Smile is the title of the upcoming concert by the Big Band Radio, scheduled for Thursday, the 13^th of March, at 19:00 PM at the Radio Hall. The guest performer of the orchestra, conducted by Simona Strungaru, is singer and actor Adrian Nour. We spoke with Adrian Nour to learn more about this special event.

To start, what can you tell us about the repertoire you'll be performing, and especially about how you'll be presenting it? We've heard that there's more to this showthan music.

I love bringing together everything I've learned over the years. I'm an actor first and foremost, and I'll be making use of that. Ilove tap dancing, so I'll be incorporating small dance choreographies into the concert. It's all about the swing, swing with the big band. I absolutely love performing with the big band. I had a wonderful experience at the Radio Hall last time, two years ago during Christmas, when I performed with Viorica Pintilie. And now, I'm thrilled to be the guest soloist and to have had the freedom to choose the songs I love, and, now that we're in rehearsals, I can tell they sound fantastic. There will also be some pieces performed for the first time, and… I can't wait!

I understand there willbe an original composition as well?

Exactly! It's a piece I composed during the pandemic, and Simona orchestrated it. We haven't rehearsed it yet, so I'm really looking forward to hearing how it sounds with the band. It's called The Elegy of Contrasts and is set to the lyrics of George Țărnea.

Speaking of the classic songs in your setlist, why do you think these works continue to resonate with much younger generations? Some of these pieces are nearly 100 years old, while you yourself are much more recent.

I grew up with this music, with movies from the '40s, '50s, '60s, and '70s. I've always dreamed of performing in musicals - in films, it's a bit more difficult - I don't think I'll be making it to Hollywood anytime soon. But I do get to perform in musicals, and I feel completely at home in that world. These songs are appreciated because they are beautifully written. The lyrics aren't as simple or as superficial as a lot of today's music - they are poetry, sung beautifully, with rich orchestration and harmonies.

Do you have any entertainers from that golden era who have influenced you? Back then, performers weren't just singers - they had to act and dance as well.

There are quite a few artists who have inspired me over the years. Gene Kelly, of course, Fred Astaire, but also Sammy Davis Jr., Sinatra, Nat King Cole… I really love Dean Martin as well. There are so many. I've listened to them for years, and I've allowed myself to be influenced by their music and by the way they commanded the stage.