Ixos FM [Interview Translation]

I only found out about this interview after it was given but here we have a translation of the interview for all of our readers who cannot understand Greek. This interview was translated by Samiamiditsi from Paparizou Forum, Many thanks for it. A lot of what she says seems irrelevant seeing as hen concert didn't go ahead

1. What preparations have you made for the concert at Hrakleion, this Wednesday night?

Helena: First of all I must say that it is scheduled for 21.00, at the Pagriteion Stadium. Manos Pyrovolakis and Stavento will join me; they're totally different artists, but we believe that music units everybody, and apart from that we are very good friends. We have many things to say and share with the people. It will be a party full of rhythm, dancing, "kefi", (with a range of songs) from hip hop, traditional, rock, pop and we will certainly dance a lot.

2. This summer you haven't gone on a tour...

Helena: I've only made two concerts this summer, but I also showed at Thalassa People's Stage, where we started with Stavento, but as they had to go on their own tour, I show with Louca now.

3. Which was the reason for which you decided to make this concert at Hrakleion?

Helena: Last year the concert scheduled was canceled due to bad weather, and wish luck this year to be with us, to make the concert and bring all the people to have a good time. Since last year, it was the last concert from this tour that I was going to give I was very upset, and I feel like I owe this concert and that is another reason why I put this year a concert at Heraklion. In Cyprus I go every two years.

4. Will there be a repackage of the album "Vriskw to logo na zo";

Helena: I will start now recording the new album, which will be released in early 2010 and I imagine that will be totally Greek, as the disc is for Greece.

5. Do you like mostly day or night?

Helena: With the habit of many years of working night, the night is something very special, has a different aura than a day. The day is something else and the night is something that I love very much.

6. There are many listeners who ask me if you have a profile on facebook.

Helena: I have, but under a pseudonym and I have it mainly for meeting again my childhood friends from Sweden.

7. Which is your 'relationship' with the Internet?

Helena: (laughing) I will say this: many years ago when I was at school, we had just started school, we learned about the internet, how we make all these homepages and a teacher asked us to make our own site, our homepage on the internet, but I disagreed. I didn't want someone to enter it and read who I am, how old I am, who are my parents,what's my dog's name and all that and they punished me to read two books of Dostogiefski. So, I did not concern myself with this process since very early (dealing with the internet) and now with the work and as I grow, I have to deal more with this, because it is also my job, with the emails and all these (things).

8. When will you come to Thessaloniki?

Helena: We are trying to organize it for next year and do again a second major tour in Greece.

9. What is it that you like best on your work?

Helena: I can express myself with different people, because the lyrics of each song are not my own. There is a piece of hypocrisy in it, expressed in somebody else's words and I think it is very nice . In the sense that you can express yourself with somebody else's words, put yourself in another situation.

10. Which is your relationship with the media? Do you feel any how disappointed;

Helena: All these years we had a very good relationship. I think it is mutual, I am very gentle with them and they are very polite with me, except two - three times the tabloid press has written some things, but it passes.

11 . You have a career abroad, and many collaborations. In terms of production of disks or lives do you think that it is far ahead of Greece?

Helena: What has quite a big difference in the ear, is the producing, saying the orchestrations. They have another conception of music. That is, the Greek music is played differently, but it is not something that bothers me. I like that each place stands in its way.

12. The economic crisis has strongly influenced the music industry in Greece?

Helena: Very much in the way that artists do not sell so many records,artists are reducing too, yes when a company diminishes it is dwindling by artists too. I believe that we should respect every kind of art and not do illegal downloads. There are legal downloads and I am not at all against them. And that's because I have seen some situations one saying why we bother we the artists (for the downloads) as long as we make money from lives and the appearances, but it is not just us. They are all those who work in the albums, making the covers, the sound engineers, who write songs, too many people are fed back from a disk. That is, the cover may be one person or five that are complex, and from behind this work is hundreds of people.

13. Although you are a fairly successful singer, you have anxiety every time with the release of a new album, whether it goes wrong?

Helena: Always. This anxiety never leaves any artist. And as much as we believe that "yes, I support all of this work and I love her and I had a good time during the recording and creation", it is not quite like that with the people (meaning: they may not like it). So, I think too that as the years pass and an artist passes too, he will always have doubts or otherwise, an uncertainty. When I sat and rested for two years before the release of «Vriskw to Logo na Zw», I had huge anxiety about this particular album, because I changed all the timbre, the tone of the songs and said that the world is accustomed to Elena's songs such as Gigolo, the Mambo, the My number one and whether they would like a song with a voice that is more rock and heavier.

14. Do you think an artist should be renewed or is this sometimes a little dangerous, meaning to lose his music identity ?

Helena: I think it is very important to mature with our music and not just do surprises. That is we must feel if there is a change in style or that we do it because we feel the same. Although there are many who write the songs and then again different people who write the verse, but you represent them, so the song should be you, the artist. You should be able to support it.

15. A message for listeners of HXOS FM 94.2

Helena: I send all my love to all the listeners of your station in Rethymnon, be always well, with good health, and whoever can, come in Heraklion.

Thanks Again for the Translation

Keep Paparizouing!