Anna Aliena The Wall

Anna Aliena The Wall EP

The Wall by Anna Aliena: Don’t mind the language

Have you watched my new music video “Sanjam (Snovi lete)“ yet? It’s the fourth and last track on the brandnew Anna Aliena EP The Wall which was released TODAY! It’s available for download at Amazon, iTunes and other stores. Please don’t mind the language – I sing three of the four tracks in Croatian. You should be used to it by now. The first time I did it was in summer 2015 and somehow I wasn’t able to stop.

Quite a long time I suffered from a severe lack of inspiration. I wasn’t even in the mood to come out with my previous EP Secret Garden. Then I met the ambassador of … and suddenly I felt a strong urge to write the title song “The Wall“ which shall also be featured in a music video this year.

The ambassador between walls

My personal interaction with the ambassador lasted for a while, long enough to empower my creativity. “Ljubav ubija“ (Love kills) tells the outcome of the story of “The Wall“ which deals with invisible walls between people. Sometimes they are too thick to be torn down and sometimes people don’t feel at home “U ovom gradu“ (in this town). As a result they start dreaming of imaginary lovers (“Sanjam“, I’m dreaming) …

The cover of the Anna Aliena EP The Wall

Anna Aliena The WallIn January, when all the material was composed and recorded, I discovered a picture from my Zagreb adventures. I had taken it at the art park in December and somehow it reminded me of my feelings connected with the ambassador of the country I will not mention: colourful steps between two walls leading to a pair of crying eyes. What’s behind the wall? If you have no connection to the place, you have no idea that the stairs end at Strossmayer Promenade, a romantic patch for lovers I have always walked alone or with friends.

A strange encounter on an airplane

By the way, the story of the Anna Aliena EP The Wall has a peculiar sequel: When I was on an airplane last month, the ambassador was sitting in the row in front of me! Fate or just coincidence? He pretended not to see me, but after landing there was no chance to ignore me any longer. We changed a couple of meaningless words, the representative of the unnamed state blushed and grinned like a little boy from kindergarden. On our way to the terminal he avoided me. At least I will write a song about the incident sometime!

Anna Aliena wedding scene music video

The making of the Anna Aliena music video “Sanjam”

Finally it’s out now! It was a long way and lots of work because I had to visit plenty of places to shoot my brandnew music video “Sanjam (Snovi lete)“. You don’t know what these words mean? Well, once again it’s Croatian saying “I dream (Dreams fly)“.

This slow ballad captures a love which has not fulfilled. A bride is walking through an empty church. No bridegroom will wait for her at the altar. This was the hardest part in the making of the video. At the end of February we suffered from minus degrees in Germany and inside the church it wasn’t much warmer. So I was freezing like hell in my bridal dress!

After the church scene I got a terrible cough which lasted for more than one week. How I hate to stay in bed during the day, but that’s what happened to me. My “wedding“ made me sick!

Plitvice in the music video "Sanjam" by Anna Aliena

Credits: Anna Aliena / Go!Diva Records

Plitvice in the music video “Sanjam“

Luckily I had completely recovered when I flew back to Croatia in the middle of March. Do you remember my very special incident at the Lakes of Plitvice? It’s actually not the reason why I returned to the breath-taking national park which was still covered with snow.

Room 228 is in the past – this time I was lodged in a real luxury chamber at the picturesque hotel village Ethno Houses Plitvica Selo. If you ever travel to Plitvice, you should stay there: It perfectly fits the natural surroundings because it’s built like a traditional village of the Lika region.

My wooden room looked like a honeymoon spot. It was not only cosy, I also had a huge jacuzzi in my bathroom. I felt happy and sad at the same time – how I would have loved to share that room with someone. Somebody to love … Nevertheless, Plitvica Selo inspired me to film some new scenes of the „Sanjam“ music video – the lonely bride in the matrimonial bed.

The next day I went for a walk at the lakes of Plitvice where my camera caught all the tremendous waterfall scenes including a rainbow above a deep cascade. Spring hadn’t started yet, not even in Croatia. A guy from the hotel told me that the snow in front of the reception had been three metres high by the end of February!

Adriatic sea in Opatija

Credits: Anna Aliena / Go!Diva Records

The waves of the rough Adriatic Sea

I continued my journey to the rough Adriatic Sea. Bura and yugo were raging at the beaches of Opatija and Krk island. The sun tried hard to break through the thick clouds, sometimes successfully. The Baltic Sea wouldn’t be much different in autumn and now waves crashed against the concrete beaches of the old Austro-Hungarian seaside resort. They inspired me to catch even more scenes for the music video since yearning can be just as violent …

Bay of Baska on Krk island Croatia

Credits: Anna Aliena / Go!Diva Records

I left Opatija to see a nice German-Croatian couple on the island. We drove around and ended up in Baška. In June 2016 I was hiking in the mountains next to the holiday spot which is always overcrowded with tourists during high season.

Last month I witnessed the most powerful sea storm I’ve ever experienced on my journeys to Croatia. While I was leaning on a wall to film the waves of Baška, a cat jumped up to kiss my face and cuddle before it suddenly vanished.

Waves of Baska Krk island Croatia

Credits: Anna Aliena / Go!Diva Records

The tunnel of dreams is real

If you wonder about the tunnel in the video, I must admit that it’s not in my head, but in Zagreb. Grič tunnel was a bunker in World War II and now it’s often used for art exhibitions and festivals. During the most beautiful European Christmas market visitors can find creative decorations inside the tunnel.

The rest of the music video was made in my flat in Berlin. How do you like it? Please have a look at it on my YouTube channel and let me know your honest opinion if you feel like it!

Anna Aliena music video shooting

Music video shooting: The lonely bride

I finally got married! No, I’m just kidding. I just dressed up as a bride to shoot a scene for a new music video. Almost one year ago when I had an interview with my friend Maik Stockmann from Radio Rainbowcity, he came up with the idea I eventually realized. The marvelous bridal dress, the romantic veil and the white rose bouquet cost a tremendous fortune to make me the most beautiful bride you’ve ever seen! I better not tell you the amount of money which was spent on my amazing princess outfit … 😉 I decided to leave that to real princesses!

Looking at my snapshots from the shooting you may wonder: Where’s the bridegroom? The honest answer is that Anna Aliena shall always stay single as artistic and personal freedom will fade away as soon as there is a man. Nevertheless, the last song on my forthcoming EP The Wall deals with dreams of love and longing in a state of loneliness. Thus, I play a lonely bride in an empty church walking to the altar with no-one next to her.

Anna Aliena music video Sanjam

Credits: Anna Aliena / Go!Diva Records

The church in the music video

It wasn’t a big deal for me to get access to the right setting for my video! In former times I regularly played the church organ during services, I still do it on Christmas Eve. So I merely travelled back to my home planet, asked for the church key to practise the organ. In reality I didn’t touch the Instrument. I quickly changed clothes and started filming. Due to sunshine outside, the light was great, but all in all it was a very icy experience. At the moment we have minus degrees in Germany and the heating in the church was switched off! However, I can be stubborn and totally disciplined whenever I work on my ideas. So I forgot the cold air, played my role and now I’m satisfied with the outcome.

Anna Aliena Sanjam video

Credits: Anna Aliena / Go!Diva Records

Anna Aliena: the name is program

After the shooting I felt a bit proud of myself and so I posted a bride selfie on my WhatsApp status. Sometimes I do not think properly because my status is also visible to certain family members (and non-members!) … So what! The video will be tremendous and I’m the best-looking bride in this family although I have no wedding plans in real life.

Anna Aliena wedding scene music video

Credits: Anna Aliena / Go!Diva Records

EP cover „The Wall“: a picture from Zagreb art park

This year I’m going to release two EPs – that means nine new Anna Aliena songs! Secret Garden shall make a start on March 26th and The Wall will follow two weeks later. I’ve already revealed the covers on my Soundcloud account. When I showed my artwork for The Wall to my friend Max and to Alex at Planet Earth Studio, stay immediately had associations with the Berlin Wall without knowing each other. They both asked me where I had taken the picture in Berlin. I laughed as I shot the photo by accident at Zagreb art park at the end of last year!

Zagreb art park

Credits: Anna Aliena / Go!Diva Records

A coincidence at Zagreb art park

Anna Aliena The Wall

EP cover “The wall”

I was enjoying the marvelous Christmas season in the capital of Croatia where I’ve been a lot of times since January 2016. The city has an extremely positive energy which is great for my soul whereas Berlin is just the opposite … The sun was shining brightly on that December afternoon when I was climbing from Ilica, the longest street in Zagreb, to its medieval upper town Gornji Grad. During that little walk I crossed Zagreb art park which is full of colourful street art. On a warm evening in June 2017 there was also a flea market and a small theatre performance at the lower part of the park.

Street art in Zagreb art park

Credits: Anna Aliena / Go!Diva Records

When you ascend, you’ll reach a passage of steep stairs. At the very end of it I managed to catch the cover photo for The Wall though at that point I had no plans to turn it into album art for my music. However, Zagreb art park perfectly fits my forthcoming EP because it contains three songs in Croatian and only one track in English.

Yesterday I returned to the place and took some more pictures. Afterwards I went to Grič tunnel, an amazing bunker tunnel from World War II which is nowadays used as a passage and cultural event space. Right in the middle of it I filmed a video sequence and hopefully I will find more video spots in March. I’ll always be back, destiny gives me no choice!