Citation :Music a family tradition for Canadian Idol wannabe
Peter Birnie, Vancouver Sun
Published: Friday, August 24, 2007
Carly Rae Jepsen was seven-years-old, and thrilled to bits. Long before the pretty young woman from Mission had made it to the final four on Canadian Idol, she and her father, school principal Larry Jepsen, loved to sing together, with dad on guitar.
When he suggested to the little girl that they take to the stage in a talent show at Hatzic Lake, Carly couldn't wait.
"We sang Beauty and the Beast and Eternal Flame [by the Bangles]," says Jepsen, "and I remember not recognizing my father because I had never seen him nervous before.
Dad was turning a lighter shade of pale, and didn't want to be in the spotlight.
"So I'm standing in the spotlight by myself," Carly recalls, "and the weirdest thing is that I wasn't nervous. I was just so excited, and when I sang the song and it was done, there was a moment of silence when I thought, 'Maybe there's nobody out there.'"
Then came the applause, which Carly recalls as being both shocking and scary.
"But it was, at the same time, so exhilarating. I was like, 'That was probably the best feeling I've ever had. Let's do more of that.'"
And so she did.
Now 21, Jepsen is close to becoming the latest young singer to take the top title on Canadian Idol.
On Monday night, she and the other three finalists (Jaydee Bixby from Alberta, Brian Melo of Ontario and Nova Scotia's Dwight d'Eon) will each sing a couple of old standards -- Jepsen can only reveal that one of her selections is slower, "and one is more fun and playful and Marilyn Monroe-style."
On Tuesday night, they'll all join in paying tribute to celebrity guest Paul Anka, perhaps the first true Canadian idol. Jepsen will have no trouble handling the sweet sounds of an Anka song, especially since she recently dazzled the Idol audience with her rendition of Killer Queen, perhaps one of the most difficult songs in the Queen repertoire.
"As much as I know the classic Queen songs that I think everyone knows," she says, "I was not familiar with that song until the week of performance. I had three ballads picked out and someone was playing [Killer Queen], and it was just 'Scratch that, I have to do this song.'"
Carly's mother wasn't surprised at the choice. Alexandra Lanzarotta fondly recalls the musical skits little Carly would perform in the living room.
"She would take a song and interpret it in her own unique way," says Mom. "She'd come out, and we'd have to sit on the couch [and] be ready; she'd have the costumes and do a whole repertoire of song and dance and movement and action."
Although her parents split when Carly was three, Lanzarotta describes the best of blended homes, where divorce doesn't mean much more to a child than getting to have two sets of parents.
"We all lived in Mission, not very far from each other," she explains, "so really, all that changed was that the sports gear travelled back and forth."
Lanzarotta's own father had been in a band, and her brother still is, so both homes were filled with music. All four of Carly's parents are also educators.
"Unfortunately for Carly and her brother," says Mom, "she's surrounded by teachers and vice-principals and principals. Growing up, you couldn't pretend the dog ate your homework -- too many people on your case."
On Saturday, her daughter will be honoured with Carly Rae Jepsen Day in Mission.
"It's the weirdest thing I've ever heard," Carly says with a laugh, "but it's very flattering. I can't imagine what anyone will do, or why it's been declared. But it'd definitely a sweet thing for someone to have come up with."
That someone is Mission Mayor James Atebe, who pushed for the declaration by city council. Carly will perform and sign autographs from 11 a.m. to noon at Fraser River Heritage Park, off Fifth Avenue east of Stave Lake Street.
While the performer will offer a couple of cover songs, Carly's mom is most pleased that the crowd will also get a chance to hear young Jepsen sing some of her own works.
"To me, her own music is her real strength," says Lanzarotta. "It's unique, it's different, it's catchy, and I'd like to see her be able to do some of her own stuff and get it out there."
Jepsen agrees that the Canadian Idol policy of only allowing its contestants to perform cover songs is the best way for the TV audience to be able to judge a singer's talents. Nevertheless, the singer can't wait for the day when she and her band (name pending because they only formed just before she began the Idol rocket ride) can let loose with some Carly Rae Jepsen originals.
"I know that I don't want to come across as anything but what I am, and I know that this year, efforts are being made to support the uniqueness of each artist."
source:
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news ... ce&k=91189
--Message edité par félix le 2007-08-25 17:16:25--