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28.2%ANMag Issue 21 Entertainment
Janine D.: Authenticity at its best...
By Wael Al Fatayri, Staff Writer
Beirut, Lebanon − Coming from Lebanese and Egyptian backgrounds, Janine Dagher, stage-named Janine D., is a new promising artist with a lot to offer. Dagher told ANMag about her current and future plans as a multi-cultured artist in a very interesting interview. Armed with a combination of beauty, classiness and wit, she is about to unleash a new side of Arab artists.
Q: In the biography section of your website, you were quoted saying: “To live is to feel, to feel is to sing, and to sing is to live again. I just need to stay true to who I am and hope in the end it works.” Who are you?
A: I am myself. I am a person who is born with a high sensitivity to things in nature. This is what I call a definition of an artist. An artist is a soul that is more vulnerable to things – has more interaction with nature, life, beauty… I am an artist; I think being an artist is a gift from God. But the bigger gift is when you have the fame, the love of the people. I think this puts a lot of responsibility on you. If you are getting all the love from the fans, you need to give something in return. The other side of me is a person who works hard and struggles everyday. I am a very lucky woman, although I believe through hard work, I can give a better more innovative reflection of who I am.
Q: As a child, I understand, your parents owned a hotel where a lot of international and local stars stayed. How did meeting these huge stars impact you?
A: It is a boutique hotel. My family was very artistically involved. My father established the “Oghnia Al Khafifa” festival in Egypt. He had a lot of friends in the [entertainment] industry such as Omar El Sherif, Julio Iglesias, Dalida etc… I actually sang with Julio [Iglesias] on stage when I was a little girl. Every country he used to visit, he asked for a little girl to perform with, and I was that lucky little girl then. However, I was not really concentrating about the pleasure of the moment; I was more challenged by it. Whenever I met someone so big like Julio, I asked myself: what can I do to have such an impact? So yes, everything is a challenge for me.
Q: You moved to New York when you were young. New York is a big change from Egypt, how did you take this change?
A: I wouldn’t say change; I am always who I am. It has definitely matured me and nurtured my personality and my character. There is no city like New York that would have such an impact on a person, be it positive or negative. New York is a fascinating cosmopolitan city enriched with culture. There, you learn to appreciate differences.
Q: What was the first record you bought from the record store there?
A: It was George Michael’s album, Faith.
Q:: What genre of music was your favorite?
A: Oh, I listen to everything.
Q: Who did you grow up listening to?
A: Abdel Halim Hafez, Abdel Wahab, Warda, and all of those big memorable names. I also love jazz and Italian music. From the modern age, I listen to Gwen Stefani, Pink, and the Cranberries. You find all sorts of music CDs in my car from musicals to soundtracks to international music. I listen to everything, really, depending on my mood.
Q: Your first single, Salam, had a very interesting controversial video. What input did you give to that video?
A: We had prepared for this video for three months in advance. I wanted to introduce the singer-actress-dancer in me. Of course, I wanted people to enjoy the video but also bring some controversy and mystery to it. I wanted every detail to be meaningful and edgy in a way. Salam talks about a woman who is in love but is not getting the attention. A lot of people can relate to this song. It portrays the perfect relationship everyone pretends to have, but behind closed doors, there are issues and problems to be resolved. It also portrays the violent nature of the man in our society, someone who gets aggravated when he doesn’t get what he wants.
Q: And the gun?
A: It is totally theatrical. I wanted to bring this dimension to the video. I saw how people were shocked when they saw me shooting the man. This shock is exactly the whole point – the interaction of the audience with the clip; very rare in Arabic videos. You can interpret this video in any way you want.
Q: I can see you have the west and east merged into you. Why did you choose to be only oriental in your album?
A: Although the content of the album is oriental, anybody around the globe can listen and still enjoy it. I mean, I just received an email from a Japanese guy who bought my CD. I was really enthralled. Living in New York, I was always happy. People look at me, and they say something like: “You’re Lebanese-Egyptian; you don’t look like that at all.” They think Arabs have only one image. I wasn’t really happy with that. I am an Arab, and I want that to be projected in my work. I would love for this prefabricated and wrong image of Arabs to change. It is a challenge for me to show a different artistic image of Arabs. As a matter of fact, it is more of a responsibility to me. When I moved back to Lebanon, everyone said, “Oh you’re a singer; you don’t look like an artist.” Well I love art. I would love for the artist image in our part of the world to be – even if it is in Arabic – compatible with the international audience. So I try, through my music, to reflect a better image of the Middle Eastern female artist. I believe I am here to make a change – it is my mission.
Q: You come from a mixed family: Egyptian and Lebanese. Which of the two are you more inclined towards?
A: I cannot say. I am an Egyptian-Lebanese citizen of the world. It is not a divisible trait of mine. Wherever I go, I like to take what is good and leave what is bad. It is really your choice to make a home of the place you find best. But I think I have the strength of the Egyptian woman. When you see Janine, you would definitely see the Lebanese and the Egyptian sides.
Q: How do you stand out between all of those so-called artists out there right now?
A: I believe there are many amazing talents out there. Everyone is special and different. Standing out is a challenge, not only in the music industry but also in life. My way to stand out is to stay true to myself, by being honest and by enjoying what I love to do, hoping that this will reach as many people as possible. I would love people to choose to love me because of me, not someone I pretend to be. In this life, I believe in persistence. Sometimes you have to ignore the feedback and just move forward to perhaps prove yourself on a bigger and much more sophisticated level.
Q: When did you realize that this [being an artist] is what you want to do?
A: I was blown by this [entertainment] world. But it was only when I was 15 years old that I got my first stage break in New York - I performed some classics [songs] in front of a huge audience including professional people - I loved the feeling and I realized this is where I belong, and this is exactly what I should do. My mother pushed me to become an artist and taught me that I should take it further and study musical theater, and so I did.
Q: When I first saw your advert in Virgin Megastores, I thought: Ah, another….
A: (interrupts) pretty face.
Q: Yes, I was really impressed by your modesty. In the biography section of your website, you were always referred to as “future star”, while most of the other artists would just advertise themselves as already being superstars. What do you have to say about that?
A: Only the people decide whether or not you are a star. You cannot say I am a star. You have your own star; everybody has their own star. Of course you hope to be someone’s star. You can be the star of your own family, country, etc... They look up to you.
Q: Your website seems to be very personal in a way. Do you have a say in it?
A: I have a say in everything. My work is a reflection of everything that goes on in my mind. I thank God to be surrounded by people who can understand that and express it with me. Everything from my stage name to the CD cover is a mirror of what I am. I have an affinity to classy things that have an edge. I like things that live long and leave an impact.
Q: You stressed on the usage of “authenticity” towards the end of your website. What is authenticity to you?
A: I think a beautiful woman is no longer just a pretty face. It is many other factors such as intelligence, presence and dynamism. I try to show that in my work in every possible way there is.
Q: You now established yourself as a singer. Will we ever see you on the silver screen?
A: I am actually learning Italian to cast in a leading role in an Italian movie directed by Christian De Sica.
Q: A final word...