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Taleen Kalbian - Armenian Christina Aguilera

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  • Taleen Kalbian - Armenian Christina Aguilera

    she's apparently opening for Christina Aguilera at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi.


    Aguilera concert to storm palace
    Loveday Morris

    Last Updated: October 18. 2008 8:53PM UAE / GMT
    Singer Christina Aguilera at the Africa Rising Festival in London, Oct 14, 2008. J Ryan / AP
    ABU DHABI // Christina Aguilera’s concert at the Emirates Palace hotel on Friday will be the biggest-budget music production the country has ever seen, with a 14-piece backing band, a light show and a fireworks display.

    The Grammy award-winning singer, whose hits include Genie in a Bottle, will perform on the lawns of the hotel to an expected audience of 20,000 people.

    “The show will have all the bells and whistles associated with a big American songstress,” said Lee Charteris, the event’s producer.

    The stage for the concert will be built across a large central stairway, with 200 lights and three video screens, the largest of which is 10 metres wide. Radio 1 DJs will appear on a second stage before and after the concert.

    Tickets, which are priced from Dh295 to Dh890 (US$80 to $222), are still available.

    Aguilera is the latest in a series of stars, including Justin Timberlake, Bon Jovi and Elton John, to perform at the Emirates Palace. The success of previous shows has prompted the hotel to consider building a permanent concert stage in the grounds.

    The Abu Dhabi show is part of the singer’s “Back to Basics” tour, to promote her latest multi-platinum-selling album. More subdued and sophisticated than some of her earlier shows, the tour has seen Aguilera return to her soul roots, the genre she has said most inspires her music.

    Aguilera, 27, who has sold more than 25 million records worldwide, is scheduled to release her sixth album next year.

    Born on Staten Island, New York, she was known to her neighbours as “the little girl with the big voice”. She got her break at the age of 12, on the US talent show Star Search, which led to a role in the Disney Channel’s children’s television show The New Mickey Mouse Club. Her recording of the theme song for the 1998 Disney film Mulan landed her a record deal with RCA.

    The opening act for the concert was confirmed last week as Taleen Kalbian, an Armenian-American singer.

    Four years ago, Taleen, then 16 years old, debuted in the UAE by headlining her own concert in Abu Dhabi.

    Taleen, now 20, is classically trained and has been described as “the next Christina Aguilera, meets Aaliyah and Cher seasoned with a pinch of Celine Dion” with a sound that is a blend of “pop, hip-hop, opera with R&B sensibilities”.

    “With a powerful voice and dynamic stage presence, Taleen was the obvious choice to be the opening act for a superstar such as Christina,” said John Lickrish, managing director for Flash, the company that organised the event.

    A website, www.christinaaguilera.ae, has been set up for the Emirates Palace concert to keep fans updated.

    [email protected]



    An Image, a Style, Songs -- and a Plan

    By Tom Jackman
    Washington Post Staff Writer
    Thursday, February 5, 2004; Page VA18

    Taleen Kalbian may be perched on the brink of stardom as a versatile singer with a five-octave range. But she can still squeal like a teenager.

    The 16-year-old from Centreville was riding in the back of a car in Abu Dhabi, where her family decided to dip her toe in the pop music waters by releasing her first single in December. It was there, in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, that Taleen experienced that seminal moment no musician ever forgets: when she heard her music on the radio for the first time.

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    "Ohmigod, this is so cool!" she yelped as her mother recorded the historic event on video. "I can't believe this, I'm on the radio, ohmigod. Ohmigod, I'm so happy! . . . That's meeeeee!"

    The high-pitched joy hardly sounded like the sultry woman singing "Gotta Let It Go," which Taleen (who doesn't use her last name professionally) co-wrote and co-produced. The song thumps with the funk and sass of a Beyonce Knowles cut, complete with a male rapper and a breathy vocal that bears no resemblance to any teeny-bop singer.

    "That sounds wicked to me," one admiring disc jockey in Abu Dhabi told her.

    Taleen's Armenian American family has been careful not to overload the career of a girl who started out as an opera prodigy, singing for Pope John Paul II at age 12. But this week, they are in New York hoping to finalize deals that would sign Taleen to a major label and have her on tour in the Middle East and Europe this spring as the opening act for an established star, said her mother, Sylva Kalbian.

    Meanwhile, Taleen is bouncing between recording studios, business meetings and voice lessons in Toronto, Northern Virginia and New York, recording 11 more tracks for an album. Instead of giving herself over to the star-making machinery of a major record label, Taleen's family is financing the project themselves, they said, to prevent her from being pigeonholed into one genre and packaged for only one audience.

    "She has developed her own image, her own style, her own songs," Sylva Kalbian said. "Now we're at a crossroads. We are looking for the right label, the right distribution. We've done all the background work that needs to be done."

    Taleen's intelligence helps make her a participant in planning her career. "I'm hoping the album will do well overseas -- I'm releasing it there first," she explained. "Then get a distribution deal in the States, release the album over here and have it do well."

    Beyond selling records, "I'd love to do a world tour and go everywhere and perform," said Taleen, who transferred from Flint Hill School to Oakton High School at the beginning of the school year so she could keep up her studies online while traveling. "And the publicity, the interviews, the whole package -- that's what I want."

    Her gradual entry into professional singing has prepared the teenager perfectly. Taleen's mother, an independent business owner, and father, a lawyer, said they noticed their daughter's musical precociousness early; by age 5 she was taking voice lessons. At 9, Taleen began singing with the Washington Opera company at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. At 12, she sang the national anthem at MCI Center before a Washington Wizards game and performed the "Ave Maria" a cappella for the pope in Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

    The two appearances before the pope were the highlight of her career, Taleen said. "And the single," she added, "hearing it on the radio for the first time."

    Before turning 13, she belted out "The Star-Spangled Banner" at a Washington Redskins preseason game at FedEx Field. Taleen, still a small, skinny girl, finished with such a flourish that the crowd roared. Taleen's preteen exploits were chronicled in newspaper articles, including The Washington Post. As Taleen grew into her teens, she focused on school, making only a few public appearances. "We turned down so many things," Taleen said, including a White House invitation. "It was hard, to be in school, to have a normal childhood," Taleen said. "I think we handled it really well."

    In April 2002, Taleen sang a medley at the annual Khalil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Awards Gala in Washington honoring Queen Noor of Jordan. The rock star Sting also appeared, later cracking, "Taleen upstaged me," her mother said.

    The international star and the Flint Hill freshman hung out together that night, Taleen said, talking about Sting's old band, the Police, and about singing and style. As a result, she didn't finish her homework that night.

    At school the next day, Taleen resisted the urge to brag, she said. But teachers didn't believe the "Sting-ate-my-homework" excuse. One teacher even sent her to detention, she said.

    Last year, Taleen's family began shuttling her to New York to work with Don Lawrence, a voice coach who has trained singers such as Mick Jagger and Christina Aguilera. There, she also was introduced to various music industry professionals, many of whom were eager to help promote the budding singer's career.

    Phil Berberian, a former music executive in New York with experience producing and managing artists, said he was knocked out the first time he heard Taleen in person.

    "It was hard to believe that kind of emotion was coming out of a 16-year-old," Berberian said. "She can communicate with her audience -- I think that's what separates her."

    Taleen's bubbly, youthful personality doubtless contributes to her appeal, whether she is singing for 80,000 people at FedEx Field or for 80 at Jammin' Java in Vienna. She said she feels at ease on stage.

    "I know this is, like, cliche, but to see the different smiles on different faces, it doesn't feel like work," said Taleen, now a willowy 5 feet 7 inches. "The feedback that you get from the audience is different every time."

    Songs like "Gotta Let It Go" are not for the Nickelodeon set. When she released the single in the United Arab Emirates, where her father sometimes does legal work, it made a serious splash.

    A local magazine placed her on the cover, sandwiched between Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. She did two concerts, combining pop and classical songs, appeared on the radio with wisecracking British disc jockeys, gave talks to two college groups and appeared on an all-business channel to discuss her career plan with a deadly serious anchorwoman. Taleen handled the appearances with poise and good humor.

    Though only 16, Taleen doesn't want her audience limited to teenagers. "Normal people, they can't connect with Britney Spears," she said. "People are getting more and more into the serious, soulful artist."

    Her musical influences are vast: She cites blues singers such as Etta James and Billie Holliday, hard rockers such as Metallica and System of a Down, pop artists John Mayer and Justin Timberlake, even rappers like Ludacris and Jay-Z, all incorporated into the background of classical and opera from which she started. An Armenian duduk, similar to a recorder, opens "Gotta Let It Go" before synthesizers and bass take over.

    "I listen to everything," Taleen said. She calls her sound "musaique," a combination of music and mosaic, to describe her variety of sounds. "One song is almost John Mayer-like," she said of her album, "another song is a little urban, with R&B and pop. Another is a ballad with strings." The entire album is sketched out and should be done by summer.

    Berberian said that for most artists, such a diversity of music styles on one album would be unsalable. But he believes Taleen can pull it off.

    "We want this first effort to be a representation of all the things she can do," he said. "Most record companies would say you're crazy. But this is an unconventional situation. And I find myself thinking and doing unconventional things."

    Berberian said Taleen was "very advanced as far as her ear, her production," and said she devises new ideas for arrangements or introductions on the spot. He applauded Taleen's decision to avoid a record company until the album is complete. "With a major record label, she would have no say," Berberian said. "This is going to be a lot better for her in the long run."

    Marco Delmar, who is co-producing two other songs for Taleen out of his Recording Arts studio in Fairfax, said, "I'm fascinated by her material. Part of my job is to pull talent out of people. With her, it's quite the other way. It's a matter of seeing all the things that are coming at you and helping her make the best choice."

    Delmar said Taleen has a uniquely bright future. "She's got a great voice, great creativity, and she's a stable person. I've seen combinations of those, but rarely all three. She's just a real joy to work with."

    You can hear the first half of "Gotta Let It Go" on Taleen's Web site,www.taleen.com.



    Now, that's hot.
    Between childhood, boyhood,
    adolescence
    & manhood (maturity) there
    should be sharp lines drawn w/
    Tests, deaths, feats, rites
    stories, songs & judgements

    - Morrison, Jim. Wilderness, vol. 1, p. 22

  • #2
    Re: Taleen Kalbian - Armenian Christina Aguilera

    Here's an article from today with a recent picture of Taleen.



    Khaleej Times Online >> City Times


    ‘I love Middle Eastern harmonies’
    David Light

    21 October 2008

    Taleen Kalbian on her passion for music and being opening act for Christina Aguilera


    AS YOU ARE all well aware Christina Aguilera will be performing at the Emirates Palace on Friday. What you probably don’t know is that supporting her will be American born singing sensation Taleen Kalbian. Hailing from Armenian heritage and having lived in the UAE for a short while when she was seventeen, twenty-one-year-old Taleen finds her music appeals to US and international audiences alike. Her debut single, ‘Gotta let it go,’ was released in Dubai in January 2004 and since then she has moved back to the States to further her career.

    City Times caught up with Miss Kalbian to check out what she has been up to and how she feels about coming back to the UAE to perform with a global superstar.

    You've lived in Dubai and released a record here, how does it feel to be returning to the UAE to support Christina Aguilera. Are you guys friends?
    It really feels amazing. Words can’t ever describe how excited I am to be back in the UAE. Coming back to Abu Dhabi for such an occasion and opening for an artist that I have had so much respect for and have looked up to throughout my career is beyond words. I love how welcoming and supportive the people in UAE are and have always been to me. My very first invitation was five years ago from the Abu Dhabi Music Foundation; Mrs. Huda Kanoo was instrumental in shaping my impressions of Abu Dhabi. It’s going to be great to be back with family and friends. Being friends and especially working with Christina and learning from her would be a dream come true. I look forward to that moment.

    Is this the biggest show you will have done?

    This is probably one of my biggest shows. I have sung in front of large crowds my whole life but this is definitely the most significant because I’m opening up for such a huge star.

    Where did your passion for music come from?

    My passion for music came from God. Even before I knew how to talk I was mesmerised by music, singers and performers. I am forever thankful that my family has supported my passion and opened up my eyes to so many different types of music growing up.

    When did you embark on a singing career? Has this always been a dream?

    I began professionally singing at the age of nine. That’s when I started to take things seriously and really embarking on my career. I sang at the Washington Opera and from that moment on it was my undeniable dream to follow a music career.

    What has been your proudest memory to date in your career?

    My proudest memory was singing for Pope John Paul II. It was amazing because I was in Bethlehem in Manger Square and Jerusalem, so just being there in front of such an amazing man and being able to share my gift with him and the world was a special moment. This Christina concert will probably be right up there with a favourite experience as well!

    Who are your inspirations?
    My inspirations are my father who works so incredibly hard every day to achieve his goals for the family. My mother, with her unconditional love and support, Madonna, who has continuously reinvented herself and been so smart about her career and of course Aretha Franklin who sings with so much soul and passion that is very inspiring.

    How would you describe your music? Does anyone in the charts now have a similar sound?

    My music is fun, fresh, and soulful with a pop sound and very relatable. I write songs that come from personal experience that I know a lot of people my age go through. I would compare it to Beyonce meets Shakira with a touch of Christina.

    Does your cultural heritage influence your music in any way? Would you consider releasing some songs in Arabic?
    Absolutely! I have such a Middle Eastern influence in many of my songs. I love Middle Eastern harmonies and a lot of the instruments like the tabla, the tar, and the oud. I would love to sing some songs in Arabic even though my Arabic is not that great!

    What do you listen to on a regular basis and who are the artists you enjoy?

    If you looked at my music library you would think I was a crazy mad woman because I have so many types of music from Metallica to Andrea Bocelli! I just love all music. Anything that makes me feel, moving me emotionally and inspires me, I love. I always try to put different musical influences in my work from different cultures, especially when I write.

    Having lived in the UAE what is your impression of the place?

    The UAE is such an astounding place! The co-existence of the desert and the sea is so very beautiful and deep to me. That reverence and respect for the elements and the culture can be felt in the people and how they interact with each other. You have the old and the new, the old and the young. It all mixes in harmony creating a beautiful place and a welcoming environment. It’s so exciting! There is never a dull moment here!

    What can the audience expect from your performance?

    The audience can expect a very high-energy performance. I’ll be singing a number of my original songs that hopefully you have been hearing on the radio, but I am also singing some covers and a surprise song that I’m sure everyone will recognise and love but I can’t tell you what it is yet! You will have to come to the show to hear it! I’m basically going to be pumping everyone up for the main event.

    What does a typical day in the life of Taleen involve?

    A typical day is running on the treadmill and singing at the same time for about 40 minutes in the morning, making my breakfast, going to the gym and working with my trainer. Then going to my vocal lessons with my amazing coach Stephanie Spruill, working on songs alone or with other writers and producers, recording some of these songs in the studio, then dance or acting and then finally I like to take a hot shower sit on the couch and watch TV with the love of my life, my dog Mish Mish.

    What are your career plans for the immediate future?

    My plan is to put out my record and go on a world tour. When I think of my career I think of it globally because my music has a very global and international message. I would love to just travel to all different places in the world and share my message, music and God given talent with people.

    Where would you like to be in 10 years?

    In 10 years I would love to have a successful music career and keep writing songs for myself and for other artists. Also, it would be another of my dreams to settle down and start a family. I love family and to be able to get married and have children would be such a blessing.

    What do you think you will take from this performance?

    This performance will be such a significant and memorable experience for me. It’s funny because I have always wanted to go to a Christina Aguilera concert and for some reason or another never was able to, but I never thought, I would be going to her concert opening for her in Abu Dhabi, like this! I’m so appreciative to my team, to Flash, the people of Abu Dhabi who have made this dream possible for me. I feel so blessed. Thank you.

    [email protected]
    Between childhood, boyhood,
    adolescence
    & manhood (maturity) there
    should be sharp lines drawn w/
    Tests, deaths, feats, rites
    stories, songs & judgements

    - Morrison, Jim. Wilderness, vol. 1, p. 22

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Taleen Kalbian - Armenian Christina Aguilera



      Arabia's next idol

      Signed with Jamie Foxx's new record company, the future looks bright for opening act Taleen.

      By

      Rachel McArthur on Friday, October 24, 2008

      Performing ahead of Christina Aguilera tonight is 21-year-old American-Armenian singer Taleen. The artist is no stranger to the UAE and has performed in Abu Dhabi before. Emirates Business talked to her ahead of the show.


      What can we expect from your show in Abu Dhabi?

      A really high-energy performance with live instruments and a lot of Middle Eastern influences in the songs. I'm singing a lot of my own songs but there are two that the audience will recognise. One is a surprise for the crowd.

      You shot to fame in 2004 when you released your first single in the UAE. How did that come about?

      I was invited to sing at a classical event in Abu Dhabi by the Abu Dhabi Music Foundation. It was such a great opportunity because it opened my eyes to how amazing the UAE is. It's such an exciting place, which is why I always come back. The people are very welcoming and warm. They appreciate true talent.

      What have you been up to?

      Since then I've been working on my music and writing songs. I got a publishing deal with Foxx King/Bug music, which is Jamie Foxx's new company. I'm also going to be working with top A&R people and producers who have been responsible for the careers of Rihanna and Ne-yo. The creative team you are with is very important for the longevity of an artist. That has been a big priority.

      How would you describe your sound?

      Very upbeat with a lot of soul and pop influences. A lot of my songs have a Middle Eastern influence, because of my heritage. I also have a touch of funk in some of my songs because I'm a huge fan of James Brown.

      Who else do you listen to?

      My influences range from Aretha Franklin to Nirvana.

      What about Arab artists?

      I like Abdel Halim Hafez, Om Kalthom, Mohamed Abdel Wahab, as well as Fayrouz, Amr Diab and Nancy Ajram. Arabic music is emotional and melodic.

      How did you get approached to open for Christina Aguilera?

      The promoters for the show – specifically John Lickrish, managing partner for Flash – heard my music and were really impressed. They thought it would be a really good fit since I am compared to Christina Aguilera a lot.

      Are you excited?

      Words can't even tell you how I feel. I really think this is a dream and I'm going to wake up and be telling people that I was going to be opening for my favourite singer in the world! It's just a blessing I feel so fortunate and elated.

      Have you met Christina?

      I have not met her, no. I can't wait, though!

      What's the first thing you plan to say to her?

      I have changed the script of what I am going to say to Christina in my head a million times. I keep saying I'm going to be cool and just be like, "Hi, how are you", but I think I'll be so excited that I will want to give her a big hug! I've been such a big fan for so long. I'll tell her I look up to her. It's funny, because I have always wanted to go to a Christina Aguilera concert.

      You've sung for the president of the USA and the Pope. Do you get star struck?

      It's not being star struck; it's more excitement. These people are human like you and me but they have accomplished a lot. It's respect and admiration.

      So what's next for you?

      I'm working on my album, releasing a single and then going on a world tour. My music is very international so I would love to tour to different countries in the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
      Between childhood, boyhood,
      adolescence
      & manhood (maturity) there
      should be sharp lines drawn w/
      Tests, deaths, feats, rites
      stories, songs & judgements

      - Morrison, Jim. Wilderness, vol. 1, p. 22

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Taleen Kalbian - Armenian Christina Aguilera



        She looks pretty wasted here! seems like she drinks alot. sha can sing though, but not a sound i've never heard

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Taleen Kalbian - Armenian Christina Aguilera

          You know what, i think ive heard of her before. Ive always loved Christina Aguilera. Ill have to take a listen because i appreciate anyone that can truly sing.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Taleen Kalbian - Armenian Christina Aguilera

            i think ive heard of her before. ill have to check it out again cause i truly appreciate anyone that can actually sing.

            Comment

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