Let's find out more about Alexia and those little secrets of hers!!!
Alexia was born in La Spezia. She loves the sea but having being born and bred in 'Liguria' it's only natural that it's in her blood. Anyway, I went to see Alexia to find out more...
"Do you get inspiration for some of your songwriting because of time spent by the sea?"
"I've never really thought about it before but yes I suppose I do. I love the sea. Especially when there are no tourists around. It's so peaceful. I can go for long walks along the pier or across the beach and at last I have my own thinking space. When I'm at home in La Spezia I often go to local beauty spots like Lerici and Portovenere."
"You get to travel a lot. This must also give you some kind of inspiration for your songs?"
"Yes, of course it does. Travelling gives me an enrichment inside like nothing else. I think of myself as being extremely lucky to be able to visit all these places and see so much."
"What's changed since "Fan Club" to this more recent album 'The Party'?"
"Well, for starters it's on the Sony/Dance pool label and that is an enormous step forward to say the least. It has increased a sense of responsibility on everybody's part. Every small detail has to be done with great accuracy. My producer, is at times very severe and criticises me when need be. This makes me work that little bit harder. At the end of the day I realise that it is only to make sure that I give my best."
"Do you feel you have been able to put into this second album the artistic maturity of an extra year?"
"Definitely! In this kind of job, it often happens that you have so many different things to do that in the end you find you don't have any more time to concentrate on the next project and this makes it all a bit stressful and hard going. On many an occasion I've been unhappy with an interpretation of a song and this has made me irritable. Giorgia, an Italian singer, is so lucky to be able to break off the strain by tucking into a bar of chocolate, I couldn't do that!!"
"When you are at home (which is not very often) what do you like to do the most?"
"Invite friends to my home for a meal and then watch either a pop concert or a film on video. I'm definitely a homely type. Otherwise I enjoy going bowling or listening to live music in a club!"
"Do you like to watch a lot of films? Do you watch more on video than on tv?"
"I love to watch films, but I prefer to watch them on video cassettes rather than on television. You can choose which film you want to see, they're more recent and plus there aren't any adverts cutting in every 10 minutes!!!"
"What type of film do you like to watch?"
"Those with a happy ending!! Sorry, i know, I'm not very original, am I? But anyway, I like to day dream and why should we deprive ourselves of this one bit of happiness? I'm still able to get emotional even watching 'Cinderella'!!!"
"Who are your favourite actors?"
"Like all of the girls, I'm mad about Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and George Clooney. I really like Val Kilmer too. But I don't like Leonardo di Caprio!"
"We're getting closer to the oscars once again. What do you think about the distribution of prizes for cinema? And what about Celine Dion's performance in the last one? Do you like her?"
"Unfortunately what with working and travelling I'll end up missing it this time round. However, I find it an extremely important event for the entertainment business on the whole. Celine Dion is great. Not only is she a fantastic person but she's also a fantastic singer. Her performance in the last 'Night at the Oscars' with "My heart will go on" gave the whole event an unforgettable atmosphere."
"What's your general opinion about a film's soundtrack? What role do they play in the success of a film?"
"Just talking of "My heart will go on", the film 'Titanic' is a good example to show that a film and a good song can together arrive at unthinkable levels. In most cases a film is able to become even bigger, thanks to a romantic or emotional soundtrack. 'Ghost' is a good example of this. The film turned out to be a huge success thanks to the use of a 60's slow romantic melody for the soundtrack."
"Are there some soundtracks that you would like to have interpretated?"
"I would love to have interpretated "What a feeling" from 'Flashdance'. I was really young when it first came out and absolutely loved it! I think that I would probably like to sing a soundtrack for a film like "Dangerous mind" or perhaps one where Whoopi Goldberg is starring."
"Who do you think are the greatest female singers in the music business?"
"I think that everyone has something to say, I don't like to have fixed views. I used to be so much more selective in my judgments and even unjust at times. I realise now that music should be listened to in a carefree way and it's for this reason that I listen to wide range of different music, from the Spice Girls and the All Saints to Janis Joplin, from Alanis Morisette and Chaka Khan to Sarah Vaughan. I even listen to the Backstreet Boys, Skunk Anansie, The Prodigy and Mozart.... Honestly, the list is endless!!! You could say my taste is about 360¡!!!"
"And what about male singers?"
"Luciano Pavarotti and Jovanotti duetting together made me go weak at the knees! Actually at the moment I'm listening to a new artist: Finley Quaye. He's great!"
"Would you like to sing a duet with any of these?"
"Oh dear, I wouldn't know which one to choose out of them all. But the answer is a sure yes, I'd love to!"
"What role does your family play in your life?"
"My family is just the best, but, because of the kind of work I do, I am unfortunately forced to neglect a little. In fact it's the negative side of my job that I find difficult to accept. I love my mother and my sister because they give me a special kind of love that no-one else in this world knows how to give me!"
"Would you like to have a family of your own or do you have one already?"
"I'd love to have a family of my own one day. Although I wouldn't want more than three children. I'd like to have two boys and one girl. One of them would probably be a south american child because I want to adopt."
"Other than be an excellent singer, you have also shown a flair of confidence on stage. Is it just the fact that you love to sing that makes you look so wicked on stage or what?"
"First of all the passion to sing means that it is only natural to want to have fun amongst others. Singing seems to put me at ease."
"What does it feel like to be one of the biggest stars of the moment?"
"I don't really know! I haven' t got that much time to think about it! Anyway I do know that I sometimes can't go out, not even to look at shop windows without being mobbed by some fans!!!"
"Would you say that there are many different kinds of risks in the life of a famous person?"
"The only thing is that people tend to take us a little bit too seriously... at least I hope not anyway! I don't really know. The only thing is to avoid bringing out the hate and envy in someone, with your stupid behaviour. However, there's a lot of responsibility on my part and I have to make sure I always look my best whatever and whenever!"
"A lot of film stars and pop stars have said to have been in a state of bliss when living an intense moment during their career lives, but even so have tried to keep their feet on the ground. Is it because in the entertainment business one minute you're up and the next you're flat down on the ground? Would you agree with this statement and at what limit can someone stay 'normal' once they have become stars overnight?"
"As the saying goes-'nothing lasts forever!' - and it's true! It's good to think this way especially to keep a hold of yourself and make sure you don't fall into depression. When i found out about one of the duo in the hit group 'milli vanilli' committing suicide because of depression with a mix of alcohol and poisonous barbiturates, i felt so empty inside. And then there was the story about the lead singer of inxs. It's all so very upsetting. Obviously it's not easy staying yourself. Perhaps i too have changed, but my job has given me a lot of security and serenity. I really don't want to hurt myself. Perhaps this'll seem a bit of a catch phrase but: 'never take yourself too seriously'."
"Being in the entertainment business, do you find it's very important to follow fashion?"
"Unfortunately, yes!"
"Do you believe that fashion and music have a strong tie?"
"Unfortunately, we are loved even more if we are dressed in a fashionable way and look good physically. It's like that everywhere, not just in the music business. More than a tie it seems to be more of a rule that has to be followed. People in the entertainment business are expected to be seen looking a certain way and I suppose if that's what the public want then that's what they should get. In a way I suppose it's only right... although I'm not too sure about it all!!"
"What's your favourite type of clothing?"
"Anything sporty or rather anything that's comfortable-even a pair of pyjamas!!!"
"When you're not working what type of clothing do you like to put on?"
"Every now and again I like to dress a little sexier just to have a bit of fun! Sometimes I'll go out with a friend and wear a mini-skirt. Every time he sees me he says: 'Why don't you wear a skirt more often? You look great you know!' Each and every time! But, without a doubt, I'm back in my sporty gear again the next day!!"
"A lot of women in the entertainment business have had plastic surgery to improve their looks. How do you feel about this?"
"Not only in the entertainment business. Everyone'll fall into the trap sooner or later! I'm not really for it because I believe it's the system that wants us to do it and says that we should look a certain way. I'm not saying that it's not right that people shouldn't feel good about themselves. But it's a different matter wanting to look good to feel good for yourself rather than wanting to look good at any cost. There are cases where an operation can actually help a person psychologically and perhaps the need to feel a little bit more secure about oneself. In that case I don't think that it's such a bad thing. The only thing I really can't work out is how anyone has the need to change the way he/she looks when he/she looks good already."
"Do you think you could ever decide to have 'a make over' done?".
"I don't really think that I'm greatly in need of one. I've never been the type of person to have this need to have a body like a statue or a turned-up nose! My only hope is that I never get tempted by it all-I'd go mad to think that I'd have to go on the operating table!!!"
"Do you think that the way we look is important?"
"I think so, even if it is the most irrelevant thing in our lives. As children we're grown up to believe what we are told and one of the things we are told has something to do with beauty; but if you are lucky enough to get to know the other aspects of life and their important significance, then we grow up to be far more beautiful and less conditional. I understand the importance of looking good during adolecency, but growing up priorities change and personality counts so much more."
"Who do you believe to be the most beautiful women in the world in both past and present?"
"From the past there can be but one obvious answer -Marilyn Monroe. I think she must be the most beautiful woman ever. I find Kim Basinger to be one of the most attractive women of today."
"Do think yourself as being extremely lucky to have got where you are today or do you want more?"
"I think that I'm already lucky enough as it is to have got where I am today because it's never that easy to grab hold of even just a small part of what we'd really like to have in our lives. But there are still a lot of things that I would like to do. A challenge makes me feel alive and full of hope. I don't think I'll ever stop wanting more."
"You're well known for being one out of a small group of artists that actually sing live during a performance and hardly ever in playback. How does it feel to sing live even in the most 'dangerous moments' out in front of an audience?"
"I don't think I'm one of the few that sing live, in fact there's a lot of artists that do. A lot like this has been said about dance music artists for a while now, although I think it's been changing more and more recently and not only on my part. Each and every time I step on stage I get very emotional, but it's for this reason that I keep on going!"
"How come you always look so good. What are your own beauty tips?"
"I'm very careful about choosing make-up products and clothing making sure that they suit my face and figure. I'm very careful about my weight so that means I give up certain things that I know will make me put weight on. I do a lot of exercising and I never get fed up of asking my beautician advice about the use of natural facial cream products. I always go to a professional hair stylist. I like to take good care of myself. It's very important. I've always been like this about my health and now, with the kind of work that I do, it has become even more important than ever."
"Are you careful about what you eat?"
"Yes, very. I've always been careful but lately even more than ever because of my job. I'm used to eating a healthy diet now."
"What is the most delicious dish ever?"
"Pizza!!! It has always been my weak point. Then one day I tasted a pizza in Naples! It was the tastiest pizza I'd ever eaten in my life!!! People everywhere try to copy the pizza-but they'll never do it!!! Nowadays, you can find an italian pizza anywhere you go - but no-one will ever beat the neapolitan pizza-ever!"
"What with travelling so much you must have tasted so many different types of foreign food. Do you get along with it?"
"Unfortunately I don't get along with foreign food at all. I get plenty of occasions to try new and delicious food but I much prefer home cooking. I was probably best off in Brazil. There I managed to taste some good food, especially meat. Mexico wasn't bad either. I was even lucky enough to meet some excellent italian cooks. But I enjoy trying out new and interesting dishes all the same!!"
"What meal are you curious to try in each country that you visit?"
"Breakfast. It's the only meal that can stand head and shoulders next to Italy! For breakfast abroad your plate is crammed with so much food. It's one of the only times that i let myself go and fill my tummy up so that i don't eat for the rest of the day!"
"What aspects interest you the most when working abroad?"
"First of all I like to find out about the style of their music and the differences compared to ours. I'm also interested in young people's lifestyles, habits, ideas and work. I even like to get to know their taste for interior design and furniture!! Most of all though, I like to get into the mentality of the place and people."
"What do you think about young people?"
"It depends!! Well, at least with me, all of my fans are great!!"
"What would be the worst thing that could ever happen to you abroad?"
"Lose important documents or luggage! Or pilots going on strike!"
"What's your secret for looking so great even though you're always on the go?" "Exercising daily and keeping it as a habit."
"What do you think about your colleagues 'The Spice Girls'?"
"I think they're great! I really like them. I'm sure they'll go in the history of music."
"And what about their 'rivals' the 'All Saints'?"
"In reality I don't really think that they're 'rivals' at all. It's all been blown out of proportion by journalists and such like. I like them a lot too. They've known how to deal with huge success in a short period of time, so they have to be pretty good don't they?!"
"It seems that recently there are more covers than new songs around in the charts. What do you think about this?"
"I think that it's just a trend of the moment and that a lot of people have been influenced by it."
"Do you think it really is a trend or do you think songwriters and musicians alike are having a moment of crisis?"
"I have to admit it but yes, it is a critical moment for songwriters and musicians, but I'm sure that most of them don't even feel it!"
"How does it make you feel to think that one of your pieces of music could become a massive chart hit?"
"I always try to make a song of mine become a hit. I never have an exact, well, sensation that makes me think 'yes, this is going to be big'. I usually get a push from other people when they hear a tune for the first time and it's their reaction that gives me hope. But you can never really tell what'll really happen!"
"What is your relationship with the people that you work with?"
"Good. I work alongside people who take their work very seriously and that's fundamental."
"And what about your own 'colleagues'?"
"So far, so good! Fingers crossed! I haven't any long lasting friendships, but I've met a lot of artists who I've got on really well with. Some of them I have been lucky enough to meet on several occasions and got to know them a little bit better. I like to be give a positive approach to everyone I meet in the music trade, besides we're all in it together!"
"Out of everyone in the music business is there one person that you've always wanted to meet but as yet haven't had the chance?"
"Aretha Franklin!"
"As a child, who were your idols?"
"Aretha Franklin, Patti Labelle, Stevie Wonder, Liza Minelli, Whitney Houston, Madonna... "
"Are you anywhere near what you've always wanted?"
"Quite near, yes. I've the chance to share what I do with the world. This is one of my dreams which has come true. Although I still feel that there is a lot more to do."
"Apart from your own perseverance, who do you have to thank for the support in your busy life?"
"My family, who has always been of great support to me. Also Alfredo: he's my biggest friend ever, but also my manager."
"What do you think is the most original thing about you that us viewers can't see on TV?"
"I wouldn't like to say. A lot of people tell me that I'm head-strong, perhaps a little too independent. More like a cat I suppose!!"
"During a normal day, what kind of music do you like to listen to?"
"I change a lot from day to day. At the moment I'm working on new material, so I like to have relaxing music when I'm not working. I tend to listen to a lot of classical music, because it helps me to relax and also gives me a lot of positive energy mentally. If I'm not in the mood to listen to classical music, then I'll put on an artist that has sensual music with soft lyrics."
"If you could dedicate your success to somebody, who would it be?"
"To everybody and in particular my father, who is not with us anymore; but who, I know, is watching over me. To everyone who has always been and still is by my side to give me support, and to whoever wants to get to the top but still has a long road stretched out in front of them-good luck!!!"
Thanks and good luck to you too, Alexia!!!
