Interview by Miriam Cadoni
Marialena Trikoglou is a Greek talented and experienced classical singer who hides an important passion: her love for metal music. Following this, she has recently released her independent debut album “Vanity”. In the interview below, we’ll discover more about this amazing artist. Enjoy!
Hi Marielena, welcome to Femme Metal Webzine. How are you and how is life treating you in these precarious days?
Hello and thank you very much for your invitation. It’s been a pleasure being here. Well I’m fine. For the artists things are very difficult because it’s a strange situation that we haven’t lived before. Personally, I am trying to stay creative and to do anything I can to stay musically active .
For our readers who are not familiar with you, would you like telling us how did your career start?
I have a long career and participations in classical music. I’ve finished my studies in opera three years and since then, I’m teaching and performing. Even if I love opera, I had always a huge passion for metal music.
So, for that reason I decided to create with my first album, in which I have gathered all my thoughts and soul in my own pieces. In my opinion, that’s the reason why music exists. It’s something that needs to an ongoing process.
According to the press release, recently you have discovered the metal panorama. How did that happen and was this your first approach?
In truth, it’s just recently that I decided to release a metal album. But, since I was a child I’m listening to metal music. So, it’s something more than a lifestyle for me. Indeed, my goal is to be a complete musician and to discover different musical genres. All this helped me a lot in my own compositions and in my general mindset. If you want to be good in something, you have to try really hard to gain a good knowledge about it.
Back in April 2020, you have self-released your debut album “Vanity”. What would you like to share about its general production? When did you start to collect the first ideas for it?
Well, it was an interesting process that I really enjoyed. In fact, I gathered my ideas and I needed someone to help me out for the musical composition. So, I asked my friend and colleague Vangelis Yalamas. He’s an excellent musician xand he helped me to fulfill exactly what I had in my mind. In the end, he took care of the compositions and the final production and I, of the lyrics.
Even though “Vanity” represents your début, you’re a well-experienced singer. How did your studies in vocal and music performance, classical piano, music theory and theatre and your background help in create the artist that you are now?
As I said before, in my opinion you have to be very good in what you’re doing and to have a good knowledge about your subject. In this case, classical music and my classical studies contributed in understanding music, learning about different composers. Also, to realize that without classical music, metal wouldn’t exist right now. My studies were instrumental in finding and collecting my musical tastes all together.
The album was introduced by the single “Prophecies”. What can you tell me about this specific song, and what’s the story behind the lyrics of this song?
To be honest, all the album has to do with the strength that people cherish inside and how they can use that can be used against them. Indeed, “Prophecies” is a song about life, how quick it is and how we cannot perceive that. However, when we try to stop our ourselves from escalating, sometimes it’ll be too late. In connection to what I’ve said before, I refer to desert and the sand as metaphor of the years that they are passing by.
Besides being a solo artist, you are also the front leader of Greece’s symphonic metal band Subfire. How did your collaboration with the band start and what’s in the pipeline?
Unfortunately, it was an unfruitful collaboration. For that reason, I erased everything connected with that band from my profile. Before Subfire, I was in a band called Horrorgraphy with which I had released two albums. It’s mostly a studio-based band and we aren’t planning any live performances. So, I came up with my album and my own career.
You are also a dance teacher. So, I was wondering, in which way the love that you have for arts reflects on “Vanity” in its entirety?
I was a Latin teacher for 7 years. Since it demands a professional and constant commitment, I had to choose between music and dancing as a career. Of course, that knowledge helped me a lot in my moves and in my expressiveness. In my specific case, dance has aided me in being a complete artist. To be more expressive when performing in musicals and operas. Also, my formation helped me a lot in metal music to gain more self-assurance on the stage. This knowledge formed me as an artist and created my own identity.
What does the future hold for you and how did the pandemic impact your original plan?
Well, I was planning to shoot my official video clip and I was eagerly waiting to perform on stage, something that appears to very uncertain right now. Luckily for the video shooting, we managed. But, still we cannot plan too far ahead. I hope this pandemic will end soon and everybody can go back to their normal lives.
So, Marialena, we’re almost at the end and with this please be free to say hi to your fans and your readers. Thank you so much for this interview.
Firstly, I have to say that it was a huge pleasure for me to be here with you and I really enjoyed it. Then, I want to thank all my listeners for the long-lasting support me. And, to whom isn’t familiar with my music, I’d like to thank them for the time they dedicated by reading my interview. On a closing note, I want to say to fight everyday for your goals. Nothing is for free, we have to chase our dreams every single day with sacrifice. Thank you very much once again, have a good day!!
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