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Summary

Michael Berkeley's guests discuss their lives and talk about the influence music has had on their lives

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Suzanne Vega

Summary

Michael Berkeley is joined by American singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, who eleased her first studio album almost exactly 40 years ago and soon found an audience, particularly here in the UK where it sold more than 300, 000 copies. Listeners responded to her understated, acoustic sound and thoughtful lyrics in songs such as Marlene on the Wall and Luka, while her song Tom's Diner took on a life of its own and has been sampled by dozens of artists and one remix became a global hit. She talks to Michael about her life and career and chooses music by Bartok, Rachmaninov, Philip Glass and Debussy

Review

Simon O'Hagan

Singer/songwriter Suzanne Vega tells the story of her New York upbringing and it exerts a grip on you right from the outset. Opening up about painful experiences from her youth, she talks of still occasionally feeling trapped, but of how songwriting provides her with a way out.

Her choices include Debussy, Bartok and Philip Glass and they are reflective of her character, possibly more so than with many of Michael Berkeley’s guests.

Credits

Crew

rolenamePresenterMichael BerkeleyProducerClare Walker

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News & features about Private Passions

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