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 Annet Artani, singer (Greece, USA), 09/08/2009
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Annet Artani (born Annette Stamatelatos) is a singer and songwriter, best known for representing Cyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with the song 'Why Angels Cry', as well as co-writing worldwide hit 'Everytime' with Britney Spears. |
When you cried last time and, if no secret, for what reason? I don't know if it's because I'm an artist and I'm sensitive to things or if it's just because I'm sensitive in general, but it doesn't take much effort to make me get emotional or tear up. The last time I full on cried was on my video shoot for 'Alive' on March 28th. My video director had to clear the room. I had to relive a scene of abuse I had been through on the one year anniversary of the day it happened. I had a complete on-screen meltdown. I was partially mortified that it was happening in full view of the camera crew and my glam squad, and yet I couldn't control it. I was holding all that in for a year. So I guess it was my catharsis. I guess that's why I am so nervous about this video premiere because it's so personal and with that much of yourself out there, dangling without a net, you are moreso open to scrutiny. Making the decision to do the video with this content at all was one of the hardest decisions I've had to make. But I cannot regret putting myself out there if it can help someone else not make the same mistakes I did.
There are some events during our life, when it seems as there is no way out. That could be tragic circumstances or such assessment of them. At that time, what's the thing to do? I feel now that sometimes WE make a condition hopeless on ourselves. I could've walked away from the relationship I was in in the first year when the first sign of infidelity and abuse came up. But I felt alone (I lived in a country without my immediate family), and he had a way of making me feel like I was nothing without him. I allowed my fears and insecurities, that worsened in his presence, dictate my life. There are so many things I know I should've done before it progressed to belittling, belligerence and violence, but I spiraled into despair. I became a fragment of who I knew myself to be. To find some sense of happiness, I projected all my positive energy into rescuing animals and rehoming strays (which is the proudest thing I feel I've ever done), but didn't realize I was using a good act ALSO as a distraction. I could've STILL rescued animals and done my humanitarian work without allowing myself to be in a bad situation at home. However, I cannot change the past. I can only learn from it and teach others that they shouldn't fall into despair. Had I not had the courage to leave, I honestly don't know if I would be here right now.
Could you please choose any event of last days, weeks or months, that has distressed you? It can be any happening on a local or international scale. How could you comment on it? As I mentioned earlier, I am an animal activist and was trying to do my part on a small scale, with local rescuers, in Athens, Greece. The amount of strays that are dying in the streets and/or are being abused by owners who decided they were bored of the responsibility of taking care of a pet, is alarming. While there are non profit organizations that are there to help, I found that, after speaking to some people who rescued independantly, the government doesn't always do the right thing with the funds contributed to helping the situation. So, I followed the lead of fellow rescuers and did my part with them and on my own. The thought of someone hurting an innocent animal angers me beyond belief. I would rather not be friends with someone who has that kind of anger towards something so innocent. I've climbed onto peoples buildings (through their balconies in the middle of the night) to save a stray that was given birth to by its mom and was somehow left there, or rescued an animal from drowning because his owners had him choking and chained up to a tree in a flood. And I am still in touch with almost every owner that I gave a rescued animal to because in the midst of finding them a home, I would ofcourse grow attached. I realize that Greece isn't the only country that has this sort of problem though. It's international, so I don't want to blame the country I loved and lived in for 4 years. China is the country that angers me the most. I was mortified as to the mass murdering they did of 360,000 cats during the Olympics and protested as well. MORTIFIED. There are videos on the PETA site that show Chinese workers skinning live animals and throwing them around in cages. What the hell kind of person does this? We are all God's creatures. To see the fear in the eyes of those animals has scarred me. And I will never forget the love and trust I recieved from strays who had never met me before. Animals know if you're going to hurt them or love them. I pray people band together and do not allow this kind of thing to happen again and/or people start becoming more proactive.
There's always a new danger watching for humanity in its way, always a new temptation we're ready succumb to. What's the danger of our days? And what's the way to avoid this trap? I hate to say it, but technology has really taken its toll on this and the future generations. It was cool at first to be able to connect and be so close, yet so far away, but the idea of human contact and also doing things manually is becoming obsolete. Between all the networking sites and handheld communication devices, we have stopped interacting on a face to face level. A lot of us don't even TALK anymore. Instead, to avoid being bothered, we text or blackberry messenger and use smiley faces to project our moods. For some things it's convenient, but I feel like it's really screwing with our heads. I'm not about to tell my boyfriend I love him through a machine over hearing his voice or seeing his face. And yet, we do this crap all the time because of work. I hate it. I feel like although these sites are wonderful tools for marketing and are amazing to get the word out that you exist, especially for artists, it's CRUCIAL to go out there and meet with people and have human contact. And last I checked, when I was a kid, I wasn't allowed to be on the computer or using gadgets, and I turned out ok. My sister and I played with Barbies and gave them punk haircuts, colored their hair with magic markers, and used our imagination. We did scavenger hunts and played board games and interacted with our friends in the neighborhood.
What are the main obstructions to apply humanities principles at our today's life? Could they be solved? I think the idea of getting ahead and being successful is what obstructs us most. People will sell out, chop heads, become neglectful, cranky, and completely unhumane, if it means moving forward in a cut throat society, and especially in a recession. We are amidst desperate times where staying relevant comes at a high price. The more scandal surrounding someone, the more relevant they are. When someone conducts a quiet existence and bothers noone and fails to get any kind of recognition, they become less of a commodity. In my industry, having a substance abuse problem is huge news. It's revived the careers of many, sadly. Could this be solved? I think it would take an entire movement from the whole of society to not give power to this type of existence. And I think it's an up hill battle. It feels like we've already crossed the line and have become so engrossed in "me, me, me" because we are trying to survive and get ahead, that it's going to take a long time before we get ourselves back and realize what's important.
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| Comments: 2, would be great to get one of yours... |
emily, 24 Aug 2009 03:28 pm |
| Hope you never have to go through anything like that ever again...Good luck with the album! |
Domino, 22 Aug 2009 07:02 pm |
| I'd read her interviews before the Contest in 2006. - She is always very profound! |
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