NINA HAGEN

"Volksbeat"-Tour 2012

Whenever her name is mentioned, you can be damn sure it has to do with something new, extraordinary, provocative, and unique. Nina Hagen is truly one of the few artists who, with her fusion of charismatic personality and boundless creativity, can be unquestionably characterized as Gesamtkunstwerk, icon, and (there's no way to escape using the word) cult. The "Mother of Punk" has been the source of not only a few controversies; she's polarized the masses, garnered awards, and found the most bizarre ways of maintaining her creative freedom in the face of the harshest criticism. The lady has remained true to her ideologies; live, love and do what you were sent to this planet to do. Nina Hagen is a dazzling example of irrepressible, full-of-humor, beyond-the-limits, fierce and ballsy devotion.

With her released work "Irgendwo Auf Der Welt" ("Somewhere in the World"), Nina Hagen and The Capital Dance Orchestra present an interpretation... no, it's much more than that... a very personal and special declaration of love to the classic songs and great hits of the past. " Why these songs in particular? Hello? I grew up with this sound. Rock, Gospel, Jazz, and Swing - all of it. And you keep running into these fantastic old songs and they really move you because they're so good" explained Nina Hagen about why she recorded the new album, adding, "My rock band and I always try to pack the greatest variety of songs into one show. Big Band and Swing are not some kind of diversion. It's not like "Nina Hagen is being unfaithful to herself." Music is music. What I'd really like to do is to mix everything together and do six and seven hour shows that go in every direction."

Some people not in the know may be startled to hear the names of the original singers, including Frank Sinatra ("Serenade in Blue"), Ella Fitzgerald ("Day in, Day Out") and The Andrews Sisters ("Bei Mir Bist Du Schön") and wonder, "Nina Hagen the Lady of Punk is now the Queen of Swing?" This won't be the first time that she proves Swing and Jazz are an essential part of her repertoire. "These songs are very important to me. For every song there is a story, a life, another time. The lyricists and composers and also the singers wrote and performed these songs in a completely different social situation. Songs reflect many destinies - in a different way, but they still reenact them. This is also what touches me about these songs. They are more contemporary than ever in their depth, in their soul."

Anyone who still doubts can just take a listen to the catchy and heartwarming title track "Irgendwo auf der Welt." Though the original was sung by the legendary Zarah Leander, the new interpretation will silence the critics. This is because Nina Hagen is a diva who with great sophistication knows exactly what a real declaration of love should sound like. "Zarah Leander was such a great and strong woman, but she was also misunderstood by many people. Her life and her strength continue to motivate me to do new things. She refused to cooperate with the Nazis and she never tried to fit in. She was more than just a diva. A very special person." This was how Nina Hagen described her feelings about the Leander songs on "Irgendwo auf der Welt." The other songs on the album will delight listeners' ears with complex arrangements and interpretations. "It's not easy at all to find a new reason to explain the uniqueness of every song on the record. They're all great and timeless and up-to-date and just plain awesome. Listen closely! You can't suggest doing that with all the songs that are being written today."

Nina Hagen and the 13-piece Capital Dance Orchestra have managed to produce a masterpiece of a tribute to the heroes of music history. For years, The Capital Dance Orchestra has been one of the best big bands around. Extraordinary arrangements, first-class shows, and a virtually infinite song repertoire do more than serve as a quality guarantee. The result of this intoxicating combination is no typical album or a tasteless collection of cover songs. Nina Hagen & The Capital Dance Orchestra engage the classics on their most emotional level, providing new arrangements to bring the good old days in all their glory all the way into the here and now.

Sincerity, fun, and the love of Swing make "Irgendwo Auf Der Welt" a thrilling journey through time to the highlights and hits of yesteryear. It's gripping, like all of Nina Hagen's work. "The child inside the woman? It's in every woman. In every human being. Is that a problem for you? That I might be hiding behind some sort of naiveté? What kind of question is that? It's lust for life, it's humor, it's comedy, it's satire with a philosophical twist. It's what makes a person human!"