www.ExpressGayNews.com • July 14, 2003 • Q1 CYMK Q_COVERstory Rocking the Kasbah: Sarah Brightman’s Arabian Nights ‘Harem’ Album Inspired by Literature, Art, Music By Tony Phillips singing songs and arias, but I wanted this to holiday. “I believe it was Tunisia,” Brightman up early. A lot of farmers live in this village. I Special to The Express be more of an atmosphere album as opposed remembers. “I also traveled to Marrakech go and get my cappuccino, and they think Sarah Brightman. A name that conjures to just singing a song. I wanted the voice to when I was younger. I’ve always liked the I’m the weird English girl. There aren’t any myriad images—everything from be layered and interesting. It took quite a idea of the outsider in these areas. It’s why I other people from anywhere else that live powerhouse soprano to backlit pop princess. while to do.” like Paul Bowles. It’s also why I called the there. The café is opposite the subway that If one is already in accord with the former, Brightman describes Harem as “a album ‘Harem.’ It means ‘forbidden place’ if goes into Milan so you watch people coming then enter Harem, her latest Middle Eastern- mixture of inspiration I got from literature, art you translate it. It’s in your imagination, but and going. It’s quite fun. Then I go back to flavored release guaranteed to add to her and music.” She doesn’t see this Eastern you don’t really go there. You maybe don’t my pad and get myself together, walk to my worldwide tally of 15 million albums sold. As influence as anything new either, citing a want to go there, but it’s a mystical place. It’s singing coach’s house and work with her for someone leaning toward the former, the blue- about two hours. Then she cooks some jeaned Brightman shimmered and clinked on Brightman’s latest, self-described “fantasy spaghetti. Her husband’s name is Enrico. He’s cue. However, she also surprised by leaning a classical musician. We all have spaghetti. across the table with an efficient “Give us it record” logged session time in the usual haunts, Then I go home.” here” as a lacquered nail tore through the like Abbey Road and studios in Hamburg, Paris When you’re this far a field—Brightman shrink-wrap around a troublesome cassette cops to “tricky times for artists slightly older tape. While still not classing her with the and Toronto, but also took her to places as far like myself”—it’s difficult to keep tabs on jungle cats, our close-to-an-hour chat in the flung as Cairo, Beirut and Prague. your relevance in a temperamental New York offices of Angel Records— marketplace. She points out being signed Brightman explains EMI’s classical arm by song she recorded years ago called “You Take ancient. People have journeyed there and here since 1990 when music biz legend Jerry saying, “You know, they have all these My Breath Away”—included on Harem as a come back changed.” Still, Brightman allows Moss heard her sing Mozart’s “Hallelujah” different groups”—reveals a much more bonus track—and a sitar-fusion piece from that if a more strident singer/songwriter, let’s and hit her up with the typical “What else utilitarian diva than anticipated. She the Eden album called “In Paradisium” as say Sinead O’Connor, recorded an album you got, kid?” Not so in her native England. periodically stops to pick up the recorder. early experiments with the form. “I’ve actually called Harem, we’d probably have clearer She relays a recent chat with her London One hand glitters with a charm bracelet been doing little bits of this for a long time,” views on Palestine, the fate of women within hairdresser requesting a story from her British anchoring both a diamond encrusted cross she explains, “but I’ve always wanted to do the patriarchy and religious tolerance. heyday. Brightman replied, “I’m probably and Arabic moon while the other is adorned a project of this type because I’m a child of Brightman seems fine with the difference. “I going through my heyday in the rest of the with a simple, red Kabbalah string. She leans literature.” Paul Bowles, “The Thousand and don’t think in political terms,” she says. “I world right now, but not here.” She reflects. over the machine and frets, “Is it working?” One Nights” and “Lawrence of Arabia” all don’t have anything to say about that. I “That sums England up. They remember me And working is something the make the cut as influences. “All the cinematic don’t know enough about it. I love art. I love for ‘Starship Trooper’ and being married to perennially jet-lagged Brightman knows a things,” as Brightman puts it, adding, “I’ve culture. I’ve always felt very integrated in my ex-husband. That’s it. I’m nothing there,” thing or two about. Her latest, self-described liked Indian and Persian poetry as well. Being many different cultures because of how I’ve she laughs, asking, “What do they say, never “fantasy record” logged session time in brought up in England and continental been brought up and how I’ve lived. But in a king in your own country?” usual haunts like Abbey Road and studios Europe, there’s always been a fusion of world many ways, I only understand about music.” Oddly, it’s ex-husband Andrew Lloyd in Hamburg, Paris and Toronto, but also took music around me anyway. You can go to Still, despite her cover of “What a Webber that’s one of her bellwethers today. her to places as far flung as Cairo, Beirut and Istanbul in two hours from London. Wonderful World,” reality has a way of In fact, he leant her the A.R. Rahman song Prague. Everything’s nearby.” encroaching on even the most rose-tinted “The Journey Home” from his hit West End “Vocally, this is different for me,” In fact, Sarah’s first taste of desert life environs. The new album also presents a Bollywood musical Bombay Dreams, though Brightman explains. “I actually took off a lot came when she was just a little girl, a tiny Middle Eastern sampler of singers as returned favor might be a better way to put of time from live work, which I’ve never done dancer at the Elmhurst Ballet School. Her contemporary as Natacha Atlas to as it. “When I was with my ex-husband,” before. I’m known as an interpreter of music, parents took her to Northern Africa on “beloved and best-known” as Kadim Al Sahir. Brightman explains, “he didn’t really take in Of course, Brightman wants to take her things like Indian food and culture.” Harem on the road and in her inimitable, Brightman, whose family lived for long arena-razing style, wants to bring these stretches in India and even has relatives musicians with her. But a tour kicking off in buried in Puna, continues, “I was into it and the United States this fall doesn’t faze used to cook him Indian food. So when I Brightman. “There are a couple of musicians asked him for the song, he said, ‘Yes, it’s not I want to take,” she admits, “but I don’t see my music anyway so be my guest.’” that there should be a problem. They’re Another bellwether for Brightman? Her musicians. It’s about music, not any political loyal gay fan base, which Brightman marvels, situation. It’s just unfortunate, these “has always been very strong, really since situations do arise in the world, but time will ‘Starship Trooper’ all those years back. I pass and things will sort themselves. People mean, I was 17 years old when that song hit. will see things more clearly and get things People always ask how I feel about having into perspective.” such a strong gay following, and I’m happy If that sounds like a citizen of the world about it. This community is very in the know talking, it’s because it is. “My family home is when it comes to art, culture and music. I feel in Spain,” Brightman begins cataloging privileged to be taken in by them. I think, residences. “A smaller home—it’s like a God, it’s probably good what I’m doing. It’s shoebox, actually—is in a village outside of always a good indicator. If the music is really Milan. My singing coach for my classical good, then people are going to buy it. It might work lives in the next village. My boyfriend be a little more difficult to be accepted by the is in Germany. And I have a home in London, media, but I’ve sold all my albums with no which I’ve had for years.” When asked about MTV or VH1. I trust that. Now I know I can a typical day, Brightman picks Milan. “I get really trust my work, so I keep going.” Q2 • www.ExpressGayNews.com • July 14, 2003 CYMK Q_CONCERTreview Broadway Bonanza Lambda Chorale: A Gold Rush of Entertainment By Peter Aymonin band dispersed, a lone janitor swept the stage. Derrick Buford’s “Selections From handmade animal puppets. Highlights Entertainment Correspondent In a sorcerer’s apprentice moment, the janitor Oklahoma!” elicited the greatest hoots and included a stage stealing 20-foot tall giraffe On June 28, The South Florida Lambda becomes conductor, and the Chorale hollers of the first act.