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Celine Dion: Putting 'The Power of Love' in everything she does
Legendary singer Celine Dion will step out of her Las Vegas residence in the summer to make a trip to Asia, with Jakarta as one of her most anticipated stops.
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Celine Dion performs on the NBC 'Today' Show concert series on July 22, 2016, in New York City. (shutterstock.com/JStone/File)
T
he Caesars Palace Hotel and Entertainment Complex in Las Vegas is synonymous with Dion. She has called the complex home for the past seven years. Not only has she established herself as a global vocal powerhouse, but she has also become a main draw for those wanting to visit Vegas.
The French-Canadian singer scores the most performances out of any artist in Vegas, who by June 2018 will have played 1,110 shows in total. She first became a resident there from 2003 to 2007 and is on another residence that began in 2011 and will end in 2019.
The 48-year-old singer will begin her first Asian tour in 10 years, including a stop in Jakarta on July 7. It is a moment long awaited by her fans, many of whom have been following her since her 1990s hits, such as “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Power of Love,” “That’s The Way It Is” and the infamous “My Heart Will Go On” from the 1997 movie Titanic.
Tickets to see the star reached Rp 25 million at the highest and Rp 1.5 million at the lowest. The diamond-class Rp 25 million tickets are reportedly sold out.
Just like any avid traveler who is going to visit a country for the first time, the voice behind “It’s All Coming Back to Me” hides nothing about her excitement.
“I want them to lose it, to freak out, to jump in the air, to sing louder than me, dance all night and have a good time with me,” Dion said happily in a brief phone interview in early January.
While Dion is aware of her status as a legendary artist, she keeps thoughts on her legacy very much on the low these days, as her life’s focus is no longer on herself, but on her three kids.
Dion’s three children seem to be the main reason that she maintains her music career. Decades-long contracts at Caesars Palace with the impression of having little time to do anything else are all worth it to the singer, who feels that her music is able to contribute to the development of her children.
“You know, if we are talking about legacy and all that, the legacy that I want to give is more on the short term for my children; teaching them good manners, having them go to good schools, learn multiple languages, travel the world. That’s my legacy now; doing the best as a mother, the best way I can,” Dion said.
It is almost as if she is living her life solely on her power of love.
Her motivation to bring up her children the best way she can means she takes her kids with her when she goes on tour around the world.
“[The tour] will be special because it’s kind of nice to change the ambience for a bit. Especially, taking my family is a wonderful experience, as for my kids it’s part of their experience growing up,” Dion elaborated further in the short phone interview.
“For example, I took my oldest [child] on my most recent world tour and he learned a lot about how life is in other countries, how different people live, how people react and act to situations and the different types of food they eat. You can learn so much by travelling; it’s like going to the school of life,” she added.
Her 2018 Asia tour will only run from June to July because of her ongoing obligations in Las Vegas.
Dion will only perform at one show in Jakarta, Manila, Bangkok and Tokyo, whereas in Singapore, Macau and Taipei she will perform at multiple shows.
Because of her tight residency schedule, she is only able to tour in the summer, which lasts from June to August in the United States. However, she has toured almost every summer since 2013, frequently visiting Europe.
A previous Asia Tour in 2014, which did not have a Jakarta date, was cancelled because of family health issues pertaining to the cancer treatment of Dion’s late husband Rene Angelil, who passed away in 2016.
When asked about whether or not she misses touring, Dion admits that there are always positives that she sees in both touring and residencies.
“In the Colosseum [at Caesars Palace], I feel more like performing in an opera because it’s such a beautiful theatre. But when you go on tour, the fans are screaming for you and singing to every word. The dynamic of touring is more rock-and-roll, while a residency is very cabaret,” she says.
Celine Dion will perform at Sentul International Convention Center on July 7.
