by Tina Arena
I was over the moon. My well was no longer dry – in fact, it was full to the brim and overflowing. Watching Gab grow up, sharing a life with Vince, creating a home together, performing and keeping in touch with fans had recharged my musical batteries. Now they were at 100 per cent and I was raring to go.
I’d always known I’d make another album, eventually, somehow. Now was the right time. I was forty-five and ready to get started again. It made me think of when we were kids and, when a record finished, we’d grab the arm and put the needle back at the beginning to hear the song over. I’m sure that’s how Nancy trained me – she’d play those records again and again and I’d memorise every word. Well, now I was ready to go round again.
But for me, going back to the start would also be a chance to rethink. I wanted to get back to basics, to focus on what’s important and leave out the rest. In fact, one of the songs I’d co-written for the album was called ‘Reset All’. I liked the idea that when things get too complicated or aren’t working anymore, you need to go back to the beginning, to simplify, return to what you know in your heart works. Having lived through the GFC in Europe, I couldn’t help thinking we all needed to ‘reset all’, on every level. It had struck me lately that while our lives were full of ways and means to communicate, we seemed less able to connect. There was so much white noise we could no longer hear each other.
I don’t know about you, but I believe music has a role in all that. Through music we can reconnect. And with this album I wanted to tune out the white noise and focus on what I think is important in good music – melody and a story that make you feel. So, following my friend Laurent’s suggestion, I decided to call the album Reset, after the song.
No doubt, this time around it would be different again. And who knew how things would pan out? As I said, the music industry is a whole new ball game. What hadn’t changed for me was music itself. In my mind, a great song is a jewel – small but exquisite, lovingly cut to reveal its inner beauty, holding within it an entire world. And to hear great songs will always soothe my soul, move me, inspire me, allow me to connect. To sing great songs is a privilege, for sure.
But singing my own songs is what I love. It’s a necessity for me, like three meals a day and a few rays of sunshine. I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t write and sing. It makes me who I am, regardless of where I happen to be or what language I’m speaking. It has done since I wrote my first song and sang it to myself in the shower. It’s as natural for me as breathing. Filippina Arena sings to live and lives to sing. That’s just the way it is.
I think Nonno would understand. And Nonno would be proud. But guess what, Nonno? Not only that. Now I can dance.
PICTURE SECTION
Mum with me at a wedding when I was around one year old. Months later, at another wedding, Mum says I broke free from her arms and ran to the singer to try to sing with him. A few years on, at yet another wedding, I finally got my chance. Thank god for all those family weddings!
Where it all began. Here I am aged eight, singing ‘You’re My World’ at my cousin Gaetano’s wedding in early 1976. Just weeks later I appeared as a contestant on the TV show Young Talent Time, wearing this flowergirl dress. I won that night and soon joined the show as a cast member.
Nancy, me and Mum with Mum’s parents Filippa and Francesco Catalfamo in Valguarnera, Sicily, where my Mum grew up. I thought my granddad was gruff and brooding. Almost forty years later I found out why.
With my granddad (far left), Uncle Felice and Aunty Rozaria, a neighbour (in stripes), Nancy (far right) and Mum (behind me – I’m in yellow). I celebrated my fifth birthday at my grandparents’ place in Sicily. Nonno was gruff as ever – years later I found out he adored opera. I always knew we had a connection.
My dad, Giuseppe (Joe), and Mum, Franca, celebrating their engagement. I’ve always thought my parents looked like movie stars in this picture, which was taken in Sicily before Dad left for Australia in 1955.
Mum at her wedding reception with my four grandparents on either side. Dad didn’t attend their marriage in Sicily in February 1957 – he is present in a photograph only, on the table in front of Mum. Dad was in Australia at the time, so my parents were married ‘by proxy’. Not long after, Mum left for Australia too.
The cast of Young Talent Time circa 1978, a year or two after I started on the show. Clockwise from left: John Bowles, Steven Zammit, Debbie Hancock, John Young, Robert McCullough, Karen Knowles, Nicole Cooper and me. I became a seasoned professional working on YTT and John Young was a great mentor. Love the skivvies! News Ltd/Newspix
Tiny Tina Arena and Little Johnny Bowles, circa 1979, not long after John and I released an album together. We filmed this episode of Young Talent Time on location in Melbourne, and in these outfits the two of us sang ‘Everybody Needs a Rainbow’ in high voices. John and I were like brother and sister and we remain good mates.
Singing a duet with Italian superstar Gianni Morandi during his 1978 tour of Australia. It was the first time I ever appeared at the Sydney Opera House.
Nancy, me and Silvana out the front of our brand new home in suburban Melbourne. Apparently, Mum never got over the scene of Scarlett O’Hara dashing down the grand staircase in Gone with the Wind.
A few years later, here we are again, gone from sensible sunhats to 1980s big hair. How we’ve grown!
It’s 1883 and Bobby Driessen and I are ready to sing a tune in the saloon. Actually, make that 1983, on the YTT set. For me, working on the show was like going to Disneyland every day. I loved every minute.
The Young Talent Team circa 1983, my last year on the show. I’m to the right of John Young. In front of me is Dannii Minogue, aged eleven, who went on to forge a career in entertainment. As a little girl, Dannii was gorgeous – she still is. News Ltd/Newspix
I made lifelong friends at my high school, St Columba’s in Essendon, and there my love for musical theatre was born. Here I am playing Polly Browne in our school production of The Boyfriend. I was always a better singer than dancer, but I’d still have a go.
Hanging out with my sisters, Walter and a friend at Rosebud, near Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula. Mum and Dad had a shack there, and we girls would take our mates down for weekends. My song ‘Sorrento Moon’ was about those carefree days.
All grown up and with a gold record for my first hit single, ‘I Need Your Body’. The song charted at number 3 in 1990, but what really got people talking was the video or, to be more specific, my cleavage in the video. Photo courtesy Geoffrey Schuhkraft
With Molly Meldrum at the launch of my first solo album, Strong as Steel. The album went gold, which was great, but I was determined, next time around, to help write as well as sing the songs.
After the success of Strong as Steel, I took time out to learn the craft of songwriting. My then manager, Geoffrey Schuhkraft, hooked me up with some brilliant songwriters in LA. Here we are on the day of my arrival. I had a wonderful time. For one thing, no one knew who I was! Photo courtesy Geoffrey Schuhkraft
Geoffrey Schuhkraft also co-managed Nelson, twin brothers and rock royalty who had just had a smash hit in the States. We visited them in New York, but the show had to be cancelled because Gunnar Nelson lost his voice. For a day or two, Gunnar and I, who’d become friends, could only communicate by writing notes to each other. Photo courtesy Geoffrey Schuhkraft
In 1991 I toured Japan as part of the Pan Pacific Festival’s ‘Women with Great Voices’ showcase. Also on the tour was the great Chaka Khan. Here I am rehearsing with the backing singers, getting ready backstage and grabbing some shut-eye on the road. It was an amazing experience and quite an eyeopener for a girl from Moonee Ponds. Photos courtesy Geoffrey Schuhkraft
As the Narrator with David Dixon as Joseph in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. I’ve always loved musical theatre and have appeared in many before and since. It can be a tough gig, though, involving usually eight performances a week. Getty Images
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sp; With a few Sony heavyweights around the time of Don’t Ask. From left: legendary Brit Peter Asher; Peter Karpin, Sony Australia’s then A&R boss; and Sony Australia boss Denis Handlin. Those were heady days, for everyone. Photo courtesy Sony Music Entertainment Australia
Performing live at the ninth ARIA Awards in October 1995. My single ‘Chains’ had reached number 4 on the charts in Australia and the album, Don’t Ask, hit number 1, ultimately going ten times platinum in my homeland. Nathan Edwards/Newspix
With Janet Jackson, after winning four ARIAs, including awards for Album of the Year and Song of the Year. It was fantastic to be recognised by my peers and the industry. Jacqueline Vicario/Newspix
Marie Antoinette and her sisters, aka Nancy, me and Silvana at my surprise thirtieth birthday in November 1997. Also attending were Elvis, a monk and even a Sydney Swans player. The biggest surprise was seeing Silvana, who, without my knowledge, had returned from overseas for the occasion.
In 1997 my second album, In Deep, was released. Here I am in the video for ‘Burn’, the first single off that record, which we filmed in Richmond public pool. Photographer Pierre Baroni directed, and you can hardly tell that my skin is completely shrivelled after hours in the water! Photo courtesy Pierre Baroni
On set with the cast for the video of ‘Now I Can Dance’. Directed by Pierre Baroni (behind, in the glasses) and filmed in Melbourne, the clip has always been one of my favourites. It featured the amazing Charo (bottom right), a legendary Flamenco guitarist and actress. Photo courtesy Nicole Groch
Recording ‘If I Was a River’ in 1998. Clockwise from left: Engineering magician Chris Lord-Alge, Peter Karpin, Sony US’s gun producer Walter Afanasieff, Ralph Carr and yours truly. Photo courtesy Peter Karpin
On location in Egypt shooting the video for ‘If I Was a River’ in 1998. It was 50 degrees Celsius during the day. Pierre Baroni (in the hat) directed the video and did an amazing job. Photos courtesy Nicole Groch
With Marc Anthony and his then partner, Jennifer Lopez, at the 1999 American Latino Media Arts Awards (the ALMAs). We won a gong for ‘I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You’, which was the theme song for the movie The Mask of Zorro. That song opened many doors for me in Europe, and helped kickstart my French recording career. Phil Roach/Ipol Globe Photos Inc
Celebrating in Paris around the time of my first concert performance in France in 1999. From left: Sony international promotions manager Mitch Vanoni; head of Columbia France the late Virginie Auclair; my right-hand woman, Ann-Marie Meadows; live engineer Steve Scanlon; me; and Columbia marketing manager Valerie Michelin and her offsider, Sabine Feutrel. Photo courtesy Ann-Marie Meadows
On 15 September 2000, I sang ‘The Flame’ with the Sydney Children’s Choir at the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony. Soon after, Cathy Freeman lit the Olympic flame, and the Games were officially open. It was an incredible moment and an evening I’ll never forget. Getty Images
To sing at the Olympics I had to take time out from my role as Esmeralda in the London production of Notre-Dame de Paris. The show had broken all records in France, and some of the French cast crossed the Channel, including Canadian star Garou, who played Quasimodo. It was my first show in London’s West End; I returned seven years later to play Roxie Hart in Chicago. Robbie Jack/Corbis
With a poster for Sam Mendes’s 2002 Australian production of Cabaret, in which I played Sally Bowles. The corset I wore in the show certainly grabbed people’s attention. It still hangs in my wardrobe. Getty Images
On the red carpet with my dear friend, fashion designer Michael Angel, attending the ARIAs in October 2000. That night I received an Outstanding Achievement Award for my success in Europe. Getty Images
I was five months pregnant with Gab in July 2005 when I appeared at the Paris Live 8 concert, held in the grounds of the palace at Versailles. Here I am with British R & B star Craig David singing the Beatles’ ‘Come Together’. It was great to be part of such an inspiring event. Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty Images
Above & following: Gab with his brand new parents in late 2005. Thank god Vince had some idea about how to look after a baby, because I didn’t have a clue!
Christmas 2005 in our apartment in Paris with my sisters and Mum and Dad. Gab had just been born and the folks paid a surprise visit. It was the best Christmas present I’ve ever had.
Life on Place du Docteur Félix Lobligeois in Batignolles, Paris. We had some great parties in the square, and made many friends.
Two weeks after Gab was born in November 2005 my first French album, Un Autre Univers, was released. A month after that, Vince and I attended the NRJ awards in Cannes as I’d been nominated for Best Female French Artist. Motherhood wasn’t going to slow this girl down! Getty Images
I’ve been performing at Carols by Candlelight since I was a kid. It’s always a magical night, whether at the Myer Music Bowl or Sydney’s Domain, as shown here in 2007. damianwhite.com
On the set of the video for ‘Entends-Tule Monde’, which was filmed in Sydney in January 2007. Vince came for the ride and appeared in the clip as well. Fabien Dufils
Performing at the Hamer Hall in Melbourne in December 2007 as part of the Songs of Love and Loss tour. Nicholas Buc is conducting the 35-piece orchestra with Kelly and Talei Wolfgramm on backing vocals (left). Getty Images
I have always loved performing with other artists. Here I am with Italian legend ‘Zucchero’ in Australia in 2008. I sang a duet with Zucchero on his album Zu & Co, and appeared with him at the Royal Albert Hall in 2004, along with some amazing artists, including Eric Clapton and Pavarotti. Getty Images
And with Andrea Bocelli on his tour of Australia in the same year. Andrea was lots of fun – he could do the best Australian accent I’ve ever heard. Getty Images
Dressed as Tinkerbell, backstage at a 2009 annual Les Enfoirés charity concert in Paris with Pinocchio, aka Pascal Obispo. The concerts are a huge production and lots of fun, while raising funds to help feed 600,000 hungry people in France every week. Joanne Azoubel
In 2010 I toured Australia with Ronan Keating. We’d sung the odd duet before, but never toured together. We had a ball, playing concert halls and wineries. Naomi Rahim
With my mentor and good friend John Young in October 2010 when I had the honour of inducting him into the ARIA Hall of Fame. I sang his song ‘Here Comes the Star’, which was a hit for Herman’s Hermits in 1969. Rohan Kelly/Newspix
On Hey Hey It’s Saturday in 2010 with two people I admire and respect enormously: David Atkins, with whom I appeared in his show Dynamite back in 1990, and the ever lovely Olivia Newton-John. I sang a duet with Olivia on her 2002 album (2).
With Troy Cassar Daley, Kasey Chambers and David Campbell at the Flood Relief Appeal in Brisbane in early 2011. Along with many others we were there to raise money for those affected by Queensland’s biblical floods. Peter Wallis/Newspix
On stage in Dunkerque, northern France. Every year the local council stages a free concert in the park of the beautiful Château Coquelle. In June 2011 it was my turn.
In 2011, with the then French Minister of Culture and Communications, Frédéric Mitterrand, who officially awarded me the Chevalier of the Order of National Merit, France’s second highest honour. I feel, well, honoured, to say the least! Getty Images
It was a Sunday in August 2011 and I was still in my pyjamas when I heard that Cadel Evans had won the Tour de France. In the end I sang the national anthem at the prize giving. I figured a live a capella version would have more impact than an instrumental recording. Picture Media/Reuters
Above & following: Gab is already showing an interest in music. Here he is jamming with his cousin Sofia. Gab might look like his dad (right), but I think I got a bit of a look-in with my niece, whom some people say resembles me when I was little. God help us all!
With Silvana’s darling boy Louis in 2012. I love being an aunty, but what my nieces and nephews make of me is anyone’s guess, especially once they’re old enough to read this book!
With Gab in Montpellier for the Les Enfoirés concerts in 2011. Gab takes it all in his stride.