The Eleventh Edition of The Golden Stag
Festival - 2001
Stars
In the hors concours-shows the audience
met INXS, UB
40, Soca Boys, Cindy
Lauper, Stefan
Banica Jr., Holograf
INXS
INXS,
first named The Farriss Brothers band, included at its beginnings
the drummer Jon Farriss and his brothers Andrew and Tim,
their friend Hutchence, the bassist Garry Gary Beers and
the saxophonist Kirk Pengilly. In 1979, when their leader
left the band the teenagers changed the name of the group
into INXS. The members left their hometown Perth for Sydney
and began dodging beer bottles in the capital's pubs. Their
experience in Sydney a self-titled album in 1980.
In 1983 Atco Records released INXS's first success, Shabooh Shoobah. The single
Don't Change became soon a hit, and INXS toured America.
By 1985 INXS had found its trademark with lively guitar work, funky saxophone
accompaniment, lush rhythms and seductive vocals. The next album Listen Like
Thieves proved the world INXS had something special to offer, while the single
What You Need impressed MTV viewers.
INXS success became bigger and bigger. In 1988 Kick was awarded many times
and Hutchence was referred to as rock-star. The newspapers wrote "Australia
is leading the world. Need You Tonight, as well as Devil Inside, New Sensation
and Never Tear Us Apart, showed that an Australian in leather pants could rule
the world."
In 1990 Michael Hutchence got involved in a love affair with the pop singer
Kylie Minogue, and began his acting career in movies like Dogs in Space.
From 1991 to 1994 INXS continued with releasing albums.
Baby Live, Welcome
to Wherever You Are, Full Moon, Dirty Hearts (featuring duets with Ray
Charles and Chrissie Hynde) are only few examples.
In 1994 INXS changed Atlantic to Polygram, while Hutchence
got involved with Paula Yates, a British personality, at
that time married with Bob Geldof. They
have a daughter named Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily.
In 1997 INXS released another successful album, Elegantly
Wasted.
On 1997, INXS were enrolled at The Golden Stag Festival
in the Videoclip Contest with Elegantly Wasted.
In November 1997, on the eve of the INXS's 20th anniversary tour, Michael
Hutchence was found dead in a hotel room in Sydney. Persons close to him
said he committed
suicide.
UB 40
The
British pop reggae band UB40 was formed in 1978, in Birmingham,
where its eight members first met in line at the unemployment
office. Their name comes from a British unemployment benefit
form. During the first months of their existence as a group,
the members took music and instruments lessons before their first
performance in February 1979.
The success came quickly after. On February 1980 UB40 released the first single
on Graduate, a small Indie label. When Chrissie Hynde saw the group playing in
London, she asked them to support The Pretenders on an U.K. tour. It was their
big chance. Their single became No. 4 in the U.K Top 10. Two more singles were
released soon after, and in 1981 came the debut album, Signing Off, which reached
No. 2 in Britain.
In 1982 UB40 released the album, Labour of Love, featuring a version of Neil
Diamond's Red Red Wine, which reached No. 1 in U.K, and it reached the Top 10
in America.
UB40 scored again British No. 1 hit in 1985 with I Got You Babe, a song entered
in the U.S. Top 30. Shortly after, UB40 became the first British band to tour
the Soviet Union, an event commemorated in a feature-length video. However they
were not so popular in America as they were in U.K. During 1987 and 1988, UB40
continued with their commercial success, which was highlighted by a guest appearance
at the all-star Free Nelson Mandela concert at Wembley Stadium on June 11, 1988.
This event was promoted by the radios in U.S. The DJs begin to play Red Red Wine.
This time the single hit No. 1 in the U.S.
In the same year UB40 began an year-long world tour. When they returned home
they released a second covers album named Labour of Love II. The band returned
in 1993 with a version of the Elvis tune I Can't Help Falling in Love With You
that went to No. 1 in the U.S. and Britain. Two more tours followed. But the
year 1997 was not a very good one for UB40. They had to cancel their U.S. tour
because they were unable to fill the amphitheaters where they were supposed to
play.
Two years after, in 1999, the group released the third album of covers, Labor
of Love III, featuring another Neil Diamond remake, Holly Holly.
Soca Boys
The
Soca Boys is the idea of Mr. Van B King, a solo-singer who decided
that a group of wild energetic dancers would do good to his singing
performances.
The group was first called Stars of the Sun, and included, Manon, Miluska, Fabiola
and Sandra.
Their first album was released in 2000.
Follow the Leader and Keep on Bumpin were the best songs featured on the album.
Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi
Lauper was born in New York City in June 1953. In her early
20s Cyndi sang in several cover bands from New York, damaging
her vocal chords to the point where she needed over a year
to recover.
By 1977, together with John Turi she
formed the unsuccessful band Blue Angel. When the band drifted
Cyndi began her solo career as a vocalist performing in local clubs.
In 1983 she signed with Portrait Records releasing her debut album She's So Unusual.
The album was a smashing success, selling more than ten million copies worldwide.
Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Time After Time, She Bop and All Through the Night
reached the Top 10 in US. The album won a Grammy for Best New Artist.
In 1985 Cyndi recorded two tracks for the movie The Goonies. One of them, Goonies
'R' Good Enough For Me became an MTV hit.
In 1986 she returned to the studio to record True Colors. Even if it went platinum,
the album was not very successful.
Three years after she released A Night to Remember, receiving a Grammy nomination
for the hit single I Drove All Night. In November of 1991 Cyndi married actor
David Thornton.
Next albums released Hat Full of Stars (1993), Twelve Deadly Cyns... And Then
Some (1995), Sisters of Avalon (1996).
When in 1997 Cyndi toured the U.S. with Tina Turner, she announced she was expecting
her first child.
Her child served as inspiration for her first holiday album, Merry Christmas...Have
a Nice Life, which was released in 1998.
Stefan Banica Jr.
The actor-singer, Stefan Banica Jr was born in Bucharest in
1967 as the son of a very famous Romanian actor, Stefan Banica.
He started his acting career very young.
In 1984, he stared in the TV serie, The Heroes Without Age. Two years after he
was to become a star among teenagers with The High School High, followed by a
sequel in 1987, The Paperwork.
Stefan graduated The Movie and Theatre Academy in Bucharest in 1990 and since
then has been performing on Bulandra's stage in Bucharest. With Bulandra he toured
in France, England, Germany, Italy, Colombia, Japan, USA, and Egypt.
In addition with his acting career he started a musical career. In 2000 he won
the first prize at Mamaia Festival in the Pop Singing Contest.
Holograf
The
Romanian band Holograf was formed in 1978, in Bucharest, where
its members first met at the Students' Culture House. During
their first year as a band they often changed members. However
from that perioud you should remember Mihai Pocorschi, Boris
Petrof, Cristian Lesciuc, and Stefan Radulescu. In 1979, two
new members were added to the group: Edi Petrosel and Tino Furtuna.
On the same year, Holograf won an important prize in Club A Festival
for the rock-opera The Bitter Stratosphere.
The band kept going with the inner changes. The guitar player Cornel Stanescu
became a Holograf' member.
In 1983, three of the founding members ( M. Pocorschi, E. Petrosel, T. Furtuna),
along with two Romanian musicians, Gabriel Cotabita and Nicky themistocle, released
the first album, Holograf 1.
In 1986, Holograf has found its stable formula: Edi Petrosel, Tino Furtuna, Dan
Bitman, Ion Olteanu, and Marti Popescu. Shortly after they recorded the second
album, Holograf 2, released only in 1987.
New changes occurred. Iulian Vrabete replaced M.Popescu.
Soon, the band started to tour the country. They became more and more popular
while the critics agreed Holograf is the best rock band in Romania.
The third album, Holograf 3, released in 1988, has been sold in 200,000 copies.
With this album the band toured in socialist countries like Bulgaria, RDG, U.S.S.R.,
Poland, and North Coreea. In the autumn of 1989, the band released the fourth
product, Holograf 4.
After the Romanian revolution, Florin Ochescu replaced the guitarist Ion Olteanu.
In July 1990 they signed a contract with a company from England. As they said
it has been the first contact with professional music.
Between 1991 - 1993 Holograf played in the Nederlands.
In 1992 they released Money Talks. One year later the guitarist F. Ochescu was
replaced by the young Romeo Dediu.
Holograf signed with Captain Records, and released an album containing the English
version of the Holograf' songs released in Italy.
The next album was released after three years. 1995 was a turning point in their
musical career. Holograf continued with the albums: 69% Unplugged (1996), Supersonic
(1998),
Ti-am dat un inel/I gave you the ring (1999). The best success ever was Holografica
(2000). In the first two weeks they sold 100,000 copies and all the venues they
had in the releasing tour have been sold out a week before each concert.
UB 40-
an interview by Alma Boghitoiu-Dinca
This
is the third of several interviews done these days at The
Golden Stag Festival in the lobby of Aro Palace Hotel. I'm
siting
on the very comfortable armchair while the boys are lying
on the couch next to me. We've just finished the press conference,
and I know they have already answered many of the questions… But,
come on! An exclusive interview with UB40. I can't miss it.
Just for your information. Brian is not with us. He is recovering
from a pain chest or something.
A.D.Let's talk a little bit about your beginning
as a group. I know you met in line at the unemployment office.
How it all started? You just stood there and decided you should
earn money from music ?
Asrtro This is going to be nice (laughs). Oau!? It has been
a while we didn't talk about the start point. We come from
a working class area from Birmingham.
We grew up listening to reggae, and attending weekend reggae parties… So,
on Monday when you walked on the street and saw somebody listening to reggae
you went to him and said: Excuse me! Switch it off! This was motivation for us.
Not to mention at that time, Birmingham had some financial problems… like
the whole country. So, it's true what you said. We stood there at the unemployment
office and decided we should do something.
Ali Campbell Most of us were in school together, and everybody, all eight, spoke
about forming a band. That was the perfect time for us.
A.D.How hard it was to stick together for such a
long time ?
Robin Campbell We've known each other from ages of 8 or 11. But even if the band
finishes we still will go own on our own.
A.D.What are you up to? Any intention of releasing
a new album ?
Robin Campbell We are going to release in October a new album. It is called Cover
Up. The title track was written to support the United Nations campaign against
AIDS, a campaign in which we have been pretty much involved for the last six
months. The title track is about wearing condoms... it was a very difficult song
to write.
A.D.Are you O.K. with web sites that provide free
music on the Internet ?
James Brown Like I said in the Press Conference, I like it.
I know I shouldn't be saying this, but I have nothing against
sites like Napster. I don't think
people who download music from the Internet will no longer buy the albums.
People still buy it, if it's good. And most of the money
does not come from selling
the albums… so… I'm O.K. with this.
A.D.For three year you were out of business, so
to say. What did you do from 1995 till 1999 when you released
your the third album of covers, Labor of Love III ?
Robin Campbell We had a holiday. We emailed to friends and took care of our children.
Except Ali who had been to Jamaica writing songs.
A.D.Have you ever had the chance to listen some
Romanian music ? Have you met a Romanian singer ?
Robin and Ali Campbell No till today. We've just met 3rei Sud Est in the lobby.
We've talked and took pictures. That' all. We don't know anything about how they
sing or what they sing.
A.D.You worked with Sandra Bulock and Jason Patric
for Speed 2. How was it working with them ? Did you meet Sandra
or you shot your scenes separately ?
Robin Sandra was lovely. Jason… we didn't speak to him at all. We had a
few days in Hollywood, all expenses paid. We don't really get to see much. You
know… we were there just to sing our song.
A.D.More movies to come for you ?
Robin If they invite us, I don't see why not. They pay good money (laughs).
A.D.When you found out for the first time about
The Golden Stag Festival ? When you decided you should come
to perform here ?
Robin Campbell Right now we are on a summer tour still promoting our Very Best
of Albums, which is an album of hits. This is a festival where we will sing our
best hits. We performed in Poland, Sweden, and from here we will go in Greece,
and then back home for our 21st Birthday Show. We were invited to sing in Romania,
so we came. We didn't know much about this festival, and we still don't know
much. But, it's wonderful to be here for the first time.
Competitors
POP
ALINA - GERMANY
SAY COLOUR ( group) - SWEDEN
EDWIN WILLIAMSON- IRELAND
NUSA DERENDA - SLOVENIA
JULIO FOWLER- SPAIN
MANUELA- ITALY
LUMINITA ANGHEL - ROMANIA
POP-DANCE
ANTERO- BOYS (group) -
INDONESIA
DONATELLA - CANADA
LEILAH- USA
GINNY (group)- NEDERLAND
MELITA- BOTSWANA
2FUNKY (group) - NEDERLAND
VALAHIA (group)- ROMANIA
POP-ROCK
CHESLOVAS
GABALIS and band
- LITHUANIA
POLONA FURLAN - SLOVENIA
MELANIE - GERMANY
BTR (band ) - BULGARIA
MERCHE and band - SPAIN
PROCONSUL (band) - ROMANIA
Proconsul
Proconsul,
the pop-rock band, was formed in the spring of 1999. Since
its begging the band had a stable formula: Bogdan "Bodo" Marin
(vocal), Dragos Dinca (guitar, backing vocal), Robert Anghelescu
(keyboards, backing vocal), Karoly Visky (bass), and Vali Petricenko
(drums).
In 1999 the band released the first maxi-single De la rusi/From Russians which
soon became No.1 in the country. By the next year, Proconsul recorded the first
album Tatuaj/Tattoo. The release was celebrated by a concert where songs like
Barosan /The Big Guy, Var'vara/Summer Summer, Fata cu tatuaj/The Girl with a
Tattoo, and Cerul/The Sky were really appreciated.
In 2000, Cerul/The Sky won at Mamaia Festival the third prize in the Songwriting
Contest.
BTR
The
rock band BTR was formed in 1984 in Bulgaria. Initially its
members performed in clubs and were doing some concert activity.
Between 1991 - 1993 the band released two important albums:
BTR Live and Bending the Rules. These two albums were based
on the heavy guitar sound and on the precise rhythm section,
additionally determined by high vocal parts.
In 1993 the band suffered few changes. The vocal and the guitarist left the
band. Cyril Bozhkov and Atanas Penev replaced them. The new BTR included: Cyril
Bozhkov - guitars, Ivan Kalfov - bass guitar and vocals, Georgy Milev - drums,
Slavcho Nikolov - guitars and vocals, Atanas Penev - vocals.
In 1994, they released the third album, Feel the life. This new product was
more based on heavy metal. In 1997, BTR performed at the French Cosmopoliten
Festival. The audience was more than trilled.
Deliverance was released in 1998, becoming soon one of the greatest Bulgarian
hits also featured in two film soundtracks. The single was included in the
music lessons of the Bulgarian schools and charted for months the tops in Bulgaria.
The band was granted an award from the Passport scotch music jury and the Passport
scotch Award of the fans in Bulgaria.
On the same year BTR released the mini-CD,
Seven ballads, featuring multimedia tracks, video clips,
interviews and guitar tabulates. The next successful album,
Dreams, was released in 1999. With Dreams, BTR performed
at a music Festival in Greece and toured Bulgaria.
In 1999 BTR won the Golden antennas Clip Award and the Hit of the Year Award
of MM (the Bulgarian music TV channel).
Polona Furlan
Polona Furlan was born in 1977 in Slovenia.
Actually she is attending a Management College. Her musical
debut goes back to her hometown where she used to sing in church.
Since she needed money for her student life, Polona had been
singing at weddings and parties, even if her parents didn't
agree with her career as an artist.
Polona won last year the EUROFEST 2000 in Skopje, Macedonia.
Trivia: Polona likes to listen to Tina Turner,
Sting and Annie Lenox.
Favourite movie: Alcatraz.
Favourite food: Italian cuisine and fish
She likes a good wine.
Valahia
Two boys and a girl formed Valahia in the summer of 1998. Shortly
after, Laura had decided to give up the pop-solo career and left
the band. Mihai Treistariu joined Dorin and Costi. On the same
year they attended Mamaia Festival and won the second prize in
the Singing Contest.
In May 1999 they released the first album titled Valahia, and in November Costi
left the band. The second album, Why, was released in March 2000. The single
bearing the name of the album was enrolled in the Eurovision Contest.
Nusa Derenda
Nusa
Derenda was born in 1969 in Brezice, Slovenia. At the age of
two she made her parents realize she was to be a singer. She
started by singing in choruses, performing as a soloist, and
learning how to play the accordion. Shortly before graduating
elementary school she joined a band of young musicians. In 1990,
she formed a new group. By that time she had already become quite
professional and since 1998 she toured Slovenia, Germany, Switzerland.
In 1998, she joined the group called Happy Hour. They accompanied her in the
concerts. On the same year, Nusa released her first album, Take Me, Wind. She
won the Slovene TV Contest Orion.
At the Slovene Pop Contest in 1999 she won the Best Singer Award. At the MMS
festival (Melodies of the Sea and the Sun) she won the second prize of the audience
with the song The Goddess, and in 2000 at the Orion Contest Nusa was awarded
for the songs Twenty Years and Don't Call Me.
Say Colour
SayColour
was formed in 1995 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The band's trend
is guitar-based pop music. The group' members are Mikael Vilkas,
Tobias Jeanson and Claes Jax. The interest has been big for
Say Colour's music and before the debut album Seeing Is Believing
was finished it was clear that it would be released not only
in the Nordic countries but also in several European countries
as well as Canada. The debut album, Seeing is Believing, features
13 songs written by Say Colour and Kenneth Pilo.
Mikael Vilkas (drums, keyboard, lyrics and music) is the visionary driving
force of the group. He has hosted a Swedish TV programme, the World of Technology
on channel 5 and been host for Z-TV's On Tour. In 1999 he was awarded with
the Swedish Radio gold for Best Produced Radio Commercial Spot. Before being
a Say Colour Mikael was part of the group Neopop.
Claes Jax (lead vocals, guitar, lyrics and music) was working as a bartender
at a popular ski resort in Norway when he found out that he could sing. It
was in a karaoke contest where he jumped in, won first prize and discovered
just how much fun it was be on stage. He returned home, studied acting and
abandoned a promising career as a cook and bartender. In 1995 he met Mikael
and Tobias and joined Say Colour.
Tobias Jeanson (keyboard, bass, lyrics and
music) plays bass, piano and guitar, but on stage he prefers the bass.
He has studied at the Swedish Academy of Music, played synth
in a synthdisco band and worked as a Radio-DJ. Tobias has been
writing music ever since his upper secondary school days. But
it was not until he met Mikael that he found someone who shared
his musical ambition.
Ceslovas Gabalis
Ceslovas Gabalis, the vocal of The Ashes, was born in Rapla,
Estonia. He was the one who formed back in 1997 the rock band
The Ashes. By the next year he already had won the Lithuanian
Festival Trophy, and had been awarded with the Bravo Prize being
recognized as the Best Singer of '97 in Estonia.
Lullaby, Ceslovas' best single ever released charted for months the Lithuanian
Tops, while The Burning Souls was the best-sold album of '97.
Since his musical debut, he has been singing in Poland, Bulgaria, Germany, Sweden,
Holland and Mexico.
Trivia: Ceslovac's idols are Sting, Brian Adams, Rod Stewart, and AC/DC.
Favourite movie: Fight Club.
Favourite food: fish and seafood.
He likes to drink whisky.
Winners
The Golden Stag Trophy
PROCONSUL - ROMANIA
Best Pop Vocal Performance
LUMINITA ANGHEL - ROMANIA
Best Dance Group Performance
VALAHIA - ROMANIA
Best Rock Vocal Performance
URBAN TALE - FINLAND
People's Choice Award - POP
LUMINITA ANGHEL - ROMANIA
People's Choice Award - POP-ROCK
VALAHIA - ROMANIA
People's Choice Award - POP-DANCE
PROCONSUL - ROMANIA
Special Award for the Best Performance of a Romanian Song
NUSA DERENDA - SLOVENIA
The
British pop reggae band UB40 was formed in 1978, in Birmingham,
where its eight members first met in line at the unemployment
office. Their name comes from a British unemployment benefit
form. During the first months of their existence as a group,
the members took music and instruments lessons before their first
performance in February 1979. 
The
Soca Boys is the idea of Mr. Van B King, a solo-singer who decided
that a group of wild energetic dancers would do good to his singing
performances. 
Cyndi
Lauper was born in New York City in June 1953. In her early
20s Cyndi sang in several cover bands from New York, damaging
her vocal chords to the point where she needed over a year
to recover.
The
Romanian band Holograf was formed in 1978, in Bucharest, where
its members first met at the Students' Culture House. During
their first year as a band they often changed members. However
from that perioud you should remember Mihai Pocorschi, Boris
Petrof, Cristian Lesciuc, and Stefan Radulescu. In 1979, two
new members were added to the group: Edi Petrosel and Tino Furtuna.
On the same year, Holograf won an important prize in Club A Festival
for the rock-opera The Bitter Stratosphere. 
Proconsul,
the pop-rock band, was formed in the spring of 1999. Since
its begging the band had a stable formula: Bogdan "Bodo" Marin
(vocal), Dragos Dinca (guitar, backing vocal), Robert Anghelescu
(keyboards, backing vocal), Karoly Visky (bass), and Vali Petricenko
(drums).
The
rock band BTR was formed in 1984 in Bulgaria. Initially its
members performed in clubs and were doing some concert activity.
Between 1991 - 1993 the band released two important albums:
BTR Live and Bending the Rules. These two albums were based
on the heavy guitar sound and on the precise rhythm section,
additionally determined by high vocal parts. 
Nusa
Derenda was born in 1969 in Brezice, Slovenia. At the age of
two she made her parents realize she was to be a singer. She
started by singing in choruses, performing as a soloist, and
learning how to play the accordion. Shortly before graduating
elementary school she joined a band of young musicians. In 1990,
she formed a new group. By that time she had already become quite
professional and since 1998 she toured Slovenia, Germany, Switzerland. 
SayColour
was formed in 1995 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The band's trend
is guitar-based pop music. The group' members are Mikael Vilkas,
Tobias Jeanson and Claes Jax. The interest has been big for
Say Colour's music and before the debut album Seeing Is Believing
was finished it was clear that it would be released not only
in the Nordic countries but also in several European countries
as well as Canada. The debut album, Seeing is Believing, features
13 songs written by Say Colour and Kenneth Pilo.