..:: Celine's Maniacs Website - The Italian Website dedicated to Celine Dion ::..

::: Celine in South-Africa :::

:: :::::: From the 'Sunday Times' :::::: ::

:: From The Taking Chances Tour-Book :: (::More coming soon::)

[Thanks Natashja]

February 19th, 2008

:: From The Taking Chances Tour-Book ::

[Thanks Natashja]

:: :::::: MORE PICS!! :::::: ::

:: February 16th ::

:: February 15th ::

[Source: barcroftmedia]

:: More news about the Concert changes ::

(8:00 p.m. GMT) According to the Quebec newspaper La Presse, Sunday's concert of Celine was sharply better than the one performed the day before. A sober show but cleanly effective, more musical. Celine sang few lines from I Drove All Night appearing on the stage, a more natural connection between the intro-video and her physical appearance on the stage. Besides, Rene Angelil cancelled a costume-change for the medley dedicated to Queen.

[Source: La Presse]

February 18th, 2008

:: Rene Angelil Fixes The Mechanism ::

(8:00 p.m. GMT) Rene Angelil, Celine Dion's husband and manager, slept nearly a hour the night after the first concert of Celine in Pretoria on February 16th. He reorganized the whole show to avoid few troubles. "It's normal - said Angelil yesterday - I'm not upset. The show can evolve constantly. We reorganized the song-list and tonight's show will be 50% better!"

Le Journal de Montréal attended last night's concert and it says that there have been few changes about the costumes chosen by Annie Horth and changes about the order of some songs. They added one more song from Celine's new album, Can't Fight the Feeling. The whole concept, even the presence of dancers, has been reorganized.

"There a lot of things that we can't do on a frontal stage." added Angelil. Taking Chances World Tour will be performed 16 or 17 times on a frontal stage and more than 100 on a big central stage. In the next shows there will be more changes until the show will be perfect. Mr. Angelil also said that Celine will be performing a medley featuring Beauty and the Beast and the song The Prayer with Andrea Bocelli.

[Source: Le Journal de Montreal]

:: :::::: MORE Pics of Celine Concert in Pretoria!! :::::: ::

[Source: Cyberpresse]

:: :::::: From 'Beeld' :::::: ::

:: :::::: ONE MORE Video From Pretoria Concert :::::: ::

(11:30 a.m. GMT) By cliking HERE, you will be able to watch one more video taken from Celine concert in Pretoria. FABULOUS footages from: It's all coming back to me now, Because You Loved Me and To Love You More.

:: Soweto kids bowl Dion over ::

(6:00 a.m. GMT) A teary Celine Dion promised to host three parties this year for the African Feeding Scheme (AFS) children and their mothers. Rising to the occasion, her husband said the parties should be run for the next five years, which was greeted with thunderous applause and lively ululation. The Canadian star was speaking at the AFS office in Pimville, Soweto. Dion was in Soweto on February 15th to visit the AFS, one of the three charities she supports. The others are the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and the Topsy Foundation.

She was greeted by a spontaneous outburst of song by school children who had been patiently waiting in the sweltering heat for their benefactor’s arrival. Bringing excitement and fanfare to the offices that are a haven to 21000 school children who go through their gates everyday, Dion’s entry was punctuated by frenzied paparazzi trying to capture her from every angle.

Dressed simply in jeans, a top and scarf, with her hair in a ponytail , she elegantly made her way to the table, patiently stopping to hug and pose for pictures with her fans. In a perfect accent, Dion said, “Siyabonga! I am greatly touched by what you have been doing here for so long. I want to thank you for giving me and my family the opportunity to meet life. “Since my arrival in South Africa, I have been amazed not only by your beautiful country, but the welcome through your voices and music. This has made me understand my singing, my voice and the power of its communication.“I know my singing is going to change for the rest of my life,” said Dion, wiping tears from her eyes.

“Before coming here, we had watched television and read a lot of books about South Africa, but since our arrival we have realised there’s a lot going on. “You are truly an amazing people and it’s an absolute pleasure to be here.” She said the three big parties she would sponsor – in Easter, winter and Christmas – would be aimed at making children happy, bring light to their eyes and help them enjoy their childhood.

“Instead of just thinking about food and medication, I want the children to look forward to a party, fun and lots of delicious food with memories that stay longer. “Thanks for giving my life balance. I take my son around the world so that he can understand the privileges he has. I realise the children are going through a lot but they enjoy life too. You can’t question life but have to live it,” she said.

Dion was given a short history of the AFS, an organisation that started in Sophiatown in the 1950s, survived forced removals and is thriving in the Ekurhuleni, Soweto and Kagiso on the West Rand. Besides feeding children, AFS also runs sewing, shoemaking and gardening projects.

[Source: Sowetan]

February 17th, 2008

:: Celine Dion in Pretoria - THE VIDEO!!! ::

(6:10 p.m. GMT) Celine Dion's Taking Chances World Tour goes on in South-Africa. The international superstar performed her 1st full show at the Loftus Stadium in Pretoria last night. LCN reporter Alexandra Diaz attended the concert. Click HERE to watch many FANTASTIC footages taken from the show.

[Source: LCN]

::::: The "Multimedia" section is officially open! :::::

:: Stephane Laporte's Luck ::

(11:00 a.m. GMT) Stephane Laporte, creator-director of Bonus features included on the A New Day... DVD, will be a privileged witness of Celine Dion adventure. He will be the creator-director of a documentary about the Taking Chances Worl Tour, a DVD produced by CDA (Celine and Rene) and by Productions J (Julie Snyder).

Laporte wants to give three interpretations to this documentary: First: to follow the person, the star, Celine Dion, around the world. Second: he wants to show the technical and nearly athletic exploit of this tour-organization. Third: he wants to point out the infatuation that causes the Celine phenomenon all over the world. The tapings of the whole concert will take place in the course of the World Tour and Jean Lamoureux, director of show included on the A New Day... DVD, will be the director.

[Source: Le Journal de Montreal]

:: Billboard Live Review: Dion Brings Sin City Glitz To South Africa ::

(8:00 a.m. GMT) Celine Dion may have said goodbye to Las Vegas last year, but the " Taking Chances " tour -- her first world tour in more than eight years -- reveals just how much the city has rubbed off on her. She wasn't lying at a recent press conference when she promised dancers (“the first on tour with me in a long time”): male and female dancers, in an ever-changing array of costumes, filtered around the singer and her band.

Her first-ever show in South Africa (February 16th, 2008 - Pretoria) may not have ultimately succeeded in presenting her as a multi-faceted performer, but it definitely confirmed that Dion is a singer of unparalleled ability. Performing in a stadium that ordinarily holds rugby fans and flanked by two huge screens, Dion used her astonishing voice to captivate the near-capacity crowd. The summer night was balmy but she didn’t break a sweat delivering takes of favorites " I Drove All Night ," " I’m Alive " and the title track to her recent album, " Taking Chances ," with clarity and, at times, aching beauty. And judging by the audience's rapturous response, it is no wonder Dion is the country’s top-selling international artist.

The spectacle was directed and choreographed by Jamie King, who has worked with Madonna and the Spice Girls. The 90 minute-plus show pivots around themes from her early years in the opening sequence, and then ‘rock,' 'passion,' 'fashionista' and 'soul.' Additionally, the singer’s multiple costume changes, the lighting and -- of course -- the dancing all feed into the projection of Celine as a multi-faceted artist, able to move through varying musical elements with ease.

...Except when she doesn't: there were a few missteps. The mid-show Queen tribute, which includes " We Will Rock You " and " The Show Must Go On " performed in front of a montage of shots of the UK act, is supposed to lift momentum after a gooseflesh-raising performance of " Pour Que Tu M'aimes Encore." Instead, it ends up feeling misplaced and awkward. Dion herself made no reference to why the tribute was included in the show.

Additionally, a selection of soul offerings during another part of the set effectively shows off backing singer Barney Valsaint's vocal ability, but a section that features " That’s Just the Woman in Me " and " It’s a Man’s World " among dancers doing sexy moves just doesn’t fit the sure-voiced adult contemporary singer. In the end, Dion got to the essence of what she’s does best: standing alone on the stage, she delivered a mesmerizing take of " My Heart Will Go On ." Any awkward moments from earlier in the evening were forgotten.

[Source: Billboard]

*Updating*
:: The Concert in Pretoria ::

(8:00 a.m. GMT) February 16th concert lineup was much the same but included about five songs not performed at the charity banquet in Johannesburg . Here is the tracklist:

1st part (black and silver outfit)
1. I've Got The Music In Me
2. The Power Of Love
3. Taking Chances
2nd part (white blouse and red slacks)
4. New Mego's Flamenco (instrumental)
5. It's All coming Back To Me Now
6. Because you Loved Me
7. To Love You More
8. Eyes On Me (Album Version)
9. All By Myself
3rd part (glittering outfit)
11. I'm Alive
12. Shadow Of Love
13. Fade Away
14. I'm your Angel (with Barney Valsaint)
15. Alone
16. Pour Que Tu M'aimes Encore
17. Think Twice
4th part (black outfit)
18. Queen Medley - We Will Rock you (band and back up vocalists)
19. The Show Must Go On
5th part (short white outfit with black hat)
20. Soul Man, Lady Marmalade, Respect (Medley by band and backing vocalists)
21. It's a Man's World
22. That's Just the Woman In Me
23. Love Can Move Mountains
24. River Deep Mountain High
Finale (long yellow outfit)
25. My Heart Will Go On

The overall show was fantastic. A few sound problems existed, but being the first official open air full length show, fans were amazed and definitely pleased. Wikipedia has a story about Celine lip-sinking in her latest TV special and possibly on her world tour, I can vouch that it is not the truth and that the show was VERY LIVE. Due to sound glitches Celine omitted some lines and seldom would not be heard though the live video showed her singing. Rest assured fans, Celine sang for real - and it was wonderful! The show lasted nearly 2 hours and half.

[Show reviewed by our collaborator Tony - Thank you, Tony!]

February 16th, 2008

:: Céline Dion in Pretoria ::

Celine Dion goes on with her Taking Chances World Tour in South-Africa. The international superstar will perform in Pretoria tonight and tomorrow. Our collaborator Tony will attend the event and won't fail to reveal us all the details of tonight's concert! Click HERE to watch several FANTASTIC footages from February 14th concert.

:: :::::: Celine Dion, The Lion Queen :::::: ::

(8:20 p.m. GMT) "Celine Dion and manager husband Rene Angelil take their son Rene Charles, 7, to see a performance of The Lion King at the Monte Casino in Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday."

[Source: Just Jared, celebrity-gossip]

:: :::::: From 'The Citizen' :::::: ::

:: Céline @ Soweto - The Video! ::

(7:00 a.m. GMT) By clicking HERE, you'll be able to watch a video of Celine visiting the school children feeding programme in Soweto township near Johannesburg. A very warm welcome for the star and her family who announced a generous donation to this school.

[Source: LCN]

February 15th, 2008

:: *Updating* : Celine Visiting school children feeding programme in Soweto ::

(7:50 p.m. GMT) Canadian singer Celine Dion claps with singing children at a school children feeding programme in Soweto township near Johannesburg, February 15th 2008. In the second picture she serves up a plate of food, in the third one she smiles as she poses in traditional Zulu beadwork and heargear and in the fourth picture she poses with René-Charles and a school's kid...

[Source: Reuters, Just Jared, Cebebrity baby Blog]