2 minute read
Interview with Nena
On Music and Marzipanballs
A TALK WITH NENA
Interview: SOPHIE SIEKMANN
sisterMAG asked the musical icon for an interview to talk about golden hours, special show rituals, and recurring Christmas traditions.
HER NEW CONCERT MOVIE NENA – NICHTS VERSÄUMT LIVE WAS RELEASED ON DVD ON NOVEMBER 9TH AND WHETS OUR APPETITE FOR A MUSICAL TIME TRAVEL THROUGH NENA’S GREATEST HITS AND MOST BEAUTIFUL SONGS. FIND OUT WHICH ONE SHE REDISCOVERED FOR HERSELF ON TOUR.
Looking back to a musical career spanning four decades, was there an especially golden time you like to remember?
I remember well that my grandmother often said: »All that glitters is not gold«. Back then, I already found this saying a little bit strange. My truth today is: Everything that feels like gold can definitely glitter – sometimes more and sometimes less.
Your new DVD »Nichts versäumt LIVE« carries your fans off into 120 minutes of pure NENA hits. Do you have a favourite song in your repertoire that you love to hear or perform after all those years?
A few years ago I wrote the song »In meinem Leben« (»In my life«) and rediscovered it for myself on tour. And my personal highlight of the show is my punk set. With my guitar, my drummer and my bass player, I stand in the middle of the audience and we perform on, as I call it, the world’s smallest stage.
What was the most emotional moment on the »Nichts versäumt LIVE« tour for you?
Every concert is different, which makes special moments arise in different passages of the set.
Do you have a ritual for yourself or your crew right before a show?
Just before a show starts, I usually say a short prayer and concentrate on my breath for a moment. The second before we actually go on stage, we form a circle as a band, join hands, and wish ourselves a good show.
We start into the contemplative time of the year. Where do your thoughts wander when you have peace and time for yourself?
A few months ago I was in Iceland again and everything I saw and felt there is in my heart. That’s what I like to think of when I want to have some peace. I only can bow to nature and say thank you. (:
DVD-TIP
NICHTS VERSÄUMT LIVE
Let’s activate the time machine: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Maybe I live on a farm amidst fields and meadows, with many goats, dogs, bees and pigs. We’ll see. Thinking so far ahead is hard for me. And I get along well with the present.
December is Christmas time! How does your perfect Christmas look like?
Christmas has always been something special for me and still is today. I craft Advent calendars, decorate the house, and just enjoy the Christmas spirit every year.
Do you lapse into the typical Christmas present stress in December?
No, thanks! (:
And at the end: Cross your heart! Which Christmas sweet is your favourite?
Marzipan balls.
Photos: Florentine Paura, Heiko Laschitzki
