EXCLUSIVE Q&A with MARCELLA PUPPINI ~ part 2

Marcella Puppini's first name is pronounced Marchella; not Marsella. She has just released a solo album, which we discuss in our Q&A. She is also the founding member of the Puppini Sisters, who have a new album coming our way in early 2016. She is a gifted singer, trained in opera, an artist and a clothes designer who's worked for Vivienne Westwood. I spoke with Marcella over the phone. She resides in London.

Buddy Beaverhausen: What drew you to the '30s-'40s big band and swing styles, and harmonies with The Puppini Sisters?
Marcella Puppini: It really came out of loving The Manhattan Transfer, though their harmonies are a bit more strident than ours. I've always been very into harmony music and jazz. I was always into big band music, I love Duke Ellington, and then I got into The Andrew Sisters. And that's when I got the idea of girl-group harmonies and The Puppini Sisters.

BB: Rumor has it The Puppini Sisters also have an upcoming album. Is that true?
MP: Absolutely. We're all very excited. It's set for a March 2016 release. We just finished recording it at the end of September.

BB: I last saw the group at BB King's in NYC. Will the group be touring again in the USA?
MP: Yes, I expect so. The laws have changed regarding taxes but we're figuring out a way of doing it.

BB: Now that we're in this election year in America, what is your view from abroad on what's going on here politically?
MP: I just find it really, really frightening! I think we're all, frightened for you in the States. If conservatives have their way, it would be very dark science indeed for everyone but white, straight males.
BB: I find the whole "open carry" gun thing total insanity. Thank God we don't have that in NY.
MP: Fabulous. Over here, we just don't understand that at all. And the whole religious issue. Isn't it part of your Constitution that denies that?
BB: Yes! Absolutely.
MP: So many decisions are being made on "Christian values", and I don't get it.
BB: Neither do a lot of us.
MP: I even got into an argument on Facebook with someone. Stupid of me, but I couldn't let that slide by. I think your Republican Party is pushing a dangerously fascist-like agenda that we, in the UK and Europe know too well.

BB: Might you be coming to NYC to promote your solo album?
MP: Yes, I'm speaking to an agent about this. We're being promoted on an American label now, which is good news.

BB: I'm sure you're aware you have a large gay following. And my blog has a large LGBT fan base.
MP: Wonderful!
BB: Any shout-outs to your LGBT fans?
MP: I have enormous gratitude for a community that has supported everything I have ever done, and that has shown me love (and fun!) since I first moved to London. I'd be nowhere without the drag artists I worked with at Madame JoJos (when I was a tequila girl), who taught me how to put on make-up properly. Or without the girls at the Candy Bar in Soho, where I used to do podium dancing when I was a student. (That was fun!!) Without the gay community, the world would be such a sad place indeed. So much art and creativity comes to us from that community and enriches us all! Plus, so much strength for positive change.

BB: Much success with your new album and where can fans find it currently.
MP: Currently at Amzon.com.

BB: Thank you very much for taking out your time to do this Q&A with me.
MP: Thank you! And I love reading your blog. I enjoy your edge and your comments. I'm not going to use the word campy....
BB: It's ok, feel free! I love it!
MP; [laughs] Ok. It's a dream-come-true blog. You like all the things that I like!

http://www.marcellapuppini.com

EXCLUSIVE Q&A with MARCELLA PUPPINI ~ part 1

Marcella Puppini's first name is pronounced Marchella; not Marsella. She has just released a solo album, which we discuss in our Q&A. She is also the founding member of the Puppini Sisters, who have a new album coming our way in early 2016. She is a gifted singer, trained in opera, an artist and a clothes designer who's worked for Vivienne Westwood. I spoke with Marcella over the phone. She resides in London.

Buddy Beaverhausen: You were nominated Mayoress of Camden a couple of years ago. What would that title entail you to do?
Marcella Puppini: It's totally honorary. In fact, I wasn't nominated; I was chosen by the Mayor of Camden to be his escort at gala events. We worked with The Amy Winehouse Foundation and I put together other goodwill events for the borough of Camden in London.

BB: Let's talk about your new album, Everything Is Beautiful. How would you describe its overall style?
MP: I call it electro-vintage. An electronic recreation of styles such as Swing, Motown, some atmospheric noir-ish ballads, torch songs. So. it's a reimagining of those styles.
BB: I thought I detected a bit of Karen Carpenter on your vocals for "Boom Boom," the opening track.
MP: Oh, I adore Karen Carpenter! She's an idol of mine. Thank you so much. Maybe it was a little subconscious that I sounded like her on the song, then.

BB: Let's talk about "Boom Boom," which is the first track on the album.
MP: Yes, all right! I wrote that song to express great optimism. It's a happy song, I think. And I really had a Motown rhythm in mind. When it came to the bridge, I was just making up words like "zoom zoom" and "boom boom." and then I realized that that should be the chorus.
BB: Well, I love it.
MP: Thank you very much.

BB: Your voice is classically trained, but at university, you majored in fashion design. Why was that, and what was it like to work for Vivienne Westwood?
MP: I went to college in London, where I wanted to stay. At the time, the Music department was not offering anything, so I thought another talent I had was art and drawing, So, I applied and got in, which amazed me. And I was so lucky to get to work for Vivienne Westwood. It was a great experience because I got to work with such talented, creative people. It was a short period of about two years but it was really wonderful.

BB: You were born and raised in Bologna, Italy. When did you move to England?
MP: When I was 18.

BB: Who were Marcella & the Forget Me Nots?
MP: It came together in London, where I was working on a show and had to put together an all-girl orchestra. The bass player in our orchestra used to be with Courtney Love's band. It was really great fun and was meant for pure artistic expression.

BB: You had a huge club hit here in the United States as the vocalist on Rich B's "Revolution." Did you know that?
MP: Yes. Rich and I met at a club in Soho where I used to be a cocktail waitress. Yeah, just like the song "I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar...." [laughs] Rich and I became great friends. In fact, I met my husband through Rich. We fell in love at one of Rich's parties. "Revolution" was recorded in 2002 and reissued in 2012, and that was when it became such an international hit.

BB: What musical artists inspired you when you were growing up?
MP: My mom used to listen to David Bowie a lot when I was about eight-years-old while she was doing the housework. I really got to love his music. Then, I got into Kate Bush. I don't know if she's known that well in the States.
BB: Absolutely! She's a star.
MP: Great. I was completely enamored of her in my early teens, and then I became completely enamored of Jazz. I went looking back... to Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan. I later was crazy about The Manhattan Transfer as well, and that's how I got into the whole Swing sound.

http://www.marcellapuppini.com

[Part 2 of this interview tomorrow. Lots of surprises and new revelations!]

Dj Buddy B's Weekly Diva Dish 3/21/14

Kate Bush

Divas top the trending news this week and Buddy B blithely blabs about it!

First and foremost, have you heard that Kate Bush is running up that hill once more, after 35 years? It has been that long since Bush ~ who is now an almost Garbo-like recluse ~ has performed live! But in August and September this year, she will be performing in London at Eventim, Apollo Hammersmith for a 15-date gig. No plans to take it across the pond and I don't think that will happen. Might be a good excuse to revisit my second-favorite city on the planet over a long weekend! Of course, I expect she'll do "Babooshka" (my fave) and "Wuthering Heights."

Kate Bush's last album was 2011's 50 Words for Snow. The 55-year-old diva's 2014 concert tour is dubbed "Behind the Dawn." Tickets go on sale March 28.

Here in the USA, it seems there's a warrant issued to Ms Anita Baker. And it's all about her chiseling the people who decorated her home. Tacky, but that's how a true diva behaves. Sense of entitlement. Tantrums, legal disputes and la publicite, of course!

"WHATTT??!!... sittin' in the kitchen watching this on TV. BIG time crazy. Atty on his way to TV Station. Devil sho is busy," Ms Baker Tweeted yesterday. Huffington Post reports: "Baker, 56, is accused of stiffing a painting and decorating company of more than $15,000 for work done in her home in Grosse Pointe, Mich., just outside of Detroit." Anita, baby, you may be a diva but $15k is a lot of money and you do NOT want to piss off the queens that redid your place. Not to the tune of that dollar amount, honey. Scandalous!

I also learned about Jennifer Lopez' hot new video at Huff Post! They reported:

Jennifer Lopez is on a crusade to "objectify men" in her new music video, but not without a nod to the infamous Versace dress that she wore to the 2000 Grammys. After a pitch meeting, in which she's given the idea of shooting the "I Luh Ya PaPi" clip at a water park or zoo, Lopez and her two pals decide they want to turn the tables on male singers who are featured "up in a mansion with all these half-naked girls, or maybe even in a yacht."

Cue a mansion and a yacht with lots of half-naked men and general J.Lo sass. French Montana makes an appearance toward the end, reminding us amid all the lavishness that, "Even though we made it to the top / Still J.Lo from the block."

Actually, the video seems to be tailor-made for her gay as well as her straight female fan bases. Hate the song, love the hotties.



Idina Menzel keeps getting good buzz ahead of her official opening in the Broadway musical, If/Then.  http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2014/03/broadway-beaverhausen-ifthen-notgood.html Broadway World reported that she is the very first Tony Award winner to have a Billboard Top Ten hit with the beautiful "Let It Go" from Disney's Frozen. (The song won an Oscar.) Djs note that Joel Dickinson's dance remix is available from Sobel Promotions. Clubgoers note: there is also, even more recently, a Paperchaser$ dance remix of the song as we start to thaw out. Joel's mix is better, in my humble opinion.

"WooHoo Dominate My Love moved to #32 (from #39) on the Billboard Dance Charts!" Amber Dirks told us. "Thank you to all the Club DJs that are supporting it!" The Bouvier & Barona anthem is poised to dominate clubland fronted by Amber's divalicious vocals!

And on Italian tv's The Voice of Italy, a singing nun (Sister Cristina Scuccia, age 25) covering Alicia Keys' "No One" was the big, surprise winner. What a sister act, people! (See for yourself below.) The audience was enthralled! The judges were blown away! A rapper shed tears! Sister Cristina's family and nun friends jumped with joy! Even I was touched! Holy divahood! I wonder if the Pope was watching. We Luh Ya, PaPi!



Until next week, then, this is the latest diva dish! Eat it all up. And amen, sisters!