The hair. Bye, girls!

We see her backstage, touching the thumbs of her musicians, warming her voice, pacing up and down in the hall.

Celine: Is all the team complete ?

Julie: You never go on stage before having talked to them ?

Celine: Surely not. Once, I was halfway, we turned back, I’m telling you, I was panicking.

Julie: Did you turn back because someone was missing ?

Celine: Everybody was missing, I had forgotten! Hey, it’s good for everybody ?

After making the sign of the cross, she then sits down inside the black box.

Julie: So explain to us what’s going on.

Celine: I sit here as a dog! In my kennel! And I hope they won’t bring me to the ASPCA!!

(Laugh)

Celine: Don’t you bring me to the ASPCA, guys!

(Laugh)

Julie: Where’s the little camera ?

Celine: Here and here.

Julie: Ok.

Celine: Bye, everyone, ciao! Bye! See you, we’ll meet later ?! Under the stage! Bye!

She’s in the box, in the dark.

Julie, talking to her: You okay, Celine ?

Celine: Yeah, I’m fine! It doesn’t smell of dog!

(Laugh)

She imitates the dog.

Celine: Bye!

 

Celine in the box, Fort Lauderdale, October 2 and 3, 1998.

 

Celine: The box is quite small, my head gets knocked against the ceiling. I have bumps everywhere, it hurts. I have to hold tight a little bit, I hear the crowd. “Hey, Celine’s in the box!” I panic, I can’t see them, I… It’s an insecure moment, I don’t know, I don’t really like that.

 

In Montreal, December 1998, Celine gets out of the box.

 

Julie: Who gives the “go” for the show ? When do you decide to…

Celine: There are many “go”. I say “go”, the others aren’t ready. The others say “go”, I’m not ready. When the technique works, I got the earpiece, I’m ready, the costume’s ok, everything is zipped, the boots are on, I make a sign (thumbs up) “go”, it starts.

Julie: So, you are the boss!

Celine: That’s what I was saying!

(Laugh)

Yves Aucoin, lighting director, gives the final “go”. The show begins, Celine comes onstage and starts singing Let’s Talk About Love.

 

Julie: You wrote for Celine Let’s Talk About Love and the song arrived at the very last minute in the studio. Why ? You were sleeping and you said “I must do a song for Celine ?

Bryan Adams: No, it was an idea of a friend of mine, who composed with me as well. His name’s Elliot Kennedy, he’s English. And he loves Celine’s voice, like me. He says “I have an idea for a song but it’s impossible for me to finish. Help me. Come and have a coffee today, and write a song.

Julie: It’s a hit now.

Bryan: You think ?

Julie: Yeah, it’s the title of the album. You wrote a hit in one day, having a coffee ? It took you one day to do it ?

Bryan: One hour.

Julie: One hour ?! One hour for a song ?

Bryan: Hum.

 

Let’s Talk About Love, in Montreal.

 

Julie: You made a duet with Celine in Cannes.

Bryan: Yes. It was an invitation from Celine.

Julie: And when you sang together, it was very sensual.

Bryan: Ooh, she’s so beautiful. She’s got the most beautiful voice. Yeah, great.

 

Duet in Cannes, singing Everything I Do, I Do It For You.

 

Julie: You made a photo of Celine too ?

Bryan: Yes, it was for a book.

Julie: And what kind of photo was it ?

Bryan: It was Celine on the road of Miami. It was simple.

Julie: Do you think Celine is a sensual woman ?

Bryan: Yes.

 

End of the duet.

 

She sings It’s All Coming Back To Me Now, in Chicago, September 14 and 15, 1998.

 

Getting ready before the show, putting make-up on.

Julie: What is the hardest song for you tonight ? You know, the song you said before “Oooh!”.

Celine: Maybe All By Myself, because it’s a performance.

Julie: A high note to reach.

Celine: A note all alone, no music behind me, nothing. I’m alone and the world’s waiting for it, you know. At first, when the song was released, I did the note and everybody said “Aye-oye!”, they were so happy, “It cannot be” and… Now they’ve heard it on the radio, and they’ve seen me in a show and I can do it, they’re like “Oh yeah, give it to us!” They expect it. I better give it, you know. I do my best.

Julie: Are there nights when you say “No, I was not able to do it”, or…

Celine: I knock on wood, it has always been correct. But there are some nights, when it sounds better, it technically sounds better, but sometimes, it isn’t technically great. But done.

(Laugh)

Celine: It sounded good, but it wasn’t technically.

Julie: But you did the note.

Celine: I delivered the merchandise, the note is over, let’s change the song! Let’s change the record! Everything’s ok. But it’s not easy.

 

All By Myself, in Chicago

 

The two are seated on a sofa.

Julie: Elvis always did that when he used to sing. Now you got a move, it’s part of show business (Celine’s face grows very worried), it’s… (Julie hits her chest twice with her fist and then stretches her arm high into the air: well, that’s our Celine trade mark when singing!)

(Laugh)

Julie: How did this begin ?

Celine: I wanna thank the world and I say “thank you”, I send them kisses and I wanna tell them that it comes from my heart. I guess I tend to do this.

Julie: No, but you do it while singing ?

Celine: When singing ?

Julie: Yes.

Celine: I hit myself from time to time.

Julie: For example, “Let’s talk about love” (and she does the move)

(Laugh)

Julie: I’m telling you!

Celine: Maybe that’s why it hurts and I don’t know why!

Julie: But when you see yourself singing, you don’t realize that you’re doing it ?

Celine: I realized it when I sang My Heart Will Go On at the Oscars, when I hit the huge heart in my neck and I gave it a slap and the heart almost broke! I remember because I was singing and in the emotion, I did this, and I hurt myself because the heart was pretty huge, full of diamonds…

Julie: 14 million!

Celine: I don’t know how much, but anyway, I did it and I thought “Oh my God, I hope the heart isn’t broken” and I had to keep singing my song. I’m telling you, I hurt myself, for real, but the heart stayed there, it was well hung.

 

Extract from the Oscars

 

Celine: At one point, my neck’s getting lower, the necklace was heavy, “How come ? Oh, yes, it’s true”. I was so proud. The bodyguards weren’t there for me: “We keep an eye on you, no problem! We keep an eye on you. We keep an eye on YOU” (looking towards the necklace), more than anything else. They took care of the heart. But I got angry, “Was there forever”, I hit the heart and I thought “Hey, I got the heart”. And I saw the whole world in the audience going like (she gasps) and I thought “If it has occurred to them…” you know, if the heart falls on the ground! Anyone, fool enough, can jump onto it and the bodyguards on me, the song’s over, it’s hell!

Julie: But do you realize that it’s part of you now ?

Celine: It’s part of the Guinness!

Julie: It’s a trademark!

Celine: I don’t know, these moves aren’t thought, I let myself be carried away by the moment. And sometimes I do this, I don’t know why. What can you do, we all have something! Elvis, it was that, and I hit myself! What do you want ?

(Laugh)

Celine: I’m a battered wife!

(Laugh)

 

Medley of Celine’s moves

 

Julie: [unintelligible]

Dominique Giraldeau, choreographer: No, no, not that. And everytime we do it, with the backup singers, sometimes, we do it for fun, I always bruise myself here. But Celine doesn’t.

Julie: When did she first do this move ? Do you remember ?

Dominique: I don’t know. I think it’s been a long while. It has evolved, I think, with time, but it’s something that Celine, you know,… the fist and she hits. Since I knew her, she’s been doing this.

Julie: In her shows, Celine dances disco on Saturday Night Fever, and she dances alone for 1 minute and a half without singing. Did you have the idea of making her dance without singing ?

Dominique: No, Celine wanted to dance and not to sing. Because at one point, you wanna do both and then I say “Well, we have to think of…” She says “No, no, no!! I don’t sing! I dance!”

 

You Should Be Dancing

 

Julie: How many hours does it take for her to learn all the choreographies in the show ? Because there’s a lot of moves in the songs.

Dominique: Well, they’re not all choreographies. We worked on her moving because it was not easy to travel the round scene and tried to organize it for her to be on the 4 sides, and not to get out of breath. Because Celine often uses her own moves, she takes her inspiration from what I do with the backup singers, and we’d check some things together. And Celine naturally moves well, so nothing is really placed.

 

End of You Should Be Dancing

 

Celine, in Fort Lauderdale, welcomes the Bee Gees before the rehearsals, on October 2 and 3, 1998.

Julie: What are explaining to the Bee Gees right now ?

Celine: For tonight, to come on stage. Because I want them to come by the middle, but I don’t want them to wait 10 minutes long, under the stage, doubled up. I’m telling them that there will be some chairs if they wanna get out from here, and we’ll make some sandwiches,… no, no, no, it’s a joke!! But they’ll be able to have chairs to come from here, or from there. It’s as they want in fact.

 

The Bee Gees and Celine are rehearsing Immortality.

 

Julie: René and Celine told me that Immortality, for them, was kind of their love song, you know. They recognize themselves in the idea of immortality, that they will survive with each other.

Barry Gibb: It’s their love that’s immortal, yes.

Julie: Yeah, their love will be immortal. Did you think about that when you wrote it ?

Maurice Gibb: All of those aspects, yes. People who are in love and committed beyond life, you know, an unconditional love.

 

In rehearsals

 

Celine, during the show: Ladies and gentlemen, would you please welcome the Bee Gees!!

 

End of the rehearsals

 

Julie, in Montreal: Celine, there may be some people that don’t know it but you are imitated on the famous humoristic American show “Saturday Night Live”. Do you like your imitation ?

[…]

Celine: No!

(Laugh)

 

Ana Gasteyer, acting on the show: I am Celine Dion, and I’m the best singer in the world!

She sings My Heart Will Go On.

 

Before a show in New York, Celine: You know, she exaggerates it all, of course. But then, who the person is, and multiplies it by 1,000 or 100 or 3… emphasizes the whole thing… But it is funny.

 

Ana Gasteyer, acting: Hello, I’m Celine Dion. I’m so happy and lucky to be here today! My life is better than I ever imagined it would be!… For sure better than yours anyway!

 

Celine, in Montreal: It’s special to see myself imitated this way but it’s… it’s pleasant in some way!

Julie: You laugh when you watch it.

Celine: Yes, of course! All the same, I have a good sense of humor!

 

After rehearsing in Fort Lauderdale

 

Julie: Are you fine, Celine ?

Celine: Yes, I am. I’m better now.

Julie: The stress is over.

Celine: No, but I’m fine. The soundcheck is done, the room is great, everything’s beautiful. The Bee Gees, we’ve rehearsed, they’re happy, Diana King’s happy as well,… my grand-children are happy, mommy’s happy!

Julie: While mommy is rehearsing, René is down under the stage.

Celine: He’s sleeping!!

Julie: No, he’s doing business!

Celine: Is it true ?

Julie: Yes, yes. Can you show us round ?

Celine: Yes, for sure. Take care of your back, because it’s…

Julie: Explain to the people who haven’t seen the show, what’s going on and why…

Celine: Normally, when you have a normal scene like that, backstage, from behind the stage people can’t see you. But here, you are in the middle of everyone, it’s a center stage. So I can’t change my clothes save under the stage. There’s all the technique, the show starts, everybody’s under the stage. When you have a costume change, etc, everything is under the stage. It’s about 4 feet high. So when I leave the stage and come here, I have to stoop, and with the problems I have with my back, it’s not easy. So there’s a lot of people whose backs hurt. But we have wheeling seats, quite low. It’s not easy. And it’s hot under the stage. The people who work here, they work hard, it’s difficult.

Julie: It’s like your small house.

Celine: It’s a small hiding place! A small kennel!

(Laugh)

Julie: Show us round your kennel!

Celine: Come in my small house!

Julie: We stoop.

Celine: Take care of your back.

Julie: Don’t go too fast, Celine.

Celine: So when I have to change, I come here, running, but doubled up. These 2 birds aren’t here, normally.

 

We see René and a man seated in chairs, talking seriously.

 

Celine: Are you talking business here ? What a place! Don’t hide from us!

(Laugh)

Julie: Celine, during the show, René is not here of course.

Celine: No, no, but there’s a lot of people in here, under the stage. You’ll see, there are monitors, everywhere, there are people here, who are knelt, almost everywhere. There’s all the technique, the whole show is here. If there’s a technical problem, the lighting, anything, a power cut, or there’s a platform that can’t go down, or it goes down while some people are going down, there are emergency buttons everywhere. There are musicians, technicians going up… The whole thing happens under the stage. Here is…

Julie: There’s a notion of risk in here.

Celine: Every thing can be dangerous.

Julie: You can’t be under a platform if it goes down, you get squashed.

Celine: For sure! I’ll show you my dressing room: there’s a mirror, I have a little table with cue tips, some water, the order in the show, some handkerchieves. It’s not the ideal thing because it’s very confined, but we do with it, because it’s under the stage all the same. Here there’s a curtain. As you can see, there’s a security flag. It’s down, we can’t come here. This is the platform, where I appear at night, you know, the platform in the center of the stage.

Julie: It means “Don’t stay here, the platform could be going down”.

Celine: Exactly, the platform can go down at any time, Lapin, our lighting director, gives the cue to make it go down or go up. You can’t have access.

Julie: There’s a control tower.

Celine: When I come here, to have my costume change… This has been set up by a musician. Loulou, Louise, my assistant on tour, prepares the costumes here, with some clothes hangers, a mirror, everything is ready because the platform has been set with a special cue. So I arrive here, I put the microphone here.

Julie: Here ?

Celine: Like that. I change. And when I come out, I sit on this chair, the others make it go down, they close the curtain, I get ready, some powder, I look if I don’t have a stroke of microphone, anything, something dramatic, I quickly shake my hair, and then they lift it up and I re-embark and I come up.

(While talking, we can see her under the stage, during the show, with a night-camera)

Julie: Thank you very much, Celine. It’s like camping !?

Celine: That’s it. It’s camping. I’ve always dreamed of doing this, I never had the opportunity and I thought “We’re on tour, better late than never”!

Julie: “I’m gonna offer myself a big tent!”

Celine: “I’m gonna offer myself a big tent, in the middle of everybody! For sure!”

 

Love Can Move Mountains, starting when Celine reappears on stage

 

Celine comes out of a plane in New York, on the music of Liza Minelli “New York”.

 

René: It’s certain, New York is important. “If you make it there, you make it everywhere!”

 

Many people waiting for her, down her hotel, in New York. Signing autographs, surrounded by at least 4 bodyguards.

The limo then arrives at Madison Square Garden. The musicians and backup singers are rehearsing Treat Her Like A Lady.

 

In her dressing room:

Julie: You no longer have your extensions.

Celine: No, because I had a… it was too heavy for my scalp. I had a serious itch and it pulled so much on the scalp that I had a reaction. It was so sensitive, even the water was hot. The braid pulled and pulled too much, it was too heavy. I had a little infection and a bump began to appear. I thought “my health’s the most important thing. Remove the braid”. It was not really practical, it was very heavy. It was very hot on stage.

Julie: Did René consult you before cutting his braid ?

Celine: I asked him to cut it.

Julie: Why ?

Celine: Well, I don’t know. I found that lots of people had a braid, first of all. So eventually, we cut it, and I’m so…

Julie: I agree with you, I brought it.

(She hands it over)

Celine: Oh!

(Laugh)

Julie: I brought you an extension!

(Laugh)

Celine: You’re crazy!

Julie: When you miss his braid, you know!

Celine: “Near, far, wherever you are!!”

(Laugh)

 

To be continued...

[VanMerlin]

Thank you, Victorine!!

[SFchick]

Thanks honey!

 

Cant wait for the other parts

[Victorine]

Rehearsing Love Can Move Mountains

 

Celine, before a show in New York: I did a show some days ago where there was… I was I trouble: I lost a strap. I had two little straps, one of them broke, and I did this!

?: No!

Celine: And I finished Love Can Move Mountains. I finished the tune with my hand like this. Someone threw me a cap, from the audience, and I put the cap like this. And I finished the song with the cap. But the world saw that… what else could I do ?

 

Before her show, she meets Monica Seles, her lookalike:

Celine: How are you ? Nice to meet you! Finally!

Monica: I know!

Celine: My lookalike! I’m thrilled.

Julie: Are you a fan of Celine since a long time ?

Monica: Oh yeah, a long time, really starting when she had her albums in French, so…

Julie: Yeah ?!

Monica: Yes, I follow her career, so… I’m a groupie!

(Laugh)

 

Julie: There’s a bit more tension.

Louise Labranche, Celine’s assistant: Yes.

Julie : There’s more tension because we’re in New York.

Louise: Exactly, a big place.

Julie: Do you feel the difference ?

Julie: Yes, I see it with Celine, yes.

 

Celine, getting ready: All my moves are set, like that, I always move, I do singing exercises, and I walk 4 miles to and fro in my dressing room.

 

Louise: Little weathercock!

 

Celine: I just wanna dress up, enter my singer costume. Then, to be able to have 10 or 15 minutes just for me, to come into my show, think of my texts, talk with René.

 

René: Review the show a little bit, just to talk, you know.

Julie: To relax her.

René: Yes.

 

Celine: When I’m on stage, it’s like the tension is gone. But as long as the show is not over, he doesn’t know. He’s very tense.

 

Julie, asking René: Are you tenser because you’re in New York ?

Celine appears and says: Yes!

(Laugh)

 

Celine: He’s so nervous, poor one.

 

René, to answer Julie: Well, it’s gonna be ok, everything’s ok. There’s nothing to do. At this stage, you have to sit, watch the show, have fun, and… enjoy the show! We’re in New York!

 

Celine: I can’t wait, for him, to end the show, you know.

 

Julie: What is the last work you’re gonna say to Celine ?

René: “Je t’aime”. It’s always that.

 

My Heart Will Go On in her red dress. We see Bill Clinton in the audience.

 

Then, they all return backstage ; Celine waves farewell in her limo ; in the plane, all applauding.

 

Celine: We’re in Montreal!

 

Singing Terre

 

On the sofa are Celine and Julie. On the screen is Jean-Jacques Goldman, live from Paris.

Julie: Good evening Celine, good evening Jean-Jacques.

J.-J.: Yes, good evening!

Julie: You asked Celine for the first album. Who asked who for the second one ? Did Celine ask you to do the second one ?

J.-J.: I think the 3 of us, Celine, René and I, maybe after a concert…

Celine: In a restaurant, I remember.

J.-J.: …in Bercy, I think. And maybe René said “What shall we do for the next one ?”

(Celine nods)

J.-J.: Maybe René asked the question, while it was not topical at all. And I said “If I have some ideas, if I find some, of course I wanna do it”.

 

Recording On Ne Change Pas, in March 98, in Paris.

 

Julie: There’s a song called On Ne Change Pas. Celine talks about the little girl from Charlemagne who’s anxious. Does this little girl often reappears ?

Celine: I think people don’t change. When J.-J. showed this song to me, I was thrilling because every day when I travel, when I’m on stage, when I put make-up on, when I get dressed by designers, when I wear high-heels, when I’m in front of cameras, for sure, there’s still this little girl from Charlemagne, who’s shy but excited by these wild dreams she has in her soul and heart, who wants to travel the world but who’s afraid and skinny and who, at the same time, is very fragile. She’s always here. Childhood is full of emotions and it’s sometimes difficult. But we don’t change.

Julie: How was your childhood difficult for you ?

Celine: Well, I don’t know, I was not self-confident. I guess other people feel this way but I wasn’t self-confident, I wasn’t beautiful, I had long hair, my arms were longer than my body, I had ugly teeth, I had a greying complexion. I wasn’t very well-dressed, I looked like a poor person, but at the same time, I was filled with love. But I looked like a poor person because we didn’t have much money. I was not very well-dressed, I didn’t have very womanlike features, I was a bit thin, I didn’t have lots of friends because I wanted to sat at home with my brothers and sisters. I don’t know, I didn’t feel really… I had the feeling of being physically taller than older in my head. I was very well-at-ease with myself. When I used to go to school, I was a bit abused, physically, like, they threw me snowballs because I always had those dresses and pantyhose. The boys said “If you don’t bring me some oranges and some apples after dinner, you’ll have trouble with me after school” and I took this seriously and I was afraid. They threw me snowballs in my calves and I ran home. And I brought 2 or 3 apples and 4-5 oranges. I was afraid! I didn’t fight. When someone pushed me, I didn’t push back. I was fragile I think.

Julie: It’s funny, Jean-Jacques, because Celine’s never really talked about it. How did you capture that ? Because you didn’t know her at that time. How do you translate it in your songs ?

Jean-Jacques: There’s a moment when a singer, in particular, is very vulnerable, is when she sings. When she leaves the veneer at the doorway, the pretences, all the characters she could be playing. Any singer. She becomes exactly who she is, and the little girl she is, extremely vulnerable at that moment.

 

Celine plays piano ; she records Je Chanterai:

J.-J.: We redo the beginning.

Celine: Maybe.

J.-J.: Because it’s not altogether right. And then we do the “chanterai” once more. Wouldn’t it be better with a little ‘clic’ behind ?

Celine: Maybe, yes.

J.-J.: To be more at ease with the tempo.

Recording of Celine, and then of the choir.

 

Julie: When you record in studio, it is said that are you stand very close to Celine.

J.-J.: When we first sight-read melodies, I’m next to her because she doesn’t know the song, she’s just heard it 10 minutes ago, or just before. So I say sentence by sentence, she discovers the songs at the same time. But then, when she records and knows the song, I’m, as everyone, next to the sound engineer.

 

Rehearsing Dans Un Autre Monde in the studio ; singing the song in Montreal.

 

Julie: You say that Celine sings a tone and a half lower in French than in English. For those who don’t know music, like me, can you give me an example ?

Celine: So if I go like (she hums), this is one tone and a half lower.

Julie: Why ?

Celine: It’s difficult to do it, vocally.

Julie: But why do you singer in French than in English ?

Celine: I think in English, there are intonations that demands sounds, whereas in French, it’s something else. It’s a different approach, vocally. So, I’m fascinated as well, but in English, the songs are always higher. I think I always have to sing louder or a bit sharper or… in French, it’s more relaxed, it’s softer so it’s lower.

 

Zora Sourit in Montreal ; clip

 

Celine: For me, Zora represents, not only Algeria, but all the women in all these countries who don’t have this chance to be free and happy.

 

Recording Zora Sourit

 

Julie: Do you find that Celine has a quebecer accent when you talk with her ? Is it sometimes difficult to understand each other ?

J.-J.: You are joking I guess!

Julie! No, no!

J.-J.: When she talks with her sister or in family, I understand nothing.

Julie: You understand nothing !?

J.-J.: No, she ahs to make an effort to make me understand.

Julie: Is it true ?

Celine: Oh yes. If I talk with Manon, he understands nothing.

 

Guitar solo from the song Tous Les Blues Sont Ecrits Pour Toi

 

Julie : « Je Crois Toi », does Celine speak to René in this song ?

Jean-Jacques : Oh yes. In studio, she believes me but in life she believes him !

(Laugh)

Julie: Does it happen that, in studio, René and you don’t agree, so who does she believe in that moment ?

J.-J.: René and I always agree. For fun!

Julie: Even when you win in ping-pong !? How are your relationships with René because you’ve defeated him 3 times in ping-pong, so is…

J.-J.: But never! Never ! René’s invincible in ping-pong!

Julie: He’s defeated you in ping-pong!

J.-J.: Of course!

Julie: Doesn’t it change your relationships ?

J.-J.: A little bit, but then…

(Laugh)

J.-J.: We come to an agreement.

Celine: They come to an agreement, yes, I sing a sweet song for them and they become gentle.

Julie: Thank you very much and good night. Thank you for staying up late!

J.-J.: Thank you.

Celine: You can switch off your Arc de Triomphe (Triumphal Arc), Jean-Jacques, it’s ok!

J.-J.: I offer it to you!

Celine: Ooh!

Julie: Can we see where you are, can the camera backs up a little bit ?

J.-J.: So here it is!

Julie: It’s very early in the morning for you, but in principle, the Arc de Triomphe close at midnight. What did you do to keep it open at this time ?

J.-J.: We asked for a derogation and… (he smiles) as Mr. [John Kella] says, we came to an agreement!! (meaning that money’s been spent)

(Laugh)

Julie: Thank you very much Jean-Jacques Goldman! Good night!

Celine: Jean-Jacques, I love you very much and…

J.-J.: I give you kisses!

Celine: …thank you! So do I, I can’t wait to see you!

J.-J.: See you! Yeah, me too!

Celine: And I hope you’ll come and see my show!?

J.-J.: Yes!

Celine: Alright. See you!

 

Clip of S’il Suffisait D’aimer

 

We now find Celine, getting down from a plane, in June 1997. Her limo heads for the Zuid-Oost arena, where she performs that very night.

 

The threesome is at the sound console, in the middle of the arena.

René: There are 17,000 people on their feet, on the floor, 33,000 around.

Celine: But the question is “Are you gonna be on your feet or seated ?”

René: I’ll be here, my love, right in front of you, here, at the sound console.

Celine: Ok.

René: Ready to watch.

Julie: Wouldn’t you like René to be on stage with you, sometimes, to live the kick of being on stage ?

Celine: But he comes sometimes, backstage, cuz there’s so much action, so many people…

René: Tonight, I may thread my way for the last song and be hidden…

Celine: You can come and sing the last tune!

René: … Be hidden behind the battery or something like that, it’s possible.

Julie: When you thread your way like that, does Celine know that you’re on stage ?

René: No, no, no.

Celine: […] Well sometimes I see you.

René: Do you ?

Celine: Yes. (She speaks in a funny way) I see you everywhere!

(René laughs)

Celine: I only see you! In my dreams, in my songs…

(He laughs)

Celine: …in the shows, in the arenas and stadiums, I see you everywhere!

 

We notice that whilst Celine’s on stage, René is indeed backstage. She gives him a sign.

 

Celine: If the whole world sings with me and everything, and he comes and says “It’s so-so”, I must believe him, it’s for sure. But he doesn’t do it because he doesn’t like it, it’s because he’s focused, he doesn’t wanna miss one move, one word, one note, one reaction, he really is concentrated. But instead of being concentrated like (she acts like a fan who smiles and enjoys the show)…

(Laugh)

Celine: …he’s like (she makes a serious face)

(Laugh)

 

Example when she sings Le Ballet

 

Celine: But put yourself in my position: everybody’s like (she screams, puts her hand in the air, very enthusiastic) and he’s in the audience (very serious)…

(Laugh)

Celine: So after the show I’m always looking forward to seeing him!

(Laugh)

Celine: I am looking forward to seeing him because in my dressing room, look, it’s like… he opens the door, “Hey, honey (she acts like René gives him a kiss), it was…” I won’t say the word he says cuz I don’t swear.

(Laugh)

Celine: Neither does he, anyway, but he says “What a show tonight, what a show!”

(Laugh)

Celine: He was like that during the whole show (serious face), I’m thinking he’s gonna say “Hey, don’t you ever do that again!”. For sure, I’m always thinking that it’s my last show. But it’s true, you were like that, it’s scary. The world in the audience thinks like “It’s Celine’s husband”, they must be saying “Poor one!”

(Laugh)

Julie: Since it’s the greatest kick in his career, because he says it’s a great kick for him to be here…

Celine: Hum-um.

Julie: Maybe, he’ll stand up and raise his arms in the air. You never know!

Celine: Maybe, but the question is “Is your kick gonna be greater seeing the show tonight, than when you’re hungry and eat Lebanese food ?” That’s the question!

(Laugh)

Julie: When you sing a love song, do you look around for him ?

Celine: It has already…

(René shakes his head)

Celine: But what you’re saying “no” !!? Who are to know what I’m doing ? You’re supposed to know me! And yes, (speaking in the funny way) I seek you!

(Laugh)

Celine: I’ve just told you, I see you everywhere! I seek you, everywhere you’ll go, I’ll come with you!

(She kisses him)

 

Singing J’irai Où Tu Iras on stage with one of her musician

 

 

Celine: I gotta tell you, honestly, I’m talking about his serious look, but if I’m here, it’s precisely because he was so focused, not to let himself be carried away and excited by “Oh yeah, she’s nice, she’s good, we love her, you’re great and…” This is one thing, but it needs improvement. And he’s always been there to appreciate and see the world happy. He’s proud, he often cries. He comes to see me and says “it was great tonight” and I… But afterwards, we sit and he says “Look at that, be careful when you say that, it’s a bit long, it drags…” But that’s why he looks concentrated. He enjoys, but he is always very concentrated and I think it’s a great quality for an impresario. You’re a great impresario, my love!

(René throws out his chest, swaggers, just to joke)

(Laugh)

[Victorine]

Here are some other pictures!

[SFchick]

There is more right? or is that the end?

[mieke]

Thanks for this

Finally I can understund everything and I never knew Bill Clinton was there.

I must see this video again.

[Jolien]

Thanks a lot!!

[vivezpouraimer]

Wow, thank you!! That was so enjoyable to read.

 

My day is happy now. hehe.

[Gicedi]

Wow! Thank you so very much for your great job! I want to see that show!!!!

[Celine's Wife]

Thanks!!!!

[AdrianaCarvalho]

thank you

[Dancer]

Thanks so much for this - I can no understand what has been said and I can watch again with little bit more info.

 

Thanks for all your hard work.

 

Dancer

[Victorine]

There are other parts to come, right. It should be done within a few days!!

[Victorine]

Here's anothe part, guys! What I put between square brackets is what I could understand from what Celine says, but I really don't know what it is, even in French!! Anyway, I hope you like the pictures I added and if ever someone wants to make some screencaps of the show, it will be welcome!!

 

 

15 minutes before the show:

Celine: If I wanna say “Good evening, everyone”, can you say that to me ?

(The female translator tells her)

Celine repeats and says: They will understand of I say that (she speaks). They won’t go like this (what ???)…

Translator: That’s perfect.

Celine: They’ll say “Yeaaah!!”

 

During the show, she says the sentence

 

5minutes before the show:

Julie: Do you stay all alone during the last 5 minutes ?

Celine: No.

Julie: There’s always someone with you.

Celine: Yes.

 

Julie: Has she ever had her minutes alone ?

René: No, but its supposed to be like that!

(Laugh)

Julie: You’re a witness, Suzanne ?

Suzanne: I’m a witness!

(Laugh)

Julie: It’s never happened ?!!!

(Laugh)

Julie: Never!! She’s never had her 5-minute ?!

Celine: Because we want…

René: In the book, it’s written. In the book of show-business, it’s written, but it hasn’t happened yet!

 

2 minute before the show, as she’s having her “saliva-making” drink:

Julie: So why does she do that before the show ?

Louise: Why does she do that before the show, it’s to… it’s to…

Celine: I’ll tell them: it cleans and it slackens and it give saliva. There’s [petite vache], some salt, and [“carreau” syrup] It gives much saliva, because when you’re nervous, you bite your tongue and you go crazy, you become dry.

 

Celine: Without having imagined such a big place like this one here, when I was young, I thought it as a “big time”. I hadn’t seen any theater, any stadium, any arena, but I saw myself singing for a lot of people. Whether you want it or not, yes, I wanted it to be like this and that’s the way it is today.

 

We can see her coming on stage, and then singing The Power of Love. Her voice can hardly be heard because of the 55,000 people singing along, in June of 1997 in Amsterdam.

 

In the plane: I was very impressed, really. Because when you see the empty place, you think “It cannot be full”, this is one thing. But when “the show must go on”, you go on stage, and it’s real, what you see is not an image, it’s not cinema, it’s real, and it’s for you… I think “It’s amazing to have gone that far”, it’s impressing, you know, it’s not a kick at all.

 

End of The Power of Love

 

[Now, only the people who can see this show will be able to understand this sequence, since Celine can’t talk, preserving her voice for the next show. She can only make signs and mimics]

Julie: Do you have some days when you have to talk but there’s a situation of emergency, and you must say something. Do you crack, do you speak ?

(she shakes her head)

Julie: Never. Nothing makes you crack. Nothing to make speak. Do you realize that…

(she shows her voice is off)

Julie: For example, if it’s a day when you don’t talk, and something’s getting on your nerves, you know, it happens, you go like “Hey!!” you’d like to say “Hey! It ain’t ok!” What do you do because you can’t…

Julie: He listens to you as much, even if he can’t hear you ?! Straight in the eyes.

Julie: More!

 

Julie: René told me that Michael Douglas was seated next to you, he said “Hello, I’m a fan of you”, and so on… ?

Julie: He was in a… a match of basketball. Michael Douglas wanted to talk to you, you didn’t speak to him!!

Julie: You talked to him this way.

Julie: Did he understand everything you said ?

(She nods)

Julie: Yes, yes.

Julie: René explained to him. But if René’s not here to explain. For example, if you go shopping on a day off…

Julie: You’re not alone. You go out with people, who explain.

Julie: With your bodyguard. And your bodyguard explains that you can’t speak.

Julie: Or with your sister Manon. And she talks, ok.

Julie: Ok, you buy.

Julie: And you wanna try on something else, a smaller size, a bigger size, you go like…

(Laugh)

Julie: You want 2. Sometimes you buy twice ?

(Celine tries to make her understand “toutes les couleurs”, all colors)

Julie: For everyone ?

(she goes like “toutes les couleurs”, but she still doesn’t understand)

Julie: You buy… ?

(she kinda says in French “black, white, blue, red, green, all colors”)

Julie: You buy twice for Manon…

(Celine shakes her head)

Julie: You buy a lot ?

(Celine kinda says “toutes”)

Julie: You buy all ?

(Celine: “les couleurs”)

Julie : All colors !

(Celine starts going crazy)

Julie: Well, sometimes, you buy in all colors. I don’t understand!!

(Celine tries to strangle her)

(Laugh)

 

Julie: Why are you more down-to-earth than the majority of megastars ?

Celine: Of course, when I see 50,000 people before me, I’m not thinking like “Hey, I’m a megastar, it’s incredible. I’m famous, I’m a huge star!” This doesn’t come into my head. I’m still having the lump in my throat, the other night, when the curtain rose and I saw 50,000 people in front of me. It’s really touching, and I didn’t expect that.

 

Pour Que Tu M’aimes Encore, in Brussels, on June 20, 97, singing for 72,000 people

 

A female fan in the audience: She’s the greatest and that’s why we took/chose her, she’s just great!

A male fan: Because it’s the event of the year, and the arrival of Celine her in Brussels…

A female fan: Because she’s the greatest, she’s got the most beautiful voice in the world, she’s matchless.

Another female fan: She really doesn’t take herself as a star, she’s really nice with us and that’s why we love her.

 

Celine, in the plane: It’s a bit difficult for me to focus or… There’s still a part of me there.

 

End of Pour Que Tu M’aimes Encore

 

Celine, in the plane : You can’t believe it, everyone’s singing, everyone’s here… The world (she means the audience) writes messages… did you see that ? The streamers ?!

 

Julie: Are you afraid of losing this one day ?

Celine: No because I know that… I can’t have it forever, that’s for sure. You know, I’m 29, I hope to have it for a good 10 years. If I still have 10 more years, I will be having the most beautiful career in the world.

 

End of Because You Loved Me

Celine leaves the stage, accompanied by Louise and Eric Burrows, her bodyguard, and heads for the limo. She’s then seated next to René.

René: This is the top!

Celine softly sings Tonight’s The Night.

 

In Los Angeles, on Jan. 10, 99, she arrives at the People’s Choice Awards. On the red carpet:

Julie: Celine, you’ve won Grammies, Junos, Felix, Oscars, World Music Awards… Have you ever won a People’s Choice Award ?

Celine: No.

 

Julie: Would it be the only missing award ?

René: Well, I’m sure there are some that we don’t know, but this one is important, she’s never won one.

 

Posing for photographers

 

Julie: Miss Stuart, is it the first time you meet Celine ?

Gloria Stuart, who played the older Rose in Titanic: No, no, no! We’re old friends since…

Celine: That’s right! We’ve met about a year ago when the Titanic started, when this big magic moment started.

Miss Stuart: Right.

Celine: Both of us we were in the boat!

 

Julie: René, are you excited to be on the red carpet, to see lots of stars ? Do you still have a thrill ?

René: Oh yes, absolutely, it’s always exciting to see artists you can see in cinema, to see them in person of course. Tonight, there’s a lot of actors, lots of artists from the movie Titanic, whom we’d met at the premiere, and we meet again.

Julie: Is there any star you’re particularly excited to mix with ?

René: Celine Dion!

 

Voice-over : Live from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, it’s the 25th Annual People’s Choice Awards.

Kenny Rodgers: And your choice for Favorite, Female Musical Performer is… Celine Dion!

(Applause)

Celine : Thank you so much ! Love you too! (talking to the audience) We keep doing what we’re doing because… for your support, thank you so very very much for this great honor tonight!

 

Backstage:

Julie: Celine, we’re gonna follow you to see what’s going on after you receive an award.

Celine: Ok.

 

She holds a press conference.

 

Celine: People ask me the same question.

Julie: What is the question you’re most asked ?

Celine: And tiring, you know, it’s like “Who’s the designer of your dress ?”

 

She meets James Cameron

 

Celine: “Who’s the designer of your dress ?”, “How many carats is your diamond ?” You know, it’s like… Of course, it’s glamorous, it’s fun, but I think there are so many more important things.

 

In the hall:

Celine: Did you see the flashlights ?!!!

(Laugh)

Celine: It’s incredible! Every time they take a picture here, I always think… René buys all the magazines, you know, and I always expect… I think at one point, I will open a magazine and there will be written “Would be [cut dead] [she speaks with her French Canadian accent and I can’t understand what she’s saying] in this outfit ?, you know, the worst dressed person!

 

Julie: You give about a hundred interviews.

Celine: We give interviews and interviews, photographers, the wind in my hair, and you gotta be at your best and when your hair’s like this, it’s this haircut they take for all the magazines, you know. A strap coming down and the picture is taken, it’s unrewarding, it’s never… if you win, well, you go backstage and you have a lot of interviews again, “What’s it like to win ?”, then it’s the press, then the photographs room, then it’s the radio, then you have individual interviews to give, it never ends.

 

On Jan. 11, 1999, in the limo, René’s on the phone:

René: Hi Paul, this is René Angélil. How are you ? You wanted to speak to Celine ? This is for the Grammy magazine ? Ok.

Celine: What I’m gonna do now ? I mean, the most important thing for me is to do songs that I love. So René and I, we choose everything together: what we wanna do, what kind of TV special do we wanna do, do we wanna do… do we wanna use 5 producers, 2 producers, it depends! I mean, we choose everything together.

 

Arriving at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles.

She meets Cher backstage.

Voice-over: Tonight, live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, it’s the 26th Annual American Music Awards.

Enrique Iglesias: And the winner is… Celine Dion!

Celine: Thank you very much! I’d like to thank, say thank you very much to all the people who work in the shadow, all year long. All the fans, you don’t know how much I love you, I appreciate it so much. Thank you guys! God bless you!

 

Backstage:

Celine (talking to Julie): Female! (she really can’t believe it) You okay ?

Julie: Yeah! Celine, you’d told us you’d never won any American Music Award.

Celine: No.

Julie: But in the program of the AMA, they say you’ve already won one.

Celine: Me ? I’ve already won…

 

Showing the program to René:

Julie: Last year, she won “Favorite Female Artist Pop/Rock”.

René remains speechless.

 

Celine: René told me “no”, neither do I remember.

Julie: I think you’ve won too many!

Celine: I think they’re mistaken.

 

René: Yeah ?!

 

Asking a person:

Celine: So I wasn’t there, that’s the reason!

Julie: She did win an AMA!

Celine: It’s me, I won one but I wasn’t there and I can’t remember!

 

On Feb. 24, 1999:

Voice-over: Welcome to the 41st Annual Grammy Awards celebrating the best in recording music for the past year.

Beck: And the Record of the Year is…

Sarah McLachan: Who is it, who is it ?!

Beck: My Heart Will Go On, Celine Dion!

Celine: This is so wonderful, thank you so very much! Of course René, I wanna say thanks to you, sweetheart, for taking care of my heart, everybody’s taking care of my career, producers, writers, everybody. But thank you for taking care of my heart, this is the most important thing. I’m so happy! Thank you so much to my family! Thanks!

 

Singing The Prayer with Andrea Bocelli

 

After the show:

Celine: Tonight, something very peculiar happened: normally, they fetch me half an hour before my performance. Tonight, I’m seated in the audience, I’m here, I’m applauding, and I wait and wait. At one moment, a guy runs towards me , he says “Excuse me, it’s time, you have 5 minutes left, we’ve forgotten you!”

[…]

Celine: I gave a look… I didn’t even have time to go “What ?!! I don’t understand, you’ve forgotten ?!” I didn’t even have time to pick any quarrel or get angry, I got 5 minutes left! With the high heels, I seize my dress, backstage, I went upstairs. I swear to you, there were people in the dressing room, the make-up artist, the hairdresser, Rolande my physiotherapist, there was Manon… I took my dress off, in front of everybody, forget about fannies, they’ve already seen me, it doesn’t matter, to start “Blah blah, embarrassed” No time!! The dress on the ground, Manon was putting my shoes, while the other one was putting some lipstick, while the other one was fixing my hair, and I was reading the lyrics of the song, it was hell!

(Laugh)

 

End of The Prayer

 

Julie: You had a standing ovation afterwards.

Celine: Yes.

Julie: So it was fine however.

Celine: I forgot everything! I may have had some lipstick on my teeth, maybe, or… but that doesn’t matter! And with Andrea Bocelli, afterward, I wanted to let him know what was going on after the performance. You surely saw I was talking to him on stage, in his ear, I whispered we had a standing ovation and he was very happy.

 

Photoshoot with her 2 awards

 

Julie: After tributes, ovations and travels, Celine gave us an interview, face to face, in the privacy of her home in Florida.

 

To be continued...

[Celine-Express]

Tancks!

[SFchick]

Lovers it!

 

Thanks

[SFchick]

Oh and did she really say Fanny! LMAO

[Tal]

wow thank you so much!! im loving this! can you come to my house and watch dvd's of her in the recording studio with jjg and translate them for me?

 

but seriously, thanks so much for all of your work. i always get so frustrated cause it seems her french interviews are always so much better but i never know what she's saying.

[Bellamy]

Thank you very much Victorine.

wow thank you so much!!  im loving this!  can you come to my house and watch dvd's of her in the recording studio with jjg and translate them for me?

 

but seriously, thanks so much for all of your work.  i always get so frustrated cause it seems her french interviews are always so much better but i never know what she's saying.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I need a personal translator too.

[SFchick]

wow thank you so much!!  im loving this!  can you come to my house and watch dvd's of her in the recording studio with jjg and translate them for me?

 

but seriously, thanks so much for all of your work.  i always get so frustrated cause it seems her french interviews are always so much better but i never know what she's saying.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Look at you drifting in here!

[Victorine]

Thank you all! You know, I'm not fluent in English but I try to do my very best!!

The advantagewe have, I think, for the people living in France (and Canada by the way) is that every time she comes, she tells us new stuff. It's quite rare to see her on TV (for real interviews and not just performances), but when it happens, it's new. So I prefer watching her rarely and be satisfied, than watching her every week and always hear the same speech.

I'm glad you like this "translation"!!

[one heart]

thanks

[Victorine]

You'll just have to wait a little bit for I have an important test on Wednesday!! But I'll do it!

[poetic]

Big thanks!! My french is not the best but I understand a little bit. The most important for me here is that I never read or watched all that intreviews you translate, so big thanks!!

[NatalijaV]

Thank you, Victirine!

 

Great! Very great job! Especially for those who knows only a couple of words in French...

[Victorine]

Thank you for your warm words, it's good to know I can be a little helpful!!

 

Here's another part!

 

Julie: After the tributes, ovations and travels, Celine gave us an interview, face to face, in the privacy of her home in Florida.

 

Julie: Celine, we’re here at your place in Florida, in Jupiter Island. You involved yourself a lot in the architecture, in decorating. Did you say “I want this or that color”, how did you work ?

Celine: Look, while travelling, I buy all the fashion and food magazines, everything, the boats, so… And I cut out, in the planes, all the pages I like. I have a dream stack and I’m ready for all the occasions. When we decided to build our house, I was fully ready!

Julie: You took out the dream stack.

Celine: And I took out the dream stack and it gave the dream house here.

Julie: So the swimming pool, did you see it in a magazine too or just like that ?

Celine: The swimming pool, it is an idea we’ve taken from Giani Versace. We went to Miami and we visited Giani Versace in Italia, I was offered a book…

Julie: About his house.

Celine: About his house, his favorite rooms, everything. And I had seen his swimming pool. I liked it a lot. It’s not exactly the same, but I was much inspired.

Julie: So it’s an Italian inspiration.

Celine: Exactly.

Julie: You say you’ll build a house in Terrebone, on the golf club Le Mirage, you will also build a house for your parents.

Celine: Yes. We have 4 houses leave: a house for us, for my parents, for the oldest of my brothers Clément, who’ll be our right-hand man, and our cleaning woman, who’s been with us for a very long time and who we trust a lot, Mme Jeandron (maybe not the right spelling).

Julie: Is it the most beautiful gift you’ve given to one of your closest person, to offer a house ?

Celine: I think it’s quite a huge thing all the same. When I announced it to Mme Jeandron, I said “Look, Mme Jeandron, for 4-5 years, you’ve been working with us, we’ll soon be moving, and we’d like to offer you…” She started shaking and crying. And still today, I think she can’t believe it. Until she set a foot in the house, she won’t believe it. And for us, to offer this, I’m more in shock than Mme Jeandron!

(Laugh)

Celine: It’s probably the most beautiful challenge, the most wonderful kick I can have in my life, to make my parents happy, to offer a house, the car of the year, I think that what René and I love the most is to share our happiness.

Julie: Are you ever alone, alone, alone ? Like, you’re all alone in your house. Do you have moments when you really are on your own ?

Celine: No. It hasn’t happened yet and I think it’s one of the reasons why I shall stop I feel like getting bored a little bit, I want this loneliness, to meet myself a little bit, to refill maybe, maybe even to create a vacuum! To appreciate, to realize. Because it goes so fast that I don’t realize. Oh yes, we have a beautiful swimming-pool, we have a beautiful house, friends, family, everyone’s a little worried about me. Everybody says “How are you gonna do ?! You like this so much, how are you gonna do to stop ?! You’ll stop 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 1 month, ok. But Celine, what will you do 6 months later ? You’ll get bored”. I answer “Don’t you worry about me!” I’ve so… I can’t get bored because first of all I love life. And when you feel good in your skin, when you love you get up in the morning... I never get up early because I perform in the evening and I go to bed very late so I get up very late. So for me, to get up in the morning, the sun comes into my bedroom and I can hear the birds for the first time, I can hear the leaves rustle, it’s the first time I really can be in touch with nature, with real life. Well, when I say “real life”, some people listen to me and they must be saying “Hey, in a castle, real life…

Julie: With marble.

Celine: …that’s not what real life is! Real life is 9 to 5, 5 days a week, the washing-up, the food and…” It’s true. We’re very spoiled.

Julie: Are you conscious that it can, almost, shock people ,

Celine: Yes. But at one point, I can’t do this to the fans, I can’t do this to the audience, to come on stage and not feel like singing for them.

Julie: Does the pressure of your job make it more difficult, for example, to find yourself ? Were there any moments of anguish ?

Celine: That’s another reason why I wanna stop as well. At one point, you become impatient, you cry for nothing, you don’t know how you feel… It’s very demanding, this job is very demanding. And it’s scary at one point because you always try to fight, to give a better performance, a better album,… And at some point, you no longer can. And the pressure gets heavier. The more you’re successful, the more difficult it is.

Julie: And the more you’re under pressure, sometimes, the more you have little depressions, like, as you said, crying for nothing, you can’t understand why you’re crying.

Celine: The people stay next to me but “Leave me alone”. It’s a bit hard to understand, you know. So when you start not to understand what you want, it’s not sane. I’d just like to be in touch with “normal” life, normal between brackets, if I may say. To drive my own car…

Julie: Do you sometimes drive your car ?

Celine: It’s rare, it’s rare. I’ve driven twice, since we’re here.

Julie: Did you choose your car ?

Celine: Well, I bought an old car…

(Laugh)

Celine: No, it’s a very beautiful car all the same, but it doesn’t exist anymore, it’s a Corniche.

Julie: A Roll Royce ?

Celine: Yes.

Julie: A period car ?

Celine: Yes, with a sliding sunroof, but it’s quite old. But I love it. It’s my old car but she’s sharp. I don’t know, I love to drive it. When I open the roof, I was with my mother or one of my sisters. But it’s very rare. But to get away from chauffeurs and all that, to be…

Julie You’ve never been a typical teenager! Because you were working…

Celine: I hadn’t time!

Julie: You didn’t have time to be a typical teenager!

Celine: Exactly, I didn’t have time! I didn’t have time for something else in my life than being disciplined, training my voice, and to deliver the merchandise. And there was no error margin.

Julie: During this sabbatical year, will you have like a midlife crisis, becoming a typical teenager ?

Celine: Maybe! I’ll try to have a rush of spots!

(Laugh)

Celine: And to go crazy!

Julie: You didn’t have a ball of graduations like many teens.

Celine: No. I didn’t go to school that far to have this.

Julie: Ok, you didn’t…

Celine: I didn’t get through the 2nd R2, I think.

Julie: Oh yes ? But did you have the right...

Celine: Yes. That’s why the little girl makes mistakes! (talking about herself)

Julie: Did you have the right not to go to school ?

Celine: I had private lessons.

Julie: But you didn’t attend a normal school to reach 2nd R5.

Celine: And no.

Julie: Ok.

Celine: That’s why she’s not normal!

(Laugh)

 

 

To be continued!

[SFchick]

Thank you! I lovers it

[SFchick]

Any other parts?

[Victorine]

I've just taken a one-week holiday so it'll very soon come!!