Arabesque music group. History of the group

With the advent of the new musical direction “disco” in 1975, groups working in this very popular direction appeared in Germany and a number of other countries. However, many of them did not last even six months on stage. Things were completely different for the fairly well-known group “Arabesques”. The group was founded in 1977.

Creation of a trio

Producers V. Mevs, F. Farian and composer D. Frankfurter gave the name to their team in honor of one dance figure - arabesque. It symbolizes beauty, creativity and sophistication. Since 1978, the ensemble has been actively storming the dance floors of Europe with its incendiary and cheerful singles. The first lineup of "Arabesques" (the group consisted of three female vocalists) featured Karen Tepperiz, Michaela Rose and Mary Ann Nagel. The girls managed to record only one hit - “Hello, Mr. Monkey." Then the band endures several changes of vocalists. As a result, in 1979, former gymnast Jasmine Veter and Sandra Lauer, the future leader of the group, joined the trio.

Creative path

The ensemble lasted with this composition almost until the end of its career. However, the team was still far from enormous popularity and recognition. The single “Friday Night” failed, they were practically unnoticed in their homeland, and only five of the nine supposed albums were released. The biggest achievement of "Arabesque" (the group has been working since the late seventies) was the song written in 1980 and which took third place in the German charts - "Marigot bay". It should be noted that outwardly the trio's vocalists - the blonde Jasmine, the dark-skinned Mikaela and Sandra, who has an "oriental" eye shape - surprisingly complemented each other, representing, as it were, three elements. After the release of “Marigot Bay” the band gained immense popularity in Asia and Japan. The first video clip for the song “Greatest hits”, performed by the Arabesque trio, was recorded and released here. The group annually gives several concerts in the Land of the Rising Sun, which are extremely popular. In the 1970-1980s, the group became in demand in Argentina, South America, the USSR, France, Italy and records were released in large quantities, more and more hits were created. However, in 1984, after the end of a five-year contract, Sandra decided to start a solo career. From this time on, “Arabesques”, the group whose photos are presented above, ceases to exist. The last album was “Time To Say Good Bye” (1984). The duet, subsequently created by Michaella and Jasmine, broke up without becoming popular.

Songs of the group "Arabesques"

Among the most famous hits are “Six Times a Day”, “In the Heat of a Night Disco”, “City of Cats”, “Caballiero”, “Zanzibar”, “Don’t fall away from me”. In the USSR, Italy, Scandinavia, In France, numerous records with the group's singles were released. The group's repertoire includes both simple dance and slow lyrical compositions, as well as rock and roll-oriented hits. Despite the simplicity and enthusiasm, the songs of this group are not distinguished by the primitiveness inherent in the work of many girls. -bends" of that time.

"Arabesque" today

The group is still touring now - it includes new soloists and Michaela Rose. The trio performs well-known old singles at various retro concerts. Their songs, loved by many since childhood, are heard on radio stations and programs upon request.

The birth in 1975 of a new, purely dance style of music had the effect of a bomb exploding. Critics tirelessly repeated that “disco” is not music at all, but just tomfoolery that will not last even a week. However, one after another, more and more new groups began to emerge in Germany and neighboring countries, performing or attempting to perform “disco”. As a rule, they consisted of two or three young girls and existed on stage for several months.
One of the rather noticeable phenomena in the world of "disco" was the group " Arabesque". Created with light hand master of "disco" - the famous producer of "Boney" M, composer Frank Farian - this group began to methodically bomb the dance floors of Europe with its singles and albums since 1978. The original composition of the trio included Michaela Rose (Michaela Rose, 19. 12. 1958), Karen Ann Tepperese (Karen Ann Tepperis), who later continued her career in the group "Shakira", and Mary Ann Nagel (Mary Ann Nagel). This lineup recorded only one single - "Hello, Mr. Monkey" (1978), and Mary Ann was replaced by Jasmin Elizabeth Vetter (Jasmin Elizabeth Vetter, 02/22/1956), who had previously been involved in sports and was a member of the German women's gymnastics team . With this lineup, the group recorded their first album, "Friday night", after which Karen was replaced by Heike Rimbeau.
After recording half of the second album "City cats" (1979), Heike left and was replaced by the now notorious Sandra Ann Lauer (Sandra Ann Lauer, May 18, 1962). In this composition (Sandra, Jasmine and Michaela) the group will exist until the end of its career. The band was produced by Wolfgang Mewes of Hansa International and all songs (except "Hello, Mr Monkey" and "Squaw") were written by Jean Frankfurter and John Moering.
But something strange happened to the band's popularity: their first album, "Friday Night", was a complete failure in Germany, and since then the band was simply ignored in Europe. They were practically unnoticed in their homeland; out of their 9 studio albums, only 5 were released in Germany, and their biggest achievement was the single “Marigot bay” from the 1980 album of the same name, which took third place in the German charts. For unknown reasons, Europe gave preference to much weaker and less prolific groups in all respects like “Luv” and “A La Carte.” But in Japan and other Asian countries, “Arabesque” were as popular as the pop quartet “ABBA” "in Europe! Even during their performance in Cannes in 1978, Mr. Kito, the producer of the Japanese company Jhinko Music, really liked them, and he made efforts to promote them in the Land of the Rising Sun. The trio visited Japan every year with concerts, one of which in 1982 it was even filmed and released on records and cassettes. In addition, in 1982 a video of the group “Greatest hits” was filmed and released in Japan. During their career, the group visited Japan 6 times, the number of records they sold in Japan alone exceeds 10. millions! At the turn of the 70s and 80s, "Arabesques" were also the number 1 group in Argentina and some other countries in Asia and South America, they were no less popular in the USSR (in 1983, the Melodiya company even released their record called “Arabesque”). Their records were released in the Scandinavian countries, as well as Italy and France, which hit the charts, and only in Germany their work was still viewed coolly.
Throughout its entire journey, the group was not plagued by creative failures - the enthusiasm and creative potential of this group were truly inexhaustible, new compositions multiplied like mushrooms after rain. To get an idea of this group, it is enough to remember at least some of their wonderful popular compositions: "Hello, Mr Monkey" (1978), "Six times a day" (1978), "In the heat of a disco night" (1979) , "Rock me after midnight" (1979), "Once in a blue moon" (1980), "Midnight dancer" (1980), "In for a penny, in for a pound" (1981), "Indio Boy" ( 1981), "Caballero" (1981), "Don't fall away from me" (1982), "Zanzibar" (1982), "Sunrise in your eyes" (1983), "Time to say good-bye" (1984 Their repertoire includes simply dance songs, slow lyrical compositions, and rock and roll-oriented songs. Their sound is very light and playful and does not have the primitiveness inherent in many “girl bands” of those years.
"Arabesques" are popular to this day, the Japanese branch of "BMG" - the company "Victor" still re-releases all the trio's albums with enviable consistency, thanks to which finding them does not present any problems, and in 2002 they released a DVD disc " "Greatest hits".
After the group disbanded in 1984, Sandra began a solo (and very successful) career, and Michaela and Jasmine created the duo "Rouge", which released several singles in Europe and one album in Japan in Japanese with very beautiful and strong compositions. Working in this duet revealed the vocal abilities of Jasmine, who in “Arabesques” was promoted to the role of backing vocalist. Unfortunately, the duo ceased operations in 1988 due to mismanagement of the people working with the duo, especially in the financial field.
Biography source: http://oldhit. people ru/ara. htm

One of the rather noticeable phenomena in the world of "disco" was the group "Arabesque". Created with the light hand of the master of "disco" - the famous producer of "Boney" M, composer Frank Farian - this group began to methodically bomb the dance floors of Europe with its singles and albums since 1978. The original composition of the trio included Michaela Rose (19.12. 1958), Karen Ann Tepperis, who later continued her career in the group "Shakira", and Mary Ann Nagel This lineup recorded only one single - "Hello, Mr. Monkey" (1978), and Mary Ann was replaced by Jasmin Elizabeth Vetter (Jasmin Elizabeth Vetter, 02/22/1956), who had previously been involved in sports and was a member of the German women's gymnastics team. With this composition, the group recorded their first album, "Friday night", after whereupon Karen is replaced by Heike Rimbeau. Having recorded half of the second album "City cats" (1979), Heike leaves and is replaced by the now notorious Sandra Ann Lauer (05/18/1962). , Jasmine and Michaela) group and will exist until the end of their career. The group's producer was Wolfgang Mewes with Hansa International, the authors of all songs (with the exception of "Hello, Mr Monkey" and "Squaw") were Jean Frankfurter. Frankfurter and John Moering.

But something strange happened to the band's popularity: their first album, "Friday Night", was a complete failure in Germany, and since then the band was simply ignored in Europe. They were practically unnoticed in their homeland; out of their 9 studio albums, only 5 were released in Germany, and their biggest achievement was the single “Marigot bay” from the 1980 album of the same name, which took third place in the German charts. For unknown reasons, Europe gave preference to much weaker and less prolific groups in all respects like “Luv” and “A La Carte.” But in Japan and other Asian countries, “Arabesque” were as popular as the pop quartet “ABBA” "in Europe! Even during their performance in Cannes in 1978, Mr. Kito, the producer of the Japanese company Jhinko Music, really liked them, and he made efforts to promote them in the Land of the Rising Sun. The trio visited Japan every year with concerts, one of which in 1982 it was even filmed and released on records and cassettes. In addition, in 1982 a video of the group “Greatest hits” was filmed and released in Japan. During their career, the group visited Japan 6 times, the number of records they sold in Japan alone exceeds 10. millions! At the turn of the 70s and 80s, “Arabesques” were also the number 1 group in Argentina and some other countries of Asia and South America, and they were no less popular in the USSR (in 1983, the Melodiya company even released their album under called "Arabesque"). Their records were released in the Scandinavian countries, as well as Italy and France, which hit the charts, and only in Germany their work was still viewed coolly.

Throughout its entire journey, the group was not plagued by creative failures - the enthusiasm and creative potential of this group were truly inexhaustible, new compositions multiplied like mushrooms after rain. To get an idea of this group, it is enough to remember at least some of their wonderful popular compositions: "Hello, Mr Monkey" (1978), "Six times a day" (1978), "In the heat of a disco night" (1979) , "Rock me after midnight" (1979), "Once in a blue moon" (1980), "Midnight dancer" (1980), "In for a penny, in for a pound" (1981), "Indio Boy" ( 1981), "Caballero" (1981), "Don't fall away from me" (1982), "Zanzibar" (1982), "Sunrise in your eyes" (1983), "Time to say good-bye" (1984 Their repertoire includes simply dance songs, slow lyrical compositions, and rock and roll-oriented songs. Their sound is very light and playful and does not have the primitiveness inherent in many “girl bands” of those years.

"Arabesques" are popular to this day, the Japanese branch of "BMG" - the company "Victor" still re-releases all the trio's albums with enviable consistency, thanks to which finding them does not present any problems, and in 2002 they released a DVD disc " "Greatest hits".

After the group disbanded in 1984, Sandra began a solo (and very successful) career, and Michaela and Jasmine created the duo "Rouge", which released several singles in Europe and one album in Japan in Japanese with very beautiful and strong compositions. Working in this duet revealed the vocal abilities of Jasmine, who in “Arabesques” was promoted to the role of backing vocalist. Unfortunately, the duo ceased operations in 1988 due to mismanagement of the people working with the duo, especially in the financial field.

Http://oldhit.narod.ru/ara.htm

Interview
Michaela Rose answers questions (date: 09/17/2008)
– Your visit to Krasnoyarsk is part of a tour of Russia. How long will the tour last? Have you been to the capital of Siberia before? What are your impressions of Krasnoyarsk?
– Our tour of Russia began at the end of August. We plan to stay in Krasnoyarsk until September 18, and then we will go to Samara with a concert. Before this, we came to the capital of Siberia two years ago, and our main memory is that it was quite cold outside.
– Did you come in winter?
– No, it was also September, as far as I remember. By the way, then we had the opportunity to appreciate the beauty and grandeur of the Yenisei. We really enjoyed it.
-Have you sailed on a ship?
– No, we were given a tour by car, and it was wonderful. I also remember how we were driving from the airport to the hotel. That's probably all the memories. By the way, in Germany they know about the Yenisei. We can say that we have heard a lot.
- I wonder where from?
– Well, we are a little familiar with geography. (laughs)
“We haven’t heard from you for almost twenty years.” Now your group is officially called Arabesque feat. Michaela Rose. Tell us about yourself. What are your plans for the future, are you going to release new singles?
– Yes, indeed, the group was in the “shadow” for a long time. And two years ago we resumed our concert activities, as you know, with a new lineup. I am glad to introduce you to my new colleagues - Sabine Kaemper and Silke Brauner. Sabina is originally from Germany. Before starting her work in the Arabesque group, she was engaged in acting. Our close cooperation began two years ago. As for Silke Brauner, her career in the Arabesques group also began in 2006, when she first met Sabina.
– And yet, about the group’s plans for the near future...
– I’ll tell you a secret that we are preparing a big tour during the Christmas holidays. And this will happen very soon. We are also planning to re-record some of our songs in the near future, and we hope that the fans will appreciate it. By the way, today here in Krasnoyarsk we will present something from the updated repertoire.
– Do you have your own website on the Internet? Can fans, including Russians, ask you questions directly?
– Yes, indeed, I have a page on the Internet, and I am happy to invite fans to go there, ask questions and express their opinions about our activities. Just let them be patient: I need time to translate the questions and answer them. I hope my translator will help me with this. (Laughs.) But it’s better to ask them in English.
– At the turn of the 70s and 80s, “Arabesques” were the No. 1 group in many countries: Japan, Korea, Argentina and other countries of South America, and you were no less popular in the USSR. At the same time, in your homeland, in Germany, your work was treated rather coolly. Why is this so?
– You know, the German fans really didn’t express strong emotions towards us. Their interest could be considered average. In my opinion, this, first of all, depends on the tastes and preferences of the public. Each country has its own tastes. For example, in the 80s, our popularity in Japan simply went through the roof, we were there six times, one of our concerts in 1982 was filmed and released on records and cassettes. We also made tours around Europe - to Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France. But, as I already said, everyone has different tastes, which is why the hits in different countries were not the same. For Germany, the hit single "Marigot bay" from the 1980 album of the same name, which took third place in the German charts, became a hit. By the way, we have now republished it and want to present it to our Russian fans. In Russia, the song “Midnight dancer” was extremely popular, while Japanese fans especially loved the song “Hello, Mr. Monkey”.
– How were you received in Russia? What can you say about our audience?
- ABOUT!!! (laughs) Russian fans are just super! They are so amazing, they are not shy to express their emotions! We love them very much. We always feel their energy, and it's really great. Our concerts come from the heart. I hope our fans feel the same.
– You worked with Sandra for a long time. How did you feel about her after she left the group?
– Jasmine and Sandra were good colleagues during our time collaboration, but we are all very different in character, so each of us lived our own own life and career. The Arabesque group was created in 1977, it included me along with two other girls, so I was the only one left from the previous lineup as a founding member. After we had our first big success in Japan with our first single "Hello, Mr. Monkey" (and first gold disc), two other girls got pregnant, one of them was replaced by Jasmine and the other by another girl, and then she also became pregnant and was replaced by Sandra in 1979. We remained together in this composition until 1985.
– Do you now keep in touch with your former colleagues Sandra Cretu and Jasmine Fetter?
– Since the group Rouge broke up in 1985, we have practically not maintained contact. For several years we talked a little with Jasmine, but then she went to Egypt and we never saw each other again.
– The Rouge group recorded several successful singles in Europe, such as “I wanna take your body”, “Hold on”, “Love line operator”. Why was the full album never released at that time?
“At that time we changed record companies and producers, so the full album was never released.
– In the repertoire of “Arabesque” there are simply dance songs, and slow lyrical compositions, and rock and roll oriented things. Which Arabesque songs do you personally like the most?
– These are: “Marigot Bay”, “Rock me”, “Sunset in NY”, “Why no reply”...
– Is there any nostalgia for the time when you were a member of the previous “Arabesques”?
– Every time is good in its own way. Undoubtedly, I still have best memories about those times. For me, a young girl, it was an amazing time. It gave me the opportunity to develop both personally and professionally.
– What are you planning to sing for Krasnoyarsk residents today? Will there be any new singles?
– Today we will sing many songs from the old repertoire, but we have also prepared a surprise for Krasnoyarsk residents - our new single, which we want to present here on Siberian soil.
– Do you like to travel? Are you tired of your busy work schedule?
– Due to the nature of our work, we are forced to travel a lot, and this is quite tiring. Especially when we're talking about about the Russian tour: you have such long distances! We are forced to return to the Moscow airport to fly to another city. And it's so painful!
– What do you think the success of a group and a singer depends on?
– Everyone has their own secret of success. In my opinion, the success of "Arabesque" lies in its high energy. Any work must be from the heart, come from the heart. Only then will you be able to receive feedback. And we really love our work, songs, and our fans. We like to be in contact with the public, to feel their warmth. And we are ready to share the same. We even learned a little Russian to be closer to our Russian fans.
– What do you do in free time, if there is such a thing?
– Yes, sometimes we have it... (laughs) Personally, I am very passionate about spiritual things. I have studied and am practicing the method of relaxation of soul and body - Reiki (translated from Japanese "Rei" - God, king; "ki" - energy), massage, Tarot cards. Other hobbies include traveling. I really like to travel different countries, I especially love Asia.
– What is your life credo?
– It is very important for me not to cause pain and harm to other people. This is my main life principle. And also, probably, learn from other people’s mistakes.
– What is the most significant and unforgettable event in your life?
– Oh, there were so many of them... We once had an incident in Russia. As you now know, I am very into spiritual things. One day we came to a Russian church, and the priest who came out to meet us said: “Oh, I know you!” Father showed us the church, it was an amazing sight, amazing beauty. But the most important thing happened next: he sanctified us. For us, this truly became one of the most unforgettable events... Now, when we come to Russia, we feel absolutely protected.
– Do you remember what city it was in? Maybe the name of the church?
– It was in Ufa, and the temple was, as far as I remember, Sergei of Radonezh. (He pronounces the name of the temple in Russian almost clearly.)
– Do you believe in God?
- Yes, definitely.
– Do you have a musical artist or group that you admire?
– I adore the work of Elton John. Among contemporary performers, I admire the work of Shakira. On one of our tours in Russia, I heard a song by your young performer, very popular... I forgot his last name... (sings the tune of Dima Bilan's song "I know for sure: the impossible is possible...") We performed together at a concert and were fascinated by his performance. Energy-filled, alive. Only, unfortunately, due to ignorance of the language, I did not understand the full meaning of the song. But judging by the motive, it was something lyrical.
– Is your husband interested in music?
– My life partner is a jazz pianist...
– Yours favorite time year. If offered, could you move to a harsh climate like Siberia?
- A very tricky question. I still prefer warmth. We were in Sochi, there is a wonderful climate, sea, warmth. Although we also like to travel around Siberia. There's a lot to see here. We've been here and in winter time, and we can’t say we didn’t like it. You see, your frost is dry, and you don’t feel it that much.
– Do you live in Frankfurt now?
- Yes.
- How's the weather there?
- About the same as yours. Fifteen degrees plus.
– Which Russian dish do you like best?
– We once came to Russia during Maslenitsa. We tasted delicious dumplings and pancakes with various fillings. Very tasty! (the word “tasty” is spoken in pure Russian.)
– Your wishes to the people of Krasnoyarsk.
– We wish all Krasnoyarsk residents to always remain healthy, good mood. So that they love us and do not forget our songs. Let's have fun! (Mikhaela also speaks the last phrase in Russian.)