Posted February 19, 200817 yr http://archive.gulfnews.com/images/08/02/18/19_tb_celine_dion04_4.jpg By Marie-Loiuse Olson, Staff Reporter Published: February 19, 2008, 00:35 While most little girls would dance around and play with their friends, there was one particular little girl who had her thoughts elsewhere — in music. She had a dream of becoming a singer and used to sing with her siblings in their family's piano bar as a child in the Canadian city of Charlemagne, Quebec, where she grew up. Little did she know when she met a man named René Angélil when she was 12 years old that she would one day be the best-selling female artist in the world with record sales of more than 200 million. The little girl's name was Céline Marie Claudette Dion, otherwise known as Céline Dion, and now Dubai has the chance to see what has made her the superstar she is at her concert on March 5 at the Four Season's Golf Club, Dubai Festival City. But first, let's go back in time a little, back to when it all began. Instant star It was in 1981 that Angélil became her manager and mortgaged his home to finance her first record, La Voix du Bon Dieu (The Voice of God/The Road to God). Dion became an instant star in Quebec where her album reached No 1 in the charts. Her popularity spread to other parts of the world, such as Japan and Europe, but she had yet to break through in the American market. Angélil, realising that her image needed a bit of makeover to appeal to a more international audience, told her to learn English. In 1990, she released her first Anglophone album, Unison with the hit single, Where Does My Heart Beat Now, which peaked at No 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Beauty and the Beast But her real shot at fame was singing with Peabo Bryson on the title track to the Disney film Beauty and the Beast in 1991. It became a US top 10 single and won the Academy Award for Best Song and the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. After the success of her second album Céline Dion, the singer released her third English-speaking album, The Colour of My Love, in 1993. The album was dedicated to Angélil, who had gone from being her manager to her lover. Even though he was 26 years her senior, fans embraced the couple, who tied the knot in an extravagant wedding in 1994. The album was a worldwide success with hit singles such as Think Twice and When I Fall In Love. Over the years Dion's music has been influenced by many different genres such as classical pop, soul and rock, and even a tinge of gospel. And even though her success was mainly due to her English-speaking albums, she stayed true to her French roots and released many Francophone albums, such as D'Eaux in 1995, which became the best-selling French album of all time. Dion's albums have often received mixed critical reviews. She is renowned for her powerful vocals, but she has also been criticised for being monotonous due to her constant theme of love. But this didn't stop her from enjoying continuous success. She released the highly popular album Falling Into You in 1996, for which she won two Grammys for Best Pop Album and Album of the Year. Signature Song But perhaps her most famous song of all — her signature song, if you will — was My Heart Will Go On, which was a single from her following album, Let's Talk About Love (1997). The ballad was the theme song from the blockbuster film Titanic and became a massive worldwide hit, and has become a particularly popular track in small karaoke bars around Asia. Dion has since released another four albums in English and three in French, all of which have enjoyed moderate success. Her latest album, Taking Chances, was released recently and features collaborations with a new range of artists, such as hip-hop and r ‘n' b producer Ne-Yo. In 2004, after accumulating record sales of more than 175 million, she was presented with the Chopard Diamond Award from the World Music Awards show for becoming the Best-selling Female Artist in the world. In April 2007, Sony BMG announced that Dion had sold more than 200 million albums worldwide. With only two weeks to go before her much-anticipated show in Dubai, tabloid! gets the lowdown from the star herself. Excerpts from an email interview: You're the biggest-selling female artist of all time. How does it feel to know that there are so many people around the world who love your music? It feels great! The love that my fans all over the world are displaying is by far my biggest award to date. I feel it is my responsibility to travel to different parts of the world to meet those who have supported my music and show them my gratitude for believing in me. With the latest collaborations you've done would you say you're reaching out to a more varied audience? I am constantly trying to reach out to a wider audience. My new album Taking Chances has a different style from my previous songs. I do not see this as a new style but a development of my musical taste which is a natural process and is essential for progress. My music has always catered to all people of all ages. How do you manage to juggle your private life with your career, especially now that you're going on tour? Is it why you ended your contract in Vegas? I have spent many years in Vegas. My family managed by keeping a good balance between home and stage life. As family is my first priority, it makes the rest easy to deal with. I love music and feel lucky to be so appreciated. My contract in Vegas has not come to an end, but has been extended until December 2008. I am eager to tour the world and perform in different venues to new and exciting audiences. I am privileged to have the opportunity to visit exotic countries and perform on a stage in front of thousands of people. Have you achieved your biggest dreams or aspirations in terms of your career yet? If not, what more do you wish to achieve in life? I achieved my dream, but life went on, and new dreams were formed. After every dream that is achieved we find another one waiting just around the corner. Vegas Since 2003, Céline Dion has appeared five nights a week in an entertainment extravaganza, A New Day..., at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. The show has sold out almost every night since its opening. According to Pollstar, by the end of 2005, Dion grossed more than $76 million (Dh279 million), placing sixth on Billboard's Money Makers list for 2005 thanks to her Vegas show. Charity Céline Dion has actively supported many charity organisations worldwide. She has promoted the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF) since 1982. She has an emotional attachment to the foundation as her niece Karine succumbed to the disease at the age of 16. In 2003, Dion joined a number of other celebrities, athletes and politicians, including Josh Groban and Yolanda Adams, to support World Children's Day. Dion has also been a major supporter of the T.J. Martell Foundation, the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, and many health and education campaigns. She also donated $1 million (Dh3.67 million) to the victims of Hurricane Katrina and held a fund-raising event for the victims of the 2004 Asian Tsunami, raising more than $1 million (Dh3.67 million). The event What: Céline Dion's Taking Chances concert. Where: Four Season's Golf Club Dubai Festival City. When: March 5. Time: Doors open at 4.30pm. Concert starts at 8.30pm. Tickets: Book tickets online at www.showbizme. com English Albums 1990: Unison 1992: Celine Dion 1993: The Colour of My Love 1996: Falling into You 1997: Let's Talk About Love 2002: A New Day Has Come 2003: One Heart 2004: Miracle 2007: Taking Chances
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