Anggun

Editor's Note:
This is an edited transcript of the interview.

She is one of the most successful recording artists straddling both East and West.

Known around the world as "Anggun, " the 26-year-old Indonesian singer was born Anggun Cipta Sasmi, which means "grace that appears in a dream".

Anggun began singing and performing at the tender age of seven and by the time she was nine, she had recorded her first album, "Pertama."

At the age of 17, she had not only completed a singing tour throughout Indonesia, she had three albums under her belt and had won the "Indonesian Most Popular Artist Award 90-91".

Two albums followed, before Anggun left Indonesia for Europe in 1994. By that time she had sold more than four million albums.
Anggun's music career took flight in Paris when she started to sing both in French and English.

Among her best-selling albums are "Au Nom de La Lune" or "In the Name of the Moon." The international version of the album, titled "Anggun", was distributed in 33 countries and sold 1 million copies.

The very popular "Snow on the Sahara" followed with much success. And just released is "Chrysalis," which includes some of Anggun's own compositions.

Singer, performer, composer Anggun talks about her world of music on In Conversation.

Anggun, welcome to In Conversation.

Thank you Shankar.

Are you a dream or are you for real?

I'm very real.

Now Anggun Cipta Sasmi, did I get the pronunciation right?

That's perfect. My father will be very proud of you.

Great. Well what does it mean?

It means grace created in a dream.

Well, there you are.

That's a heavy task actually. As you know in Indonesia, I think in a lot of countries in Asia, when the parents gave name to their child it's always meaningful because they want the child to be that person. So I don't know, I hope my parents are happy with my works so far.

Are you so happy with your work so far?

I am, yes. But you know with this kind of name it's very heavy I guess.

So you go by the short and sweet Anggun?

Yeah.

What does Anggun mean?

Anggun simply means grace.

Simply means grace? Well it's lovely, I think it suits you to a T.

Thank you.

What about your music and your life and your career. You started at the age of nine and look at you now. You're already on the international stage such a big star.

I'm already 26. Yeah, it's been a long way but it was, I don't know, I mean I have to - music is my life basically because in Indonesia, when a baby is born in a family, when it starts to walk and talk, then we teach them how to sing and dance at the same time. So I'm just following what nature gave me. So it's pretty normal.

Well, nature seems to give you in abundance. You seem to achieve a lot in such a short time, don't you think?

Yeah, but I'm not done yet. This is not there yet. I mean this just a small part that I'm doing outside the country, outside Indonesia. So, well a career is a long, it's a long day - a long walk. I'm just at my very first step.

Well, the way you said outside my Indonesia - do you miss it? Do you miss home?

I do. I miss a lot of things about my country. I miss the smell, the colour, the people and it's part of me. Yeah, I miss Indonesia.

Do you miss being the rock princess of Indonesia?

No. Well it's a part of me growing up. The music is, yes.

But surely it must be every different from performing on stage to an adulating audience in front of you, screaming for you and you were doing albums? Isn't it?

It's a part of it. I mean it's every part I enjoy about writing songs, going to the studio, make that song actually real. And the after that go out and promote the album and then have concert. But for me, writing songs or going to the studio is just the pretext of you know, for me to performing in front of the audience. Because that's the real thing but I enjoyed every second of it, every part of it. It's important.

So are you looking forward to then taking your music to a live audience again?

Yeah, definitely. It's an experience that actually I cannot find it somewhere then on stage. It's really -

So do you miss the adulating audience and do you want to go back to stage with your music?

I miss performing. I miss to have that happy air in front of me. The thing is the stage is really - performing is about giving and receiving a lot from them and it's very addictive. Yeah, I miss it a lot. I missed being on stage so as soon as this album is out I'm planning to go on tour.

This album, meaning your new album?

Yes, new album.

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