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The Edit Alaverdyan Podcast
Welcome to "The Edit Alaverdyan Podcast," the podcast where insightful conversations unfold, and the depth of the human mind is explored. In each episode, I sit down with a diverse range of individuals—thinkers, innovators, and captivating personalities—who share their unique insights and experiences. Together, we embark on a journey of discovery, unraveling the complexities of the human psyche and uncovering the untold truths that influence our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
The Edit Alaverdyan Podcast
Sarina Cross | Overcoming Trauma, Authenticity, Music Industry | The Edit Alaverdyan Podcast #22
What does it take to rise above the chaos of war and become an international sensation? Join us as we sit down with Sarina Cross, a phenomenal singer whose journey from Beirut's battle-scarred streets to global stages is nothing short of inspiring. Sarina opens up about her turbulent upbringing in Lebanon, sharing how these early life experiences molded her into the resilient artist she is today. She offers a candid discussion on the unique hurdles women face in the music industry and underscores the significance of staying authentic and practicing self-care to sustain a successful career.
We dive deep into the emotional and spiritual facets of overcoming trauma, exploring the juxtaposition of life in Lebanon versus the United States. Sarina sheds light on the often harsh educational systems in Lebanon and Armenia, and the healing power of spirituality and steadfast family support. From tackling jealousy and criticism within the competitive music industry to highlighting the importance of mutual support among women, this episode is a treasure trove of insights on resilience and empowerment.
Sarina's rich musical heritage and her passionate advocacy for genuine performance artistry take center stage as she talks about her upcoming projects and collaborations. Fans and aspiring musicians alike will find invaluable lessons in her stories about the impact of social media, the power of a live band, and the necessity of charisma on stage. Tune in to celebrate the energy, authenticity, and exceptional talent that define Sarina Cross, and discover the wisdom she imparts about embracing one's self-worth and overcoming fear.
I don't care if my nose is big, if my eyebrows are thick, if my whatever is this, I don't care about that. I want you to focus on my voice. I want you to have goosebumps.
Speaker 2:In Paris, you'll never see a brand name. They spend their money on their food and their wine. They invest in their self-care.
Speaker 1:People need to understand If you are famous on social media, that doesn't mean you are a performer. That doesn't mean you can sing with a full orchestra band.
Speaker 2:We make things look so easy. But and we don't talk about this more like the difficulty you didn't become an overnight star in just one night. It took so many years.
Speaker 1:Whatever they say, they believe they want to have someone else's lifestyle, which is wrong.
Speaker 2:You are who you are you have what you have, because this is you. Saying no comes with consequences which we need to learn to sit with the discomfort of other people. When you say no to someone, don't immediately jump to save that person because of the no right. I think that's why most of us don't want to say no. Hello everyone, thank you for joining me today.
Speaker 2:Today's episode, we talked about the difficulties in the music industry as a woman leading international singer. Who am I talking about? I'm talking about the amazing, the wonderful, classy Serena Cross. She has taken the world with her angelic voice. I'm talking about Greece, lebanon, armenia and so many other countries. She sings phenomenally. She sings so eloquently. Her voice just gives you such goosebumps just listening to her soft spoken voice, even when she speaks. The way she speaks was so beautiful.
Speaker 2:Today's conversation again was about the difficulties in the music industry as a self-made woman. We talked about family values, morals, energy. One thing that I really loved diving into with her was the amount of discrepancies that we experience as women in any type of industry, and we talked about the jealousy piece that comes with it, the hatred that comes with it. Of course, the good that comes from it too, but it was really wonderful to hear her perspective and how she handles struggles. Wonderful to hear her perspective and how she handles struggles. She did dive into her lifestyle in Lebanon, growing up in war, how that was with her, how that changed her as a singer, as a woman.
Speaker 2:So this is such an intriguing episode. She speaks so angelically, so lightly. I know that you guys are going to be very intrigued with this episode and something she brought to the very intrigued with this episode and something she brought to the episode was a personal side. So I think all her fans are really going to appreciate the questions and to see this really personable, more relatable side of Serena Cross. Enjoy, serena John, thank you so much for joining me today. It is such an honor to have you. I have been such an avid fan of yours for such a long time. Your voice is so angelic and I'm very happy that I'm with you today.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much, Aditya. I'm very happy to be here Of course it's my pleasure. I don't usually say yes to everybody. Really, why?
Speaker 2:did you say yes to?
Speaker 1:everybody, I really felt your energy, I swear when I saw your message. The way you wrote the message was like I have to say yes to this girl, god, but it's.
Speaker 2:Oh, my God, that's so good, that's nice. That makes me feel very happy about myself because I worked really hard on this energy you know, I feel that Because I worked really hard on this energy. You know, and I know that you appreciate that, because right when I walked in you talked about energy.
Speaker 1:By the way, the first thing I thought when I saw your message was like this is a self-made woman. She's a self-made woman.
Speaker 2:I have to support her because I got goosebumps.
Speaker 1:Yes, how did you come up with. How did you know that? I don't know. When I saw your page, I watched your videos. Your personality, uh, the way you talk, maybe, or I don't know I've I felt like you're a self-made woman I am.
Speaker 2:It was very interesting.
Speaker 1:Yes, I felt it because maybe I'm like that too. Talk to me about you.
Speaker 2:So I think everybody in the world wants and I'm so happy we got to do this because you have this phenomenal, such classy image and I love that but I want to kind of dig and see who the inner world, what the inner world of yours portrays. So tell us a little bit. How did you get into this industry? Like, what happened that you decided I'm going to be a singer?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was already in the family. Really, my mom is a singer, my dad is a drummer, and that's how they met and they got married. And I used to go to school. I was a kid, I used to draw like my friends, and I'm on stage.
Speaker 2:Draw.
Speaker 1:Draw, performing with the guitar, just like that, and I used to dream so much about it like it wasn't. It wasn't something like, oh okay, I want to say no, it was. It was since I was a kid. It started early, you know, it's just, it was interesting. It was a long journey, very interesting journey, very um draining, really very draining, really Very draining, especially because you know, I'm born and raised in Lebanon.
Speaker 2:You know, people don't think you're Armenian, right?
Speaker 1:Yeah, they think I'm Greek, yeah.
Speaker 2:So you're Armenian. You're Lebanese, armenian. Yes, Lebanese. Armenian. That's so wonderful.
Speaker 1:And that's a different subject. By the way, we're going to talk about how.
Speaker 2:I started to sing Greek.
Speaker 1:You're going to talk about how I started to sing Greek. It's very interesting. You're gonna love it, I think I'm sure so. Uh, yeah, it was um. We had tough days in Beirut like um war, um not going to school because of war, a lot of things you know, and it affected on me a lot. I had insecurities from that. I'm sure it's so traumatic. Yes, I had a lot of insecurities. To be honest, our family, like my mom and dad, they saw more than we did.
Speaker 1:But we had tough days in Beirut, even though it's my favorite country. It's so beautiful.
Speaker 2:I'll visit, for sure one day. What do you love?
Speaker 1:about Beirut, everything about it yeah, nightlife, the beaches, the simplicity, and you feel more like free. Here, for example, in America, you feel like, oh, you have to run to, I have this, I have that. You need two hours to go somewhere In Lebanon. You don't have to drive that much to go somewhere, so you have more space and time. You know that's so true.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that's the simplicity that you're talking about. You're not a robot.
Speaker 1:I didn't want to say that, but… no, say that Because it's true, we are robots here.
Speaker 2:You're like.
Speaker 1:you wake up in the morning you go for a walk, you go to the gym, and then you start your day, you work and then, oh, it's 11 pm.
Speaker 2:Yes, you know, and also I feel like in the Middle Eastern worlds, or even if you're Middle Eastern or Indo-European, naturally you gravitate towards people, you want to be around people and there's no shame in that. Like you go to someone's house without even calling. That's true, right. But over here everything I feel like people are growing apart from each other friends, family. It's really different here. Was it a culture shock for you when you came here?
Speaker 1:well, no, you know why? Because, um, I'm a traveler Since I was 19,. I traveled the world. I love seeing, like, different cultures, people, traditions, so it wasn't hard for me when I came here because I already knew, like, I adapted very quick, you know. It didn't affect on me so much, but it's just like I miss my family my lifestyle, my friends over there, do you?
Speaker 1:have a lot of friends back home. Half of them left already. Where are they? Most of them went to Armenia. Different Most of them came here. We reunited. I have a friend. She is in um in lebanon. She taught me about spirituality yes, let's talk about that I needed that.
Speaker 1:I mean people. I think people that they um had problems in their lives are going into spirituality. My problems are not problems, no, but but the way. I mean the way we grew up in lebanon, the way, um, they I don't want to blame anyone, but it's not 100% right how we grew up in Lebanon. You know, we started working very early. I started when I was 16. I used to go to school and then go to work, yeah, you know, and then some things gave me insecurities, um, like a lot of things. We will talk about it. And then, um, I didn't want to have mental problems.
Speaker 2:I I wanted to be aware of what's happening to me, so I can heal myself Do you feel like the main cause of those feelings was like war, growing up in war, or there was other things, other things too, like schools, the school, schools um the school, um the way they used to treat us um because of them.
Speaker 1:Okay, I used to blame myself all the time that I don't want to study.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, okay, we tend to do that.
Speaker 1:And then, when I grew up, I'm like why are you blaming yourself? You are not the problem. You are a smart girl, but the way the schools are a little bit… it's abusive, abusive, very abusive and sometimes like.
Speaker 2:I remember going to school in Armenia. I went to school in Armenia for three years. I was 10 or 11 when I came to this country. They used to beat us so badly. Was that the same for you, oh my God. Like we're smiling about it now, but that has so much effect on a child. Like being spit on is very common. Being beat with sticks is very common in our worlds. It's ridiculous and the worst part is that you didn't do anything.
Speaker 1:No, you were you, you didn't do anything. I agree to deserve that you know, I agree so a lot of things affected on us, especially our my, my mom. Oh my god, my mom is very strong. Yeah, she's a strong lady. You get it from her? Yeah, yeah, I that. So whenever she sees something like red on my hands or my feet, we used to wear skirts.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:She used to like go crazy the next day to school and fight the next day to school.
Speaker 2:Would that help? Yeah, I'm always afraid of like if moms because you turn into a mama bear when it comes to your kids you speak up for your child like no matter what, but sometimes that could. That could make the teachers resent you even more and come after you even more. When parents speak up, it's such a like double-edged sword to speak up for your kids nowadays.
Speaker 1:Yes, that's interesting. I love it here that they don't have this kind of problems.
Speaker 2:to be honest, Well, we have other problems, but at the same time, I feel like they're spoiled here.
Speaker 1:They're very spoiled, yes.
Speaker 2:Yes, Look when you said I loved, when you said we worked there when we were 15, 16 years old. I think that sometimes that could be an advantage, but not to a point where you're like abusing the kid to that extent. But over here we don't have that. They are very privileged and spoiled and that's because I feel like parents are very scared to be parents. Now, Every chance you get, it's child protective services. I'm one of them.
Speaker 1:I'm scared to have kids. I don't know. I don't know what am I going to do with it? I don't blame you. I'm scared. Have kids? I don't know, I don't know what am I going to do with it. I don't blame you. You know I'm scared. Have kids. I want and I don't want them to be like me. Explain that to me. I want them to be strong. I want them to start working early and I don't want them to start Like it's messed up.
Speaker 2:I don't know. I think it's just a journey though yeah, you know I do. You feel like there's a cutoff time for learning about yourself. I don't think so. I think it's like never ending right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so, so, yeah, that's why I, um, I was so much interested into spirituality so I can heal myself whenever something happened, whenever a bad situation happens happens, so I could, like, heal myself quickly and don't be I don't want to stuck. I don't want to be stuck somewhere like, um, you know, mentally, yeah, so, yeah, uh, I went, like that, to spirituality. Um, I healed myself from so many things. How did you?
Speaker 2:heal yourself with spirituality. What does that process look?
Speaker 1:like. It wasn't easy, the process wasn't easy to heal myself, but it's all about here, it's all mental. Yeah, you have to take over your brain, should take over your heart so that you can cancel many things that happened. Or maybe, if you remember the bad things, you're not like oh my God, I don't want to remember. No, I turned the negative things into positive things.
Speaker 2:That's so interesting you speak so lightly about things that have happened. But I feel like it's much deeper than what you say, because sometimes as human beings, we can portray like we're good. It hasn't, you know, past hasn't really affected us, but deep down inside you only know how deep that wound was and for you to like overcome that and still be able to be a good person, right, like there's so many ways that you can go from traumatic experiences. Either you're the villain in the movie or the hero in the movie, and it's harder to be a hero. Yes, it's so easy to be a nasty person. Yes, isn't?
Speaker 1:it, and the problem is that it's very sad that whoever I meet like I'm not talking about you, don't get me wrong.
Speaker 2:Okay, thank.
Speaker 1:God, I was like it's not me Serena, like not whoever I meet, but I mean 80% of the people they have mental problems and they don't know how to get over that. You know Because people nowadays are affected so much from social media Big time.
Speaker 1:Whatever they see, they believe yeah whatever they see, they believe they want to have someone else's lifestyle, which is wrong. You, you are who you are. You have what you have, because this is you, you know that's. People are like oh my god, I want to do the same as she does, I want to have the same as she. No, no, it doesn't work like that. That's why it's mentally draining. Social media is mentally draining, I believe, and 80% of the problems that they're coming from is social media right now, our problems. When we were kids, it was like, oh my God, I need to work, I need to earn money so I can help my family out.
Speaker 2:Deeper problems yes, but not social media problems, which is very stupid likes likes and this and that, and who has this purse, who has that?
Speaker 1:yeah, yeah, it's, it's. It's very stupid, I'm sorry don't be sorry, it's true it's like people they wake up until they go to bed. They like share their privacies on social media, and this is this is why they're unhappy in their lives yeah, too much exposure.
Speaker 1:Too much exposure, too much, um too much like energies from people. It's, it's, you know, it's coming from everywhere. Everybody's seeing what you're doing. That's why I love privacy. Okay, sometimes I post my dog we're just on going for a walk, but not like constantly posting about my life on social media, you know yeah.
Speaker 2:Why do you think that that's a negative? Because sorry to cut you off, but it's like you're in the eye of people, right? People always want to know about what you're doing, where you're going, what you're wearing. Why do you think that that's a negative for people?
Speaker 1:because because of that, you are not having energy anymore. You don't have energy for other things in your life. It's sucking your energy. Social media is draining. No, it is is draining. I mean you have you have. If you want to be like a blogger or an influencer or whatever, you have to post constantly things, you have to think about stuff and you are forgetting about yourself, your mental health. That is so true.
Speaker 2:It's so many things I think that Instagram was. I mean, the purpose of it was not to hurt us, but we made it that way. I don't think that people know the proper way. I mean, like I'm very grateful for it because, like I met you on that, I made other wonderful people, but people don't know how to use it. They use it to their disadvantage and it's hurting people. And then you know, we're saying that I agree with that you.
Speaker 1:You know it's like some people post pictures okay On social media Instagram, Facebook, whatever. They stopped talking to me because I didn't like their photo on Instagram, Please explain that to me.
Speaker 2:Explain it to me, too. I have the same experience. What is that Same experience?
Speaker 1:That's how poor we are why, it's mental if I don't like your photo on social media. That means I don't want to talk to you or I don't like you. No, just grab your phone and call me. Call me, ask about me. How are you, serena? You're very old school serena. I am, I am, I am, just call me, you know. Call me, ask about me, ask about how I'm doing, if I need anything, if every, everything is okay. That's how I like it. But do you get?
Speaker 2:that. Do you get what you want? Like, do you get those friends that call you and ask you?
Speaker 1:how you are.
Speaker 2:That's great, they know me yeah, because they know your circle of trust yes, they know me.
Speaker 1:Your circle of trust yes, they know me, yeah, and my friends are. To be honest, my friends are. We have similar mentality. We don't usually focus on this stuff I have. I don't have much friends Me too, but I have, like you can say, maybe seven or eight. That's great.
Speaker 2:Close friends, I have two yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't like to have so many people around me. Yeah, I know what you mean, and that's draining too, because that's draining too.
Speaker 2:It's a lot of personalities to manage, yes, right, especially women.
Speaker 1:Yes, exactly, and my friends are very like simple. That's how I like it.
Speaker 2:You know, every time I go out of the country, whether it be like Europe, somewhere in Europe, wherever, I feel so different. Yes, thank you, thank you for sharing this. I feel so different. I don't know Our wonderful cameraman. He's a traveler, right? Do you feel different when you go out of the country? A lot, right. I think that's why travelers you said it in the beginning you're a traveler. I think that we're always traveling and I love this country. It's done such good service. But there's something about the other side that you just feel so free, like you don't have to worry about brands, names, this that, like, everyone's so casual. Yes, like, what are we doing wrong? We're doing something wrong here, you know.
Speaker 1:I like brands. I love having like brands bags or whatever, but I don't like to carry those all the time.
Speaker 2:Not all the…. You could have a few staples, but it doesn't have to be your life comfortable, carrying all the time like fancy.
Speaker 1:No, no, I agree, I agree yes, I do know I I until now I still wear converse, believe it or not, I love converse yeah, my kids love it too yes, sometimes it's like it's a it's. I think you wake up like, okay, today I want to be a hippie. Today I want to be fancy. Today I want to be classy. Today I want to be…. It's a mood, of course. It's a mood, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's so beautiful. I love that because I thought I always think about this. I'm like why is…? And I have a lot of relatives in Belgium, like my uncles live there, my uncle's daughters, so many relatives. And Belgium is the heart of Europe. So you could get to travel to Paris and Holland, and we always do. But every time I'm there, I look at Europeans and I look at the young girls like our age girls, our generation girls, and they're in their sneakers because they're walking everywhere and they're just so simplified and their mental health is intact.
Speaker 2:There was this interesting thing I was reading. It was in Paris. You'll never see a brand name. They spend their money on their food and their wine. Like you know, like French people, they know what they're… they invest in their self-care. And I always say this I'm like what are we doing here? Like, what are we doing wrong as people here? Because we've all lived in other countries, we understand that concept. Yes, why can't we adapt that here is because of what society dictates, as you said, like social media, this person has this, that person has that. We're not like set in our ways.
Speaker 1:I agree, I agree I, um, I sometimes like I agree. I sometimes feel that I want to change city and go somewhere else because of this problem, because people are competing with each other. I hate that, me too. I hate that. It too, I hate that. It's uncomfortable. Very the jealousy. Yeah, it's like… yeah, I'm going to talk about energy again. You feel it, please? If somebody came and sat next to me?
Speaker 2:I feel his energy.
Speaker 1:You're one of those If it's heavy, if it's light.
Speaker 2:I feel it. Do you know what they call people like that? There's a study on people like that. It's called orchid child or dandelion child, and what it is is you look at the flower orchid. It can't survive everywhere, right, it has to be under a certain light. You can't water it. You have to put ice cubes around it, certain amount of ice cubes certain day that you can water it. So it's very particular. But dandelions grow everywhere. So they're called indigo children, and indigo children feel energy. I'm sure you were like this when you were a baby, when you were younger, like you probably felt the energy and the presence of people, but you acknowledge it and are more conscious of it when you're older. Yeah, so, that's interesting.
Speaker 1:I always felt different when I was a kid.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I bet, because that's what it does. That's what orchid children are. They feel very different.
Speaker 1:I'm not saying that in a bad way, no, but I always felt I'm different, always Like how I think, what I do, my goals, like you know, I always felt like there is something different in me.
Speaker 2:It's very interesting it is. Have you ever heard when people say trauma changes you, it just makes you a more older person inside? Yes, it just makes you a more older person inside. I deeply truly believe that when a child undergoes real difficult situations in life, you become different because life pushes you to think differently and it makes you a much settled and kinder and wiser person. Settled and kinder and wiser person.
Speaker 1:But if it depends, if you are aware, yes, you'll become that person. If you're not aware, you're not going to survive.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so how did this beautiful individual get into this business? Because the music industry is hard.
Speaker 1:Ask me about it. Oh my God, it is hard, it is hard.
Speaker 2:It's very difficult, and for women too, I think. I'm going to add that I think that it's very male dominant and you are self-made, so how did you get there?
Speaker 1:Complete self-made, not even a. You get there, complete self-made, not even a person. Nobody was next to me. I've done mistakes, yes, yeah, I've worked with the wrong people. Yes, I've taken wrong decisions. Yes, it's normal and I don't regret it because I have learned so many things, because I had to decide you want this way or that way. You know, it took time for me to understand that. So, yeah, as a start, I was just a piano bar singer. Wow, here, no, in Beirut. In Beirut, I had a lot of amazing experiences. I met a lot of good people that they supported me and actually my mom got me into this. Really, yes, tell us about that, okay.
Speaker 1:So my mom used to sing so many places. She's a piano bar, like a c kind of singer too. She used to sing, uh, italian, spanish, french and english. So she came home she said serena, I 17, something like that. I don't want to miss out any place. So I want you to go sing for me, because I have two places and I won't be able to make it, oh my God. So she said I want you to go and start singing. I said, okay, and that's how I started. It is very deep.
Speaker 2:Okay, I want to talk about something very interesting. Yes, take it away.
Speaker 1:Take the show. I want to explain to everybody A social media singer is not a performer, guys. Singer is not a performer, guys. This is so basic that people need to understand. If you are famous on social media, that doesn't mean you are a performer.
Speaker 2:That doesn't mean you can sing with a full orchestra band.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow, you know what I mean. Now I do. Yes, people are famous on social media. Okay, yeah, yeah, I respect them all. They have beautiful voices and everything. Put them on stage with a full orchestra band. They have no idea what they're doing, they have no idea of the notes, they don't know music, they are just singing, you know it's very different, I'm sure and I chose to be that type of a singer, not a social media singer why do you say this?
Speaker 2:do you think you're compared?
Speaker 1:I am compared. I am compared, um, but I feel less. I always feel less. I have videos on social media Just sitting at home and singing, but I feel less Because I know I deserve more. I know I have education about that and I've been on so many big stages all over the world and I feel myself there. That's me, you know. Yes, like it's a little bit hard to explain it, but if you understand that, it's very deep.
Speaker 2:Let me help you with this, Because I want to understand this deep perspective. When you say I feel less, what do you mean by that?
Speaker 1:I feel less that people are going to comment, write comments. I'm singing with like a beautiful song, with like a famous song. I'm performing with a good voice. Whatever People will start commenting like negative stuff on your shirt, on your makeup, on your eyebrows, on your oh, you have so much filler. Oh, I'm singing for you. You are focusing on other stuff, you know, but on stage, when you are performing, I want people to have goosebumps. I don't want them to focus on my body. I don't care about that. I hear you. I don't care about that. I don't care if my nose is big, if my eyebrows are thick, if my whatever is this, I don't care about that. I want you to focus on my voice. I want you to have goosebumps. I want my voice to be a memory to you in a way, like I want my songs to be good memories for people, like when they hear this song, they might think of their mom or dad or you know.
Speaker 2:Something nostalgic, yes.
Speaker 1:Something nostalgic. You know what I mean. Like social media is you can't be that.
Speaker 2:It's a hurtful place. Yes, it is, I know what you mean it?
Speaker 2:is, and I think that we can sit here as two self-made women and we can say to each other oh, it doesn't affect you, it does, it affects you. It affects your the way you feel. It ruins the way you feel about people, the way you see the world. It drives you away from people. You know it does hurt. Negative comments hurt, and when you're somebody that's portraying something so good, with such good energy and then you get the stupid comments, yes, but when you're performing live on stage like a big concert, nobody's going to focus on that, because they're all there for you.
Speaker 2:Exactly, you understand, it's so different Like people actually paid to come see you perform yes. And it's different Like your concert coming up in Armenia yes, September 28th, oh, with the legend. Yes.
Speaker 1:And the best composer, kyriakos Papadopoulos. What, yes, can you say that again, kyriakos Papadopoulos? Say it, say that name, say it Kyriakos. Kyriakos Papadopoulos.
Speaker 2:Say, it Say that name.
Speaker 1:Say it Kyriakos, kyriakos Papadopoulos.
Speaker 2:I'm not going to say that, I will embarrass myself and they will make a reel on this. It's okay, but that's so beautiful. I love it.
Speaker 1:He is. We're done with my first album. Now he's going to start doing my second album which is yes, he is um extremely talented person and um his soul is he's born for music, he's born to write music, you know god, didn't.
Speaker 2:Let us talk about those negative people. Get out. Get out now. We're talking about this amazing thing here, so tell me how you got into this amazing greek music. Are you sure you want to know about this? Yes, I think your fans do. For sure, you sing like you're Greek. Yes, it's so good.
Speaker 1:And the funniest part is that they think I'm Greek and I'm very happy for that, because I love Greek people. I love their culture, their music, everything about Greece 100% agree I agree, uh, it's very, he's going to greece are you?
Speaker 1:oh, you're gonna have fun I love it. Okay, yeah, tell us, um, so yeah, I used to sing, I told you you, in clubs and pubs in Lebanon. So there is a girl I love her so much. She came to me and said, oh my God, my friend is getting married in Europe. And I was like 19, 19, something like that You're a baby.
Speaker 1:Yes and she's like are you interested to travel to Europe to sing for a wedding? And I was like, yeah, I wanna go, I wanna go. I've never been to like anywhere. So I said yeah, they called me. So it ended up the girl is Arabic and the guy is Greek. The ones that are marrying each other, yes. So at that time I used to sing English, spanish, french, arabic, sometimes not too much, and that's it. No Armenian, no Greek, I don't know anything Greek. Okay, so I said okay, they called me. They said Serena. So, um, I said okay, they called me. They said, um, serena, did he ask me? The guy asking the greek guy do you sing greek?
Speaker 2:I'm like if I say no, he's not gonna take me to europe. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:Yes, so you had to say something if I say no, he's not gonna take me to europe, so it's better for me to say yes, and then I will be responsible for my answer. Okay? So I said, of course, sorry, of course I do. He said, okay, perfect, I'm going to send you a list of songs that I want you to sing at my wedding. So he sent me like 30 songs, 30?, 30 Greek songs. You had to sing them and I had like two months Less, oh my God.
Speaker 1:So I sat down on the computer, I was listening to the songs and I was writing the lyrics, like how, like, let's say, I was writing it how I hear it from the singer. You know, I was writing every single thing down. So I went to Greece, I went to Europe, I started to sing Greek. Everybody was like, oh my god, are you Greek? Are you Greek? I'm like, what am I doing? You know, I'm like no, I'm not greek, but uh, I sing greek and you were saying the words like yeah, yeah, but you don't know okay I know the I had the accent.
Speaker 1:The accent was there, for sure, is it? Wow? But um, I didn't want them to say oh my God, this girl is a liar. She didn't know how to sing Greek and she came here she didn't even sing Greek, whatever. So I finished everything, I made the tour and then I went to Barcelona by myself with the trains. How I did that, I don't know.
Speaker 2:I love how you said Barcelona, barcelona, you say it like the Spaniards, you know the myth behind the. What is it? So it's Barcelona, but because back in the day the king had a he he couldn't say so.
Speaker 2:He talked like a, so all all the people because they didn't want to hurt his feelings. They started seeing corazón. Yes, know, they started talking with a list. I like that more, corazón. Yeah. So now Spaniards, when they want to say the sa, the sa comes out, all in respect to the king, so that you know the king doesn't feel bad that he has a list.
Speaker 1:I have obsession with languages. I'm obsessed Me too.
Speaker 2:I love history I love studying. Yes, the kings and queens, but anywho, okay, so you sang Anyway.
Speaker 1:So I went to Barcelona, I went by myself, whatever. I went back home I'm like, okay, I'm going to do like a small video on social media, like a Greek song, and I was like I did say back ago, epistrophes, catastrophes, you and I was like I did Zeybekiko, okay, so I sang this song and then. I uploaded this song on Facebook and I had only one friend, a Greek friend. I woke up the next morning. I have like half a million views on the on the video.
Speaker 2:What, oh my god, yeah yeah, of course.
Speaker 1:And then, um, after that, greek people started watching my videos and then, uh were Greek people were very respectful, so they found my dad on social media. They texted him. I love them. Constantinos, sachouridis and Mateo, I have a concert with them now in Greece.
Speaker 2:I love that name, constantinos. Yes, yes.
Speaker 1:I love them so much so they texted my dad. They said we would love to have your daughter for a TV show in Greece. And that's how I started. I went to, I didn't know where I'm going. It ended up being the most famous TV show in Greece, iniyama's show. That's streaming on YouTube by the way, I've seen that. You do a phenomenal job singing At like the first time I didn't know what kind of a place is that and because I don't know about greeks I'm still new yeah, and he.
Speaker 1:They texted my dad. They took his permission to take, if they can, um, take me to greece. And then that's how my journey started with the greek people, because I lied.
Speaker 2:Liar.
Speaker 1:It was a good lie.
Speaker 2:See when they say lying is bad. I don't believe that. I think some lies are necessary.
Speaker 1:Like your lie was necessary. Actually, this is the only lie that I'm, that I'm like I'm, I'm proud, I'm proud of myself that I lied you know and it was, and look at where it got you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, you never know, you know and he was and look at where he got you. Yeah, yeah, you never know. You know, because I used to. I I thought when I'm a kid I'm gonna end up singing, uh, be a like star in america, or singing english, or you know, I never thought that I'm gonna sing arabic, armenian or greek, but yeah, I ended up doing that and I'm very proud to be a mix, a mix of Lebanese, armenian, now Greek, somehow I don't know how, but, but you know what they myself like. I, I feel I'm part of a Greek family. I don't know. Yes, because I go a lot to greece. I go a lot to greece. I went there. I learned a language. I learned how to read and write, you know, wow, yes, I did.
Speaker 2:I mean it helps the singing? I'm sure of course it does reading the comments.
Speaker 1:I wanted to read the comments in greek. So bad that I that was the first thing. I thought that I need to learn how to read Greek. Is it an easy?
Speaker 2:language at all. Just watch my big fat Greek wedding yeah, I still struggle with the language.
Speaker 1:It's not easy, but it's so beautiful, it's so sexy. Yes, it's like Spanish. Spanish it's so sexy. Yes, it's like Spanish. Spanish to me is very sexy. Yeah, and what?
Speaker 2:kind of Spanish, the Spanish here, or the Spain Spanish, spain, spanish, spain, spanish 100%. I mean, the Spanish here is beautiful too, but that other. Spanish is just something else. We're used to more of that. Yes, I love it.
Speaker 1:It's very interesting. I had bad experiences. I had good experiences. I had amazing experiences.
Speaker 2:I mean, do you want to talk about the bad experiences?
Speaker 1:Yeah, we can talk about it.
Speaker 2:It's just the bad experiences came from working with the wrong people, which turned into a good experience because you learn so much about people, right? Yes, like not to make the same mistakes.
Speaker 1:Yes, I have learned a lot. There were many times that I used to go to sing. They come to me and tell me like oh, the owner didn't like your performance at all and this affected on me. And that's how I'm like okay, I'm going to work on myself. Maybe. Yeah, I was not good enough. Okay, I wasn't like oh, no, I'm good. Why is he saying that to me? No, I'm like okay, maybe I'm not good enough. I have to work on myself more. But that wasn't a good way to say it. They didn't like you, they don't want you to perform here anymore. Or, at the same time, I was thinking maybe this person was jealous, which is most of the case.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I'm like okay, I stopped working with them and I started working on myself to be more professional. Maybe that gave me a little bit of more strength. And listen, some people, if they hear things like that, they feel like giving up this is true okay, I chose to work on myself and not give up. I did. You know it's a deep conversation. It's like you know how I'm talking to you right now. It's like I'm thinking out loud, I know.
Speaker 2:I know you're very private and I appreciate it so much because it's not easy to go back and talk about people who have hurt you. Hurtful situation it's good to kind of think about, but on your own time. But when you say it out loud it's different.
Speaker 1:Yes, and 80% of the problems were jealousy. I know People were jealous and until now I'm like I'm a very simple person, you know. Yeah, you don't have to be jealous. Don't be jealous of me, Don't? I mean? If you have things that I don't have, I have things that you don't have. Yeah, you know what I mean I do. So, especially our business is jealousy. Oh my God.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, oh my God, all the time. Why do you think that's? Well, I know why. But why do you think it's like that? Why is there this? We're talking about women to women, women to women. There's look. I think that men are built different. I don't know what your perspective is, but maybe a man will envy another man and be like, wow, that guy sings so cool, but that's it. But women go so deep, but it's like, oh, break a leg, or I hope your makeup is done ugly. I mean, those are just silly examples, but jealousy goes so much deeper for women. It is so disheartening.
Speaker 1:I think it's sickness.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like what would I get if you fail? Okay, be miserable, fail, let me see you fail if you fail they are getting so happy.
Speaker 1:They're celebrating that. If you fail, whenever you fail, they're celebrating that. And it's wrong. We're here. I came here today to support you. I told you I told you you're a woman, you're a self-made woman and I respect that. I came here. I love supporting people, want to be serena. Okay, they are doing what I do. I love that. But yeah, don't like, don't, don't have I'm translating it don't have like a black heart, don't have that. I'm translating Black heart.
Speaker 2:You know why I'm laughing?
Speaker 1:Because my grandma said that Safe sirt, safe sirt, yeah.
Speaker 2:I love that. It's so true.
Speaker 1:Don't have it. Talk to me If you want to. Don't have it. Talk to me. If you want to do what I do, talk to me. Say Serena, I love you so much, I love your music so much. Can I sing this? Can I sing that?
Speaker 2:Will you help those?
Speaker 1:people? Of course I do. That's so beautiful. Of course I do, because whenever I see somebody singing my songs or dressing like me or trying to be me, I'll get happy. But don't be self-sufficient. That's not good. That's not good. Don't be jealous. Don't get jealous. Why are you jealous?
Speaker 2:Why man Do you know what's in my heart.
Speaker 1:Do you know what I've been through?
Speaker 2:Why are you jealous? I don't think that people see the difficulty you've probably encountered. They think everything is so easy. Oh yeah, because you make it look easy. Oh yeah, you do like you do. I think that we all do like we make things look so easy. But and we don't talk about this more like the difficulty it you didn't become an overnight star in just one night. It took so many years.
Speaker 1:For me. I'm not a star yet, Really, no, no, I'm not. What do you mean? No, I'm not. I'm not a star yet. I don't consider myself a star Because you have goals. I still have bigger goals. I still have a lot to work on. I'm not a star. Okay, I'm a well-known singer yes, people know me, people love my music but I'm not a star. That's not my goal what are your goals?
Speaker 2:okay, fine, that's where I draw the line.
Speaker 1:It's you know, there's no limit, no limit, yeah that's right and it's taking time. It's taking so much time. You have to be mentally ready. Why do you think it's it takes what? What is?
Speaker 2:because you are building. You are building it's. It's hard, is it building your audience? Is that what's taking your image, your image?
Speaker 1:it takes time. I used to go with a keyboard and sing. I used to do that for money. Yes, because I needed money, because I had to help my family out, of course. Okay, I did that, but later I understood what. I understood that music. If you're going to think about money all the time, you're not getting anywhere. Oh, yes, that energy is different. Nowhere, nowhere. So what I did is I worked hard, I started to think about image more than money, and I learned to say no. Saying no is very important.
Speaker 2:Do you recommend for all young girls to know that?
Speaker 1:Yes, Guys say no, you're going to have more value.
Speaker 2:You're going to thank yourself later if you say no, and saying no comes with consequences which we need to learn to sit with the discomfort of other people. When you say no to someone, don't immediately jump to save that person because of the no right. I think that's why most of us don't want to say no. Yes, you know people pleasing yes. It's very important to say no. I agree. That's a very powerful thing to learn. That's so interesting. Um, going back to your family, do you have any siblings? Yeah, I have a sister. You have a sister younger, older, older than me. She lives in dubai she lives in dubai.
Speaker 2:Yes, beautiful place on her yes, we talk each other every day almost very close.
Speaker 1:She's my angel. Uh, we talk almost every day um, she's, she's working, I'm working here. We're far from each other, it's like we're too far. But now, um, I'm going to lebanon next week and she's coming to lebanon, so we're gonna reunite. Like, how long has it been since you've seen her? I mean, we met, uh, we met last year, so it's been a while, just a little bit.
Speaker 1:We met last year, last summer, I think, yeah. So, uh, yeah, my, my sister sister is not into music. She has a beautiful voice, though she does, maybe better than mine, no way, yes, but she didn't see herself Because my sister is like a lawyer. Okay, she's like she's like a lawyer. She has a personality. Uh-huh, you know what is wrong. She has to say it is wrong. She's like a lawyer.
Speaker 2:She has that personality, uh-huh, you know what is wrong. She has to say it is wrong.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow, yeah, I love that, yeah, but our job is like when they tell me there's an elephant flying, I'm going to say, oh, yeah, it's flying. Yeah, you see it's flying. I have to be flexible. Oh, I have to be flexible. Why do you?
Speaker 2:have to be flexible.
Speaker 1:I have to be flexible. Why do you have to be? Because it's our job. I cannot fight with people because they're wrong. I need to respect their opinions. I need to. You know you have to be flexible. You just can't keep being like, how am I going to explain this to you? Being flexible in our uh, okay in the music industry.
Speaker 1:In the music industry, yes let's say um, I finished singing. Okay, people want to take pictures, people want to talk about things with you. Oh, my son is a singer. They want to sing, they want this, they want that. You have to be flexible, you have to answer, you have to communicate with them. You know what I mean. I do know what you mean. Okay, there are so many things, but this is an example, I'm giving it to you. You have to talk to people. You have to like um, um, make them feel good that you're listening you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:I think you're talking about winning the hearts of fans, winning the hearts of fans.
Speaker 1:But no, I'm not faking it. Okay, I like it. I like to talk to them. I like, when I finish my concert, when they want to come take pictures, talk about things. Oh, I know your dad. Oh, I used to work with your mom. Oh, this, oh that you know.
Speaker 2:Is that hard?
Speaker 1:for you. No, no, I like it, it's in my blood.
Speaker 2:I like it a lot a lot.
Speaker 1:What would, what would serena be doing if she didn't have music? That's a good question. You need water for that. Yes, whiskey, it's not whiskey, you guys. No, no, no, I'm on a diet, you guys I am.
Speaker 2:You are strict diet, I have goals and I'm not drinking anymore.
Speaker 1:So Anymore, anymore. Yeah, this is. It's been a month. Good for you, yes. So what was the question again?
Speaker 2:What would you? What would you be doing if you didn't have music? Yeah, what do you see yourself doing? The thinking bracelet comes on.
Speaker 1:Yes, this is a thinking bracelet noticed. Yes, okay, um. When I was a kid, I liked um being in the military, um or like um, let me think I had a couple of things you know. Uh, military, um dog trainer, wow, yes, I loved that before. Yeah, um, what else I don't remember, but one of them was military because I I used to play a lot of um playstation back home like the LA Noire, I was, or a detector as a detector.
Speaker 1:You know I used to play a lot of things like that, to think you know this man is lying or no. You know I love this kind of stuff like your sister my sister. No, my sister is more like, um, like a judge, like a lawyer, like she's very smart, oh, very smart I I until now, if I need an opinion of something, I I ask her, like what should I do?
Speaker 1:nice, I love that yeah yeah, she's very smart and quick. Smart, you know, I am, I am. Sometimes my brain is slow because I have so many things on my mind.
Speaker 2:You're an artist, so I slow down. You're an artist, yeah and I'm a Libra so you know, I have no idea about these signs. I'm a Leo. I don't know anything about my sign, really yeah. August 11. Know anything about my sign really? Yeah, august 11, august 11. Leo, like I, sometimes I have people so like well, leo, is this this, this this? I'm like I have no idea.
Speaker 1:Leos are very protective they protect the family, the close ones. But yeah, I'm a libra I have like I can't take decisions you can't or can can't we do the tea really I can't think well, that's why you have your sister.
Speaker 2:Yeah right, it's a good, it's a good balance, exactly.
Speaker 1:I'm like um, I'm always like, uh, my manager goes crazy because of that. I changed my mind like so quickly I can, can't take decisions if I want it or not. He's going through a lot with me.
Speaker 2:I'm sure Alkis is going through a lot with me. He's such a nice guy, very, very humble. Yes, are you close with your parents, serena?
Speaker 1:Very close. Good, I wake up every morning, I do my coffee and I call them the first thing video call. Okay, we finish the video call and then you know the time difference, of course. So when I call them, it's night over there with every morning, every morning, they're like they're like my friends.
Speaker 2:Yeah, of course I mean when you, when you become a little bit older that's the role right you become like good friends. Yes, you pick.
Speaker 1:You want to be your friends early in the age or later on in the age I recommend, later on in the age, not very early, but what I like, that you know my mom, and that they're artists, so they're open-minded and they are very, um, uh, easygoing. You know like, uh, what, what I'm going through and what I'm dealing with right now with my, with my stuff, they know, they understand, yeah, they know it. You know and, um, yeah, we. Actually my dad is a is like very much, um, like all these hard rock type of men, you know, like the classic rocks, the he's a drummer, so he's like like pink floyds and all that stuff pink floyd, deep purple, black sabbath.
Speaker 1:Yeah, this stuff my son's into those, really oh really.
Speaker 2:He's really into a pianist. His name is arno baba janian. I don't know if you know of him, but he plays beautiful piano. It was old armenia, I don't know what years maybe like 1970s, 80s but my son's very old school has such an old soul this kid is 11 years old, but he listens to like pink floyd. It's insane. That's amazing Because it's very hard to find… and he's obsessed over your music Really. Actually, I was like no, let's go. He's like no, I'm kind of shy mom.
Speaker 1:I'm like okay fine, but he would have come, it's okay.
Speaker 2:He would have came. It's okay. But yeah, I think those kinds of music is so important.
Speaker 1:Quality yes, quality, yes. And my mom is a classy part, so you think she sings as Navour like…. Yes, there you go, julio Iglesias, like this kind of classy songs she used to sing, yes, the Edith Piafs. Yes, yes, the French songs. Yeah, she was more like into the classy type of songs. Does she still sing?
Speaker 2:No, no, I bet she sings beautifully.
Speaker 1:Yes, Both of them, my dad too, your dad too. So all of you guys yes, runs in the blood Everyone Like. My grandpa had a good voice. My grandma has a good voice Like my uncle. My soul rest in peace. He was a well-known singer in Lebanon, but rock Like. He had a rock band. So it was in the family already. It was there, you know.
Speaker 2:You being this wonderful, phenomenal singer. Who is your favorite singer? Who do you look up to? Who do you listen to?
Speaker 1:I don't have a specific artist.
Speaker 2:Really Any genres that you like, everything me too me too, it's all mixed.
Speaker 1:I wake up like, let's say, um. Today I woke up, I want to listen to afro music. Tomorrow I'm gonna wake up, I'm gonna listen to arabic music. You know, it's all mixed. It's all mixed. I don't have something like one type of um, and you know it's my job. I sing in so many languages, so many styles, yeah and uh. Yeah, I don't have a specific person, but yeah, I love rock music a lot. I a lot. I love rock style a lot. I love um, uh, latino, I love flamenco, I love, oh, flamenco yes, so good, yeah, you know, I went to Sevilla to learn about their culture.
Speaker 2:Really.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I loved it. I loved it.
Speaker 2:So many. So you're not only, but I feel like that type of musician you were talking about perform on stage to give people goosebumps. That musician also has to educate herself in these different genres. It's not all just singing and recording, it's your continually. From what I'm hearing you talk, I'm understanding that you're learning about all these cultures and people and the background of their music the language too.
Speaker 1:Yes, good for you. It's very important. Especially, traveling is very important. Yeah, it made me who I am today. Traveling is very important. I mean, I've traveled by myself. You know how many times, how many countries.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, what a blessing that is. Oh my God, what's your favorite?
Speaker 1:place so far. I hope it doesn't sound this way.
Speaker 2:I was going to say Serena, can you stop with your thinking bracelet?
Speaker 1:Okay, I put it here I put it here.
Speaker 2:You know how many times I wanted to say why are you so late to say it? Because I'm working on myself to be more like your sister, okay it. Because I'm working on myself to be more like your sister, okay. Okay, I'm not gonna do it. I hope it's not so loud. No, no, I think I can. I think fix it. Fix it, please. That's so funny. How do you say in English I don't know.
Speaker 1:How do you say that? I say it in English like the I don't know my goodness, do you say that?
Speaker 2:Say it in English, like the dum-dum-dum-dum, I don't know. Oh, my goodness, yeah, what were we talking about?
Speaker 1:So, yeah, traveling, yes, how, it's very important and it just it does shape you right. It changes you so much and it's very important to listen to some, like different type of music. You know genres because if you want to be an international singer you have to.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know, I don't only sing Armenian, I don't only sing Arabic. No, no.
Speaker 2:But you do it so well Like nobody could ever tell. I mean I don't know. You said you sing with an accent in Greek. I do have the accent, but I mean we can't tell.
Speaker 1:But it was more before it was, before it was, are you?
Speaker 2:working on that? Do you have to train on that?
Speaker 1:Of course you do. I'm so much better right now but I'm still working on it to get much better on it, you know.
Speaker 2:I. A recent Greek singer male was here. Ar singer male was here, arigros. What's his name? Constantinos Argyros.
Speaker 1:Argyros.
Speaker 2:Yes, he's so His voice. I mean for a male singer. He does a phenomenal job.
Speaker 1:They're all amazing.
Speaker 2:They're all amazing, honestly, the music is so rich.
Speaker 1:Yes, they're all amazing, it's so beautiful.
Speaker 2:I mean a lot of them. Sing with the orchestra, right? Yes, to sing with a full band yeah, like that orchestras, like you get goosebumps just listening to that music. Very professional violins, like everything yes, I mean in armenia.
Speaker 1:They are very like they're. They're masters in music, you know oh, yeah, all these bands, all these musicians, but nobody like the singers are not focusing on on having a band, they're just focusing on their appearance. No, you need a band for you to to look important on stage. I agree with you. 100, that image with the band is different.
Speaker 2:Listen, I might not be a musician but I do understand music and I know that our culture, we're so rich in different uh, different instruments, and if we can just apply that in our music, the world would be in aha I'm.
Speaker 2:I know that a long time ago, during the king years, they used to uh, they used to take armenians like turks and they used to learn. They used to adapt and learn from how we play certain musical instruments, how we make rugs, all of that. So we have it in us Like our culture. We're so rich. If we can just not cancel out everything else and go deep into the culture, I mean it would be an unstoppable culture.
Speaker 1:Yes, and, by the way, my full orchestra on September 28th. They're all Armenians. No way.
Speaker 2:Are there any women?
Speaker 1:I don't think so. Women musicians, maybe some strings, maybe the violins. Maybe, yes, but I'm not sure. But they're all Armenians and I'm very happy for that, I know Very, very happy for that. Yeah.
Speaker 2:We're also excited for your concert in September, 18th right, or 28th, 28th. That is so exciting. Are you excited?
Speaker 1:I'm excited, first of all because I'm going to celebrate my birthday on stage.
Speaker 2:Is your birthday, september 28th, 27th 27th.
Speaker 1:Yes, so I think it's a gift for me for this year. That's my birthday gift, you know, to be with such a great singer, adonis Ramos, and to be with the…. And in Armenia, yes, in Armenia. Yes, I'm looking forward for that. It's a lot of work, for sure, a lot of preparations, but it's worth it.
Speaker 2:I mean, it's not your first time in Armenia.
Speaker 1:No no, no, you've been. Yeah, I've been so many times. It's his first time. Yes, yes. It's his first time. So, yeah, we're looking forward for this concert, and a lot of things are coming up. I'm going to have a concert here soon too, but we're not sure about the date.
Speaker 2:And yeah, I can't wait for that concert here. I'm so excited I've seen you perform but, a concert like that would be phenomenal.
Speaker 1:Yes, I want to do that. I want to be like a concert style singer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, I always go back to thinking the women like you, such angelic voice and I. I asked this before but I'm always confused about to understand why is it so difficult to get to that place that where you want to be is it? Is it competitive? Is it a lot of people in the field? That's why no, no.
Speaker 1:No, it's not about that. It's about you being ready. You being ready being as a professional singer. You have to be ready for that, for a concert, no, not for a concert, for being a concert type of a singer like a performer like a performer yes, it needs time. What? Because you have to collect all your experiences together. You have to learn new stuff because I I don't want to go like a full orchestra. Let's say, yeah, I don't know about music, I don't know what they're doing, I don't know about music.
Speaker 2:Help me understand.
Speaker 1:I don't know, I don't know like notes or chords or how to write music, do you? Need to know that as a performer, To be a professional singer yes, you do need that. Why?
Speaker 2:is that important? Yes, you do need that. Why is?
Speaker 1:that important, because it's important for you to give your ideas to the band how you want this song to be played, or let's say how you want it to. How am I going to explain this to you? I hear you? Yeah, it's important to know music To lead.
Speaker 1:It's not like, oh, you have to go to the music school learn all this stuff. No, it's experience. You can learn that. Every time you have an experience with a big orchestra, live on stage, you learn it. But it's very important to know it's not just your voice. Yes, because I'm not going to go in there and look at them like, oh, what are they talking about? Like, you know, why are they stopping for a note? Let's say, why are they practicing on this? Why you know it's important to know, it's very important and I'm working on that. To be honest, I'm working on that because, um, I like participating in things like that. I like to know, I like to share my, my opinion, you know, like it's important to me. And, uh, of course, don't forget about the charisma on stage. You need a charisma, that's for sure. So you can. So the people will will be like, oh, what the charisma she has. It's you know what. It's not only about voice, if you have a good voice or not, it's not enough.
Speaker 1:Yeah it's that charm huh yeah, it's a charm. You have to have the charisma, you have to have like this magnetic type of but is that something you work on, or you think you're born with that You're? Born with that, but maybe you can work on that too.
Speaker 2:If you just have a voice, work on your charisma maybe.
Speaker 1:It's not enough. Unfortunately, A voice is not enough. It's not enough how much I make techniques with my voice. If I sing right now here and you don't feel me, that means I'm singing the song without feelings.
Speaker 2:Wow, it's the same thing with playing an instrument. Yes, like sometimes when my mom loves Kanon. She's like when you close your eyes there's a certain woman she loves. She's like when you close your eyes you can feel her. It's not just playing Like you have to reach the people and grab them.
Speaker 2:And this is what uh edith piaf, when she was singing in in paris yes, that's what her coach kept making her do is, with her voice, reach the souls of people. When I was reading her biography, I was fascinated how much she worked on this charisma. Yes, that you're talking about, music is feelings it's all about feelings feelings and and people think it's easy, but it's not a homework.
Speaker 1:It's not a homework, it's very difficult there's a lot of singers. They sing like it's a homework to them. You know like it's not a homework. Just feel it. You have to feel it so you can um give the message to the people.
Speaker 2:The goosebumps what do you feel? Do you feel like you have a good audience?
Speaker 1:I do, I do good, good, I do yeah how do you, how do you handle hate?
Speaker 1:okay, I like this question. It's a good question, thank you. Um, I don't think about it. I don't usually care about haters. I don't care. They hate me. It's their opinion. They don't like me, okay, you don't have to like me. Do you have a lot? No good, I don't think so. What? I know I don't have a lot, it's like but. But if you hate me and one day I see you and you tell me that you're a big fan, you're done.
Speaker 2:What would you do?
Speaker 1:I did that recently. You did yes.
Speaker 2:What did you do? So did you do, I did that recently, you did yes.
Speaker 1:What did you do? So, did you so? No, no, even though I know boxing, but no without hurting. So, um, I saw that person. I know he's talking about me. I hate her, I don't like her. You said he, she's this, she's this. Oh my lord, she's this, she's that. Her nose is whatever. I don't know what is he talking about, but very negative stuff. So not long ago, I was somewhere. I turned my face and I saw him, okay, and I know he's talking about me all the time. I looked at him. I said, oh my God, serena, how are you? I'm so happy to see you. I'm this, I'm that, I'm this, I'm like, I'm like. I know you? Aren't you that person that keeps talking bad about me? You said that.
Speaker 2:I'm so happy for you.
Speaker 1:I'm so proud of you Good job and his face was like a tomato, you know, like as it should be. I don't want to be silent. No, if I hear things like that, if I see you and you are faking it with me, no, I'm not going to keep silent, I'm going to tell you. I will tell you that I heard so many things like you're talking about me. Then what happened? Right now, you want to take pictures. You want to take pictures. You want to show it to people. You want to. You know what happened Now? Suddenly, you started loving me.
Speaker 2:No, I agree with you. You know, sometimes you have to say it. I think that women like us, very like wise and quiet and humble women, sometimes don't know how to articulate their anger properly, but sometimes you have to say the big what? No, you know as you did. Sometimes people need to hear that side. You can't be quiet for the rest of your. No, you know, as you did, sometimes people need to hear that side. You can't be quiet for the rest of your life.
Speaker 1:Yes, so you handle it by speaking up, speaking up with a smile and I told him it's okay, I love my haters too, no problem, good for you. Yeah, I don't really mind the people that they hate me. They maybe they have problems in their lives maybe or they can't reach wherever they want to reach. There is jealousy, there's so many things. So I, I I'm not gonna judge them, they just hate you say and I'm a singer.
Speaker 2:It's very normal to have it's okay. Well, I I need haters though I mean say you know exactly they are your best. They're what are they? Sona Manuki and she was on the show. She said the best customers are the ones that leave the bad reviews.
Speaker 1:Yes, I agree with that.
Speaker 2:I love that, so it's very interesting.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, yeah, it's so. I don't have much haters. No, I like so. I don't have much haters. No, I like that too, that I don't have much haters. Because you know why I don't have much haters? Because, um, I, I don't like, I don't fake it. This is me.
Speaker 2:Whatever you see is me yeah, and that's so important to be authentically yourself.
Speaker 1:I don't fake my performance. I don't fake how I talk to you. I talk to you like this I go home. I talk with my mom like this my dad, like you know. I don't fake it. Yeah, and it shows Some people when they fake it. It shows, it shows.
Speaker 2:Yes, it does, it shows, it shows. Yes, it does. I agree with you. I think, authentically you're where you need to be, and earlier you said I don't know how I got into this, it just happened. I think, like vibrationally, when you're in the right place and the universe sees that you're doing nothing harmful, it's easier to get to where you need to be.
Speaker 2:And I think that that's why things are flowing this way with difficulty. But it's flowing in your way because you're such a good person. You're not causing harm. You are who you are and you act like what you say you are. It's not any different. Yes.
Speaker 1:If you're a good person, you have a big place in my heart, but if you're not a good person, I don't want you in my life. No. No place for that, absolutely I don't want you People get upset for me for no reason they do, but lately I get it.
Speaker 2:Maybe it's jealousy, I get it. Maybe it's jealousy, I get it. I mean, it always goes back to that. It's that resentment people are gonna have against you. I mean, the more successful you are, it's just natural, it's.
Speaker 1:But I'm seriously a very quiet person, usually like I don't talk to people other than my friends. I don't get into stuff that you. You know I'm not supposed to be there or talk about people, or you know, I'm a very like… I love having my own space. Yeah, it's just… I don't know why they keep getting upset, though. Maybe because they're not getting enough attention.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's so many things, it's trauma, lack of love, attention, I mean. There's so many things that people undergo we can never pinpoint. It's just, I think, the ending is that it's a very heartbreaking thing, because when you are in such a good place, you're supposed to have so many people around you, but it's the opposite there's less people.
Speaker 2:You know they say success is the loneliest pursuit, and it's so true, like you're supposed to have so many people around you, praising you, being with you, genuinely happy for you, but it's the opposite. When you reach here, it's like two or three people. You're like what the heck is happening? So that's what makes us upset and it's hard to understand.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so yeah, it's hard to find like people that are aware they're easygoing, transparent, and I need this kind of people in my life.
Speaker 2:Of course you do.
Speaker 1:Because I really don't have time for others. No, I don't, I have so many things to do. I have like… Anyway, if you're a good no, I don't, I have so many things to do. Um, I have like. Anyway, if you're a good person, come to me. If you're not, if you're gonna, if you're a jealous person, please don't talk to me.
Speaker 2:Exactly, I don't have time for you what advice does this beautiful woman give to younger women who are pursuing music?
Speaker 1:I Learn to say no yeah.
Speaker 2:That's very powerful. I love how you bring that up.
Speaker 1:Learn to say no and don't listen to anybody. If they tell you you can't do this, that means you can't do it.
Speaker 2:And why do you think it's important for women to learn how to say no?
Speaker 1:Because of their value. First of all, saying no is very important. I've learned that a little late. I'm the same. If, um, if you guys are in your 20s, please say no, if you say yes to everything no, I love that it's not gonna. It's gonna be harder if you say yes to everything. I said yes for everything.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think it adds to your value. You're right, it says a lot about the way you love and respect yourself. You can't be saying yes to everything. It's nearly impossible, but we do that. Then we end up with all these diseases and cancers. You know we're like. What is this? It's all those stressors, and you know.
Speaker 1:Yes. So if you're uncomfortable, say no. If you don't want it, say no, it's OK, it's.
Speaker 2:OK, I love that. I think people will definitely take that.
Speaker 1:Yes, and the other thing is that Don't be scared. I was scared To pursue music. I was scared of taking wrong steps and because I was scared, I took wrong steps. I did a lot of mistakes. You manifested fear. Yes. Yeah, I agree In music. Yes, I did. I chose the wrong things, the wrong people. It's yeah, so don't be scared. It wrong people it's yeah, so don't be scared, it's okay.
Speaker 2:That's so meaningful. Serena, thank you so much for today. It's been so meaningful. You're such a joy, such good energy to have around. Come here more often. Yeah, of course you take my energy, I'll take your energy. I wish you everything that I wish for my kids, and that's nothing but just joy, amazing, and just blessings all the way around, and you're such a wonderful example with the way you are as a person. Your whole essence as a woman is very meaningful, and I'm so proud and I'm so honored to be here with you.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much, Edith Chan. I really like it. It was so quick, it was very quick. What happened? I'm like we just started. What has it been? An hour and a half Almost.
Speaker 2:Really, yeah. Oh my God, when you're deep into conversations, it just goes by so fast.
Speaker 1:Anyway, thank you so much. I can't wait to be here again, you will, with new stories, yes, new stuff to talk about, and I'm so honored to hear that, and you're an amazing person as well.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 1:And you have an amazing energy, very clean.
Speaker 2:Your aura is shining. I'm happy.
Speaker 1:I'm happy to hear that too thank you so much, thank you.