CLARA MORONI, the one and only! I met her for the first time on I Venti D'Azzurro party in Mantova, on May 6th 2006. One of my dreams come true. In this interview you won't find any "technical" details about her music and songs, for that please visit Pol Campos' site www.claradance.com, a site dedicated to her, to the Godess of italo disco music. My intension in this interview was to find out about her as a person. Her answers are short but still I belive you will get a little insight to Clara Moroni. Hope you will enjoy.

 

Zeljko: Thank you Clara for giving me the opportunity to have an interview with you and to add this interview to mine others. You are, no doubt, one of the stars I have been waiting for long long time. Can you tell me in few words who is Clara Moroni?

Clara: Clara is a very simple girl. She likes music. She likes travelling. She likes people. She received a gift..her voice

Zeljko: When we had chat on I Venti party in Mantova, you suprised me with the fact that your father was born in Croatia, in town of Rijeka. Can you tell me something more? I am curios about that of course

Clara: My grandfather was the chief of the Rijeka Railway station. Almost at the end of the war, as they were Italian, they had to runaway to avoid to be killed by the Tito army. My father was a little kid but he remembered his mother's fear about the legendary Foibe, unfortunately now we know that it was not a legend.

Zeljko: How often have you been in Croatia? ? You mentioned you have been in Dalmatia?

Clara: I came once long time ago, we travelled along the coast towards south. We reached almost Albania. I liked very much islands like Pag and Mljet. Also Dubrovnik was awesome. When I heard about the bombing of Dubrovnik my heart cried.

Zeljko: What I felt when I met you at the party that you are very nice and warm person and friendly. Can you tell me do you have lots of friends? Or just few who are special to you and you to them?

Clara: I know a lot of people, but you can count my real friends on one hand.

Zeljko: Friends are important in our lifes and family of course. Do you hesitate to ask your friends or any member of your family for an advice regarding music career? Or you think the best advice you can get from yourself?

Clara: Actually, I've never asked a friend or else any advice about my career. I prefer ask them advice about love

Zeljko: Clara, you started to sing very early, as a little girl. Did you have any idea then that singing will be your life occupation?

Clara: No, I studied as Dental technician! But my first love for the Sex Pistols made me look for a band to sing with. That was the beginning of everything.

Zeljko: Singing is beautiful God's gift, someone would say. Have you studied singing somewhere? To improve skills?

Clara: Yes, I studied for 7 years with a famous Italian opera singer Ms Floriani Cavalli. She was also the teacher of Antonella Ruggero (ex Matia Bazar) I studied Breathing technique and lirica.

Zeljko: At the beginning you were present in various kinds of music. Did you like those kinds of music or it was only a part of the way on the bridge who will lead you across to the music kind you like?

Clara: Unfortunately I love all the musical genres. I get bored easily, so I cannot see myself stuck on one genre.

Zeljko: One night in the 80's in the disco club you met two guys, Giacomo Maiolini (the owner of Time Records) and Domenico Ricchini (Joe Yellow). They were your beginning with Italo Disco. Tell me little bit more please?

Clara: They knocked on the dressing room door and they asked to talk to me. They offered me to sing songs for Time records. I said «Why not?» I went to Mauro Farina studio and I sung over Love At First Sight by Joe Yellow. That was the beginning. I felt like «Cool!»

Zeljko: What was the next step? When you met Mauro Farina and Giuliano Crivellente?

Clara: As I said above, I met them the first day i ever recorded an italo disco tune at the Factory Sound studio (now SAIFAM)

Zeljko: Can you tell me about your work with Mauro and Giuliano? They both have been considered as Italo Disco godfathers. And they are!

Clara: Of course they are! I learned a lot from Mauro. I learned the use of the voice in Dance music and how to create background vocals on a song. That has been an incredible studio training that I also used in other projects.

Zeljko: Have you been familiar with Italo Disco music at the start?

Clara: No, I was completely out of that world

Zeljko: What do you think about Italo Disco music and their influence on people? Your impressions please.

Clara: I think that Italians have a big problem: Recognize their values and improve their image. Think about how mistreated is art in Italy. Italians created one of the biggets Pop style of the 80's, but they did not recognize it or protect it. Neil Tennant (Pet shop boys) used to come to Discomagic to get new vinyls every month. I think that italo Disco influenced also some british pop band that became huge after.

Zeljko: Clara, have you had thoughts in the 80's that Italo is the end of the way on that bridge I mentioned above or just a part on your way ahead?

Clara: I'm still walking on that bridge...hope it will never end

Zeljko: Clara, I have read on Pol Campos' site dedicated to you what other italo disco legends said about you, all the best of course, and Fred Ventura said: „We know eachother since 20 years and we always had a friendly and nice relationship, not easy in music bussiness“. What I would like to know, how easy or hard is to build up good friendship in music buessiness?

Clara: I met a lot of peole in the music biz, few of them became my friends. It is as hard as in normal life. It's only a question of feelings.

Zeljko: You sang so many italo songs. Do you have any song who is special for you, for some reason?

Clara: I really liked Help me by Mela

Zeljko: You have been singing for the most best producers in Italo music, Eurobeat.... Earlier mentioned M&G, Fred Ventura, Lauren Gelmetti, Giancarlo Pasquini, Roberto Zanetti.... Can you tell me something about them? (in short of course because I know you don't have much time to answer long)

Clara: They are all good person and great professinal. We had fun sometimes working together. What can i teel you. I've never had bad experiences.

Zeljko: Do you remember any interesting or funny moment while you were working with some of the producers you would like to share with me and others?

Clara: I can't rememeber any now..sorry

Zeljko: What do you think about Eurobeat music? We are all witness of huge popularity in Japan. Have you been there?

Clara: Yes i toured many times in Japan, I'm actually very much in love with that country and their food. I'm happy that Italians music got big in such an astonishing and futuristic country. That's the proof that «Italians do it better»

Zeljko: Can you tell me difference between singing italo disco music and eurobeat? Is it harder to sing eurobeat or...?

Clara: Yes. It is much harder to sing so fast. Only the best survive!

Zeljko: What's your favorite Eurobeat song you sang?

Clara: Killing my love and Hey hey by Curman, is he Croatian?

Zeljko: Yes he is! You had duet, among others, with Domino (Alessandra Gatti). I had an interview with her and met her aslo on I Venti party. She is a great woman too! So, did you enjoyed more to work with another woman or guy? Actually there is no much female italo singers. Guys were always in advantage situation, right?

Clara: She's very nice, It's better to have few female singer, less competitions! We are rare and precious like diamonds!

Zeljko: Can you tell me something about your music life after Italo Disco and Eurobeat? My point is on Ten Worlds album and on your label Ten Records. Tell me please about your reasons to make something different then before?

Clara: As I said before, i like and I need to explore any kind of music. I like Rock. I like dance. I like what i like!

Zeljko: What's next Clara? Plans, goal, new songs....

Clara: Holidays!!!

Zeljko: Any message for the end, for your fans?

Clara: I love you all, folks! Thanks for your support and your affection. Without you I would be nothing!

Zeljko: Thank you very much for this interview! And thank you for letting me enjoy your heavenly voice for more than 20 years. As I wrote below the picture of me and you from the I venti party, you are my italo Godess!? And I think not only mine. Hope we will meet one day again.

Clara: Thanks to you and sorry for the long waiting...being lazy and very busy does not go together!
Un bacio.
Clara.

 

© March 2004 Zeljko Vujkovic - All rights reserved