世界上最可愛的人！這樣偉大的人物在普通人面前卻這樣的謙和、感恩。
Mona Lisa Mouallem——我為Michael彈琴的那個晚上
來源： http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2009/ ... son/comment-page-2/
翻譯 MJJCN yanweixingfu 2010-10-06
我非常喜愛音樂。像很多人一樣，很小的時候，我聽的大部分都是Michael的音樂。我哥哥和我會在臥室裏跳幾小時的thriller。我小時候就知道Michael多麼有才華，我成長的同時，看到了Michael激勵鼓舞著這個星球每個角落的數百萬的人們，用他無人能及的音樂、他的風格和他要傳達的資訊。
當有人問我，至今你一生中最棒的時刻是什麼，我毫不猶豫的回答：是我為Michael彈鋼琴的那個晚上。
Michael2001年在紐約錄製他的專輯invincible時和我爸爸成為了朋友。我聽過很多關於Michael的不好的傳聞，但我們一家人和他度過了一個晚上，他絲毫不是傳言中的那樣。能夠在遠離攝像機遠離人群的時候認識他和他美麗可愛的孩子們，對我的家庭來講很幸運。
我們在我父母家裏快吃完飯的時候，Michael讓我為他彈一曲鋼琴，他知道我很小就開始彈鋼琴。當然我說yes,感覺像在做夢。我坐在鋼琴前，想：怎樣才能取悅Michael呢？我該給他彈什麼呢？我選了德彪西的曲子——Deux Arabesques。那是我一生中最長的四分鐘，世界上最著名的藝術家正在認真聽我演奏。我彈完之後看著他，看他有什麼反應。我心跳加速，手明顯的在發抖。他還在閉著眼睛，他很安靜。然後他睜開眼睛，非常謙恭、非常真誠的說：“Mona，thank you for that. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”他的話至今還在我耳邊迴響。
那一刻我明白了這個人多麼特別、獨一無二。他，流行音樂之王，正坐在我和哥哥小時候隨著他的音樂跳舞的這間臥室裏。他在那聽我彈琴和聽一個鋼琴家演出一樣認真。他一邊聽一邊留戀的玩弄女兒帕里斯的頭髮，確保Paris和Prince也在聽。許多事實都說明，儘管Michael有著很大的名聲、財富和影響力，但他在乎的是生活的根本需求。他友善、充滿愛並且非常謙遜。他喜愛他的孩子並充滿熱情的要把他們養育成好人，擁有美好的靈魂。他尊重並愛好各種音樂----流行樂、搖滾、古典、爵士---無論是誰在哪里演奏。他對別人的生活充滿興趣，而且非常願意後退一步讓別人閃耀，即使只是4分鐘。
很難想像如果沒有Michael音樂界將是怎麼樣的。同樣難以想像的還有就是現在他已經不和我們在一起了。但我能說的是，他用他的聲音、他的音樂和他高尚的品格改變了這個世界，因此我代表那些當面或者是通過你無與倫比的音樂瞭解你的人說：Michael, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
The night I played piano for Michael Jackson
June 26th, 2009
Mona Lisa Mouallem
Associate Producer, Fareed Zakaria GPS
I am a huge lover of music. Like so many people around the globe, the soundtrack to my childhood was made up in good part of Michael Jackson’s records. My brother Joe and I danced to Thriller for hours on end in our living room. I understood, at a very young age, how talented Michael was and as I grew up I watched Michael continue to inspire millions in every corner of the planet with his unparalleled music, style and message.
So when people ask me ‘what is the greatest moment of your life thus far’, I do not hesitate for one moment: it was the night I got to play the piano for Michael Jackson.
Let me back up a little. Michael and my dad became friendly when he moved to New York in 2001 to record his album, Invincible. While I am well aware of the many controversies that surrounded Michael Jackson’s life, they had no bearing on the evenings that my family and I got to spend with him. My family was lucky enough to get to know him and his beautiful, lovely children, away from the flash of cameras and the chants of fans.
So, we were finishing up a home-cooked meal at my parents’ apartment and Michael, who knew I had played the piano since I was a child, asked me to play a piece for him. Of course I said yes, and of course it all seemed so surreal. I sat down at the piano and thought “How on earth does one entertain Michael Jackson? What could I possibly play for him?” I chose a Debussy piece - Deux Arabesques. It was the longest four minutes of my life, the most famous entertainer in the world listening intently with his eyes closed. As I finished the piece, I looked up at him for his reaction. My heart was POUNDING. My hands were visibly shaking. His eyes were still closed. He was silent. He then opened his eyes and said with enormous humility and a deep sincerity that still rings in my ear to this day, “Mona, thank you for that. Thank you thank you thank you.”
It was at that moment that I understood how unique this man was. He, the “King of Pop”, was sitting in the same living room where my brother and I had danced to his music videos in our childhood. And there he was, listening to me play with the same attentiveness that he would have given a concert pianist. And he listened, all the while playing wistfully with his daughter Paris’ hair, making sure she and her brother, Prince Michael, were listening, too. It was the first, strong indication of a truth that would be reinforced by other moments with Michael. With all the fame and fortune he had amassed, with all the clout he had in the industry, at the end of the day what mattered to him were the very fundamentals of life. He was kind, loving and incredibly modest. He absolutely adored his children and was zealous about raising them as good souls. He had tremendous respect and love for all kinds of music – pop, rock, classical, jazz – regardless of who was playing and where. And he was genuinely interested in the lives of others, and would gladly take a step back to let them shine, even if it was for only four minutes.
It is really difficult to imagine what the music industry would be like had he never existed. And it’s equally as difficult to imagine what lies ahead now that he’s no longer with us. But what I can say is that the world will never be the same without the great gift of his voice, his musicality and his unmistakable presence. So on behalf of all those who knew you either personally or through your incredible music: Michael, thank you. Thank you thank you thank you.
Thank you to my brother Joe for your help in conveying these memories. We can still dance to MJ in the living room.
沒有留言:
張貼留言