Marialena – Interview
Interview with Pete Devine of Pete’s Rock News and Views (http://petesrocknewsandviews.com)
PD: What type of artist are you?
M: I`m a classical singer actually a soprano and I am active in metal music.
PD: Tell us the brief history of yourself.
M: I`ve started my studies in the classic music and opera at the age of 20. As a young girl who always loved music I was singing in many bands for having fun and also in many school festivals. After my studies and all my recitals in operas and musicals, I realized that I want to follow music in a professional way. The metal scene as a huge symphonic metal fan was always my dream. So I decided to write my own music and to make my personal album.
PD: Who are your musical and non-musical influences?
M:Well this is a very interesting question and I`ll try not to write a lot cause I really love that subject. As a little girl I grew up with some of our greatests composers like Hatzidakis and Theodorakis, who really made me love music. When I started my opera studies I discovered my real identity as a musician. The most various composer that influenced me in the way I see music now was Richard Wagner. I always was admiring the epic and celtic music. I found them both in his operas. As an opera singer I sang many of his arias, the atmosphere of his music and all his thematology it had to do with Scandinavian mythology was something really touching. Searching more for his music, a whole world opened for me. I found great composers as Howard Sor , who wrote the music for “Lord of the rings” with a huge influence of Wagner`s music. Bach and Wagner opened the ways for the metal scene something that you can notice in Blind Guardian`s music and thematology too. I also love medieval game`s music that has a touch of epic and fantasy style. Loreena Mackennitt is an artist who also influenced me a lot with all that celtic and dreamy compositions.
PD: What are your dreams and goals?
M: My biggest dream is to be able to share my music with the world. To go touring all over the world and do what I love most. We as everyone else are waiting for this situation to end and we have many plans scheduled.
PD: Who writes your songs, what are they about?
M: The music is written by Vangelis Yalamas, a good friend of mine and an excellent musician, who 
helped me fufill what I had in mind. I am writing the lyrics and some vocal melodies. The main theme of the lyrics is the social misery and the introversion of the humanity. The message I want to pass is for the mankind to discover the strength that has, so that we can change everything around us starring from ourself.
PD: How do you promote your band and shows?
M: From our facebook, instagramm and any of social media we have the access as everyone do I think. Except the promotion we can do ourselves we also have our management who helps us with music sites, magazines and more.
PD: What do you think about downloading music online?
M: It is a sign of the times. Is the easy way to listen to music that you do not need to buy. It does not mean that I share it, although I admit that I do it often. But it is good as much as possible to support each other`s work by buying their records.
PD: What song do you wish you’d written and why?
M: Hmm… The first song I`ve ever heard was yesterday from Beatles. My father used to sing that to me as a lullaby. This song means much to me. Except the melody I love the lyrics. It has a nostalgic and powerful meaning. I really love it and I have sang that song many times in unplugged lives.
PD: What are some of your pet peeves?
M: I hate jealousy and lying. I also do not like fake and insincere people at all. I am a very giving person so I prefer people around me to be the same.
PD: What is your proudest moment in music?
M: Well I think one of my proudest moments was one concert I had in opera 3 years before. When I finished singing one of our greatests composers we have in Greece came to me, kissed my hand and told me ‘’never give up and when you do just remember that the world is yours’’. These are the most beautiful and touching words I`ll remember all my life.
PD: So what are you working on at the moment?
M: Right now I am writing some ideas for next songs and waiting for our live appearences. I am also writing the script for my official videoclip.
PD: Tell us about your next shows and why we should be there.
M: We have many things scheduled but we are passing through a very tough situation with the live shows for me to have an answer in this question. The most important is that it`s a different kind of music with many surprises at the stage. I am sure you are going to love it as much as we do!
Marialena links:
Band/Artist location – Athens Greece
Facebook – You Tube – Bandcamp –
Instagram – Apple – Spotify – Amazon – Deezer – Google Play
