Grammy-nominated artist Fab Morvan of Milli Vanilli sat down and chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos in New York City.
Scottish politician Walter Elliot once said: “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” This quote applies to Fab Morvan of Milli Vanilli.
Fab Morvan on being back in New York
On being back in New York, he remarked, “It’s exciting to be here. I haven’t been here in a while. New York is the city that changed my life. From London, the music went to New York, and from New York, the music went boom.”
“New York gave us the stamp of approval, and once New York does that, you know you’re good for the long run. So, I’m back here, and I am telling them where I’ve been and where I’m going and what happened,” he acknowledged.
“More importantly, my new label, my new distribution deal and new music. I am re-releasing my book, and adding more shows to the ‘I Love the 90s Tour.’ America, I am coming for you,” he elaborated.
“I am super excited about the tour,” he exclaimed. “It has been wonderful! I started the tour in California in Irvine and Sacramento, and then, I will Atlanta with the band, and some more dates in September.”
New documentary
“The new documentary that is coming out in the fall is going to be good. It covers the Grammys, and the solo nomination that I got for ‘Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording,’ which was pretty awesome! I am on a mission. I don’t take anything for granted and I keep working as hard as I can, and I keep evolving as much as I can. I have four kids from the same woman and I am proud of them. I do everything for them and I am proud of them,” he added.
From his catalog, he listed the song “Life is Beautiful” from his new EP as his personal favorite. “That one’s of my favorite songs,” he admitted.
‘Blame it on the Rain’
On their song “Blame it on the Rain,” he said, “When I did the cover of that song, I asked Diane Warren for her blessings. So, I sent it to her, she listened to it, and she gave me her blessings. Go ahead!”
The song was recently featured in Ryan Murphy’s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.” “That was a great thing because it allowed me to connect with the youth of today. My goddaughter turned 18 when it came out last year, and she was telling me that there were kids in her class that were singing the songs. When that happens, it allows you to work longer because now, you have access to the newer generation.”
‘I Love the ’90s’ Tour
“Now, when I go and do my ‘I Love the ‘90s’ shows, I am seeing kids who watched the series and they know who I am because they researched my music, and some of their family members know who I am. It’s an eternal circle and if I can add new fans to what I am doing, and reconnect with my older fans, then we have something going,” he explained.
“The people that are coming to the ‘I Love the 90s’ shows are essentially older fans bringing newer fans and perhaps their life as well,” he admitted. “We play the soundtrack of our lives and we pass this music to the next generation. This music was made with love despite all the controversy around it. I believe music is very healing and it is here to bring us together.”
‘Girl You Know It’s True’
He opened up about the perennial success and relevance of “Girl You Know It’s True.”
“It’s the gift that keeps on giving,” he said. “I’m re-releasing the book because the publisher I am working with didn’t pay me a cent. This time, I had a very good contract so I got everything back and I am re-releasing it and the title is ‘Blame it on the Game’ and I had new chapters and more information, so now the book is even more explosive,” he underscored.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, he said, “I’m not a fan of streaming. It allows you to have people access to you. I come from a time when you bought your vinyl, your cassettes, and your CDs. If Spotify were to crash tomorrow, you would lose all your playlists and all the music.”
“Also, I am going back to buying vinyl with my label… I will make some very special edition vinyl because the vinyl business is going up. We are now over $1.5 billion in vinyl business, so it keeps on growing and people are buying record players. I am going to go with the flow, and music is life, and life is music. I really believe in that… music is healing,” he elaborated.
“When you come with love, and your intent is positive, I think it will reach people,” he added.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he revealed, “Renaissance.”
“It’s Rebirth,” he said. “I’ve worked really hard to get over here. Now, everything lines up together and the stars are aligned. The path looks wide open and the possibilities are clear.”
“Everything is meditated. I manifested everything, and with my will, I went ahead through life. I am proud of everything that I’ve earned, and I don’t take anything for granted,” he expressed.
Advice for young and emerging artists
For young and aspiring artists, he said, “Connect with your fans and build a community. Say something; that’s very important. That is what is going to bring the community together. So when you say something that is going to touch them and give them value, this way the fans will stay with you for the rest of your career.”
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, he stated, “Success means when you do something so well that you affect people in the proper way… that is your calling, and that is to elevate people, and stimulate them to live a better life.”
“In the end, we all make our decisions, but we have to live with each and every decision we make. In order to make proper decisions, you have to really listen to yourself,” he concluded.
To learn more about Fab Morvan, follow him on Instagram.
For more information on Milli Vanilli, follow the Instagram page.
