BAZA ZNANJA

Kurs: - Pre-Intermediate

Modul: Present Perfect Tense

Autor: prof. Gordana Matorkić

Naziv jedinice: Sting

STING

Have you ever heard such a voice? Have you ever seen such a musician? He has conquered the whole world with his beautiful voice and appearance.

Gordon Matthew Summer (Sting) is the son of a hairdresser and a milkman who worked in jazz clubs before meeting a drummer Stewart Copeland. In his career he has won many famous awards and he has travelled all over the world. He visited many countries and met so many different kinds of people. Because of that, his music became very popular and it is accepted by every person on Earth. He is an astonishing man. He doesn’t listen to music at home! He can’t remember if he owns a stereo system! He has been in contact with music for so long that he can’t listen to it at home. For himself Sting says: ‘’ I’ve been lucky in my career. When I`ve pleased myself it has coincided with public taste."

In relation to other ‘’stars’’ he has never had bodyguards and has never been afraid to go walking in the street.

We made a short interview with Sting.

Have you got a hobby?

Sting:   Yes, I have. I like playing chess. I played chess with famous Casparov and lost of course but it was fun.

Have you ever dreamed to be an ordinary person?

Sting:   Yesterday I walked through Montreal on my own and one guy said to me "I can`t believe you`re walking around like this" and I said "It`s my right". Fame is not a bad thing. I enjoy being famous. I enjoy being treated normally. I don`t like being chased.

Have you visited some popular music awards lately? What is your latest album called?

Sting:   Yes. I have already won a lot of Grammies. I finished and I released my latest album ‘’Sacred Love’’.

Have you attended some popular festivals?

Sting:   Yes, of course. I have visited the largest blues festival in Canada. That festival quickly became one of the nation’s leading destination’s events. The most famous artists came. I also played at a free concert in New York’s famous Central Park. Many companies donated money for schools and hospitals.

Can you name the most famous musicians you have worked with?

Sting :  I have worked with tenor Luciano Pavarotti, guitarist Eric Clapton…

Have you sung in a new Disney’s cartoon?

Sting:   Yes, and I wrote two songs for ‘’Emperor’s New Groove’’. I wrote music for the beginning and the ending of the film.

A new album has appeared. What is it about?

Sting:   I have decided to make personal songs, to talk about relationships… On my latest disc I worked with Mary J. Blige. She is a wonderful artist, very sensitive, romantic…

Have you got some problems in your private life lately?

Sting:   I have had a traumatic time recently. I had to testify in court accusing my accountant of stealing huge sums of my income. The accountant went to jail.

Sting lost a friend in one of the World Trade Center towers. He had to sing on that horrible day. The next day he began thinking about the material for ‘’Sacred Love’’. The new disc’s message could be ‘’make love not war or that love can be war’’.

Sting:   Love can destroy you. If you have been hurt, you never want to take that risk again. Most of us have been hurt.

On the new song ‘’The Book Of My Life’’ Sting is talking about his relationship with his father, who, along with his mother, died in their early 50s.

Sting still practices his daily two-hour yoga. We asked if he had done it this morning.

Sting:   I hate to lie to you on our first date. I haven’t done it this morning (he jokes). Trudie (his wife) did it.

Your eldest son, Joe Sumner, is the singer-guitarist and chief songwriter for the rock trio Fiction Plane.

Sting:   Yes. I taught him the guitar when he was little. A big influence to him had a band Nirvana. He’s been in a band most of the last 10 years now. I have six children and they all can play music but I’m not pushing them into show business. They have to do it themselves if that’s what they want.