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Interview With Sharon Karlan

Friday, 22 December 2006

After spending most of her life outside Israel, from Jamaica to Miami and then to Israel, Sharon Karlan finds it hard, after all these years, to write her lyrics in Hebrew. Overseas she sang soul music with Julio Iglesias’ and Gloria Estefan’s music band artists. Also she recorded her own original material with the producers of Suzanne Vegas in New York. Now Sharon is back in Israel and is already succesfull with her first two singles in Hebrew.

Finally after 4 years returning to Israel, Sharon finally has found time to produce her first album in Hebrew. According to her first two very good singles released from it, called Maybe You’ll Feel and Flying High, we can come to the conclusion that she managed to adjust very well back to the Hebrew language.

At the moment Sharon is getting ready for the performance of several shows that will take place in January. All shows will be for the promotion of her upcoming album called A Ball Of Joy. Most of the songs on the album, Sharon wrote while laying in her bathtub! She says that her bath tub is a place where she feels relaxed, a private place where she gets in touch with her feelings and thoughts.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why didn’t you make it an English album? After all, you have been singing and performing in English for so many years?

A: I wanted to feel connected and attached to Israel, or I wouldn’t be living here and for that you have to sing in Hebrew. I also have material in English and I’m sure I will do something with it in the future.

Q: What are the differences between Israel and abroad?

A: What’s worrying me the most in Israel is the criticism of the media. I am afraid of that. We are a country that likes to criticize and be cynical. This is something that doesn’t exist that much abroad, but I have to admit that so far I haven’t encountered these negative things.

Q: Because Keren Peles helped to write a bit for your new album and your past with the Rimon Art School, I guess that people tried to associate you with the Rimon school clan?

A: I try not to think about these things. For me everyone brings their own truth, beside that I never felled comfortable on that school. I was like a tourist over there and I’m not a person that fits in easily in places like that.

Q: Your first two singles are totally different from each another. Which style do you prefer; quiet songs or songs with a fast pace and rhythm?

A: It’s a question that’s bothering me a lot. Usually I write about private and vulnerable things, songs that are really emotional, so of course you’ll see in the album many quiet songs. On the other hand I come from the field of dance and movement, so I also get attached to rhythmic songs.

Q: What are your musical influences?

A: I have heard once that the music you listen to as a teenager is the music you grow on. When I lived in Miami I listened a lot to Cuban music and also soul and black music. Later I heard Joni Mitchell’s earlier works and that really captured me.

Q: What was the last album you have been listening to?

A: Honestly, these last two months I have just detached myself from music. I didn’t listen to anything, not even the radio. I have heard maybe one time my own single on the radio and that’s it!

Q: On what more do you spend your time, beside creating music?

A: I was on stage and acted in a theater under the Shell group, but had to stop with that because of the work I had to do on my album. I do hope to return to the theater again and get various parts and perform at different places.

Q: What can you tell us about your upcoming album called A Ball Of Joy?

A: It’s a very personal album and it was written mostly in the bath tub. Those that helped with the writing also had to enter the bath tub! The theme song from it is about us and that we should look inside ourselves. Our daily life’s are similar to the life of a robot. We just try to make it through the day and this album is kind of reminder to look inside ourselves.

Q: What’s planned next?

A: Soon the third single will be released. It’s a very personal song. In January I’m going to perform together with my band. When the album will be released I want it to touch as many souls as possible. I want many people to get attached to it and really listen to it.

References:
Mooma Sharon Karlen

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