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Interview with lead singer Alice Francis
Big Band Radio starts a new season on Thursday, October 17th, at 7 pm, with a concert under the title The Magic of Electro Swing. The special guest of the orchestra led by Simona Strungaru is singer Alice Francis, who comes back to Radio Hallafter two years. Our colleague, Viorel Grecu, shortly interviewed Alice Francis, who has just arrived from Berlin for the event which will take place this Thursday.
Alice, what do you remember about your concert from two years ago, your first concert with Big Band Radio?
It was very beautiful. That big room and the orchestra were incredible! I remember a rugby team being there and they were singing with us, and it was phenomenal!
What are you preparing for us this time, on your return to Bucharest?
We prepared new songs, and we have a little surprise; Berti Barbera will come and sing with us.
Will your band be incorporated again to Big Band?
Yes, Goldie and the boys from Germany are with us as well.
What have you been up to these last two years? I see you have a show where you play Josephine Baker.
Yes, I am very happy that I have this opportunity, in Berlin, in a theatre of very old variety.
Will we see any glimpse of Josephine Baker's spirit here, at the Radio Hall?
Yes. I have prepared a piece with Simona, which Josephine Baker also sang, Besame mucho, and will also play the ukulele.
And, finally, let us uncover the mystery for those who are not familiar with your story. How come you speak Romanian so well!
I was born in Timișoara. My mother is Romanian, and my father is from Tanzania. I went to Germany when I was 5 and I completely forgot how to speak Romanian. I picked it up again when my grandmother moved with us, when I was about 15-16 years old.
Translated by Carmen Badea,
University of Bucharest, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, MTTLC, year I
Corrected by Silvia Petrescu