Alla Pugacheva is her name and she sings, in Russian, "Primadonna", a tribute to a wellknown star, a primadonna that makes the audience have an endless night. The lyrics seem made for her, the ovation she gets is almost self-evident. Pugacheva grabs her hair out of - simulated - surprise.

Despite it all, Europe wasn't impressed. She only made it to fifteenth place in the contest. Fortunately, the Dutch jury gave her eight points, and fortunately Paul de Leeuw (Dutch presenter of TV-programmes - MR), who was watching the show, reacted with enthusiasm. He invited her for the last "Laat de Leeuw" (name of his program - MR) of this season, tonight on Channel 3. "Paul de Leeuw? I'm sorry, I don't know him. Is his show popular? Does he have a sense of humor?"

Pugacheva has just come from a concert in Athens, Greece, and is overcoming the fish she ate there. She is an hour late, the sleeping pill has barely stopped working, the food poisoning can still be felt. Her husband, the 18 years younger pop singer Philipp Kirkorov, walks through the Royal Suite of the Amstel Hotel, pocket telephone in hand. He's also her producer and manager and is making a documentary about her life. The interpreter - Alla doesn't speak a word of English - waits patiently.

"No," Pugacheva says, wearing a red dress and orange hair, "I was not disappointed on ending up so low in the contest. It was a songfestival for beginners. I think I was too different." She imitates the disappointed diva, staring in the distance, fake tears in her eyes. "I was favoured by the normal people in Dublin. They were disappointed afterwards."

Nothing will destabilize her. In Russia Pugacheva is after all a super star. She's called "Csarina of pop" there, a living icon. She's sold over 150 million CD's. Gorbachov named her, in his last days, "Most loved star of the USSR". She's a singer, composer and actress. "My performances on TV made more impression on people than those of politicians" The Russian papers, also the more serious ones, were indignant at the fact that Europe didn't like Alla. She sighs: "Politics, politics. There were rumours that Russia wouldn't be able to organize the contest if it won the song contest." She philosophizes: "When things are black and cloudy, life can still be fun." And laughs: "When I came back in Russia, I said: sorry people, sorry, for all the sorrow I've caused you"

Pugacheva has learned a lot from life. She started singing again, because the audience wanted her to. She did, however, reserve enough time for other passions: drawing, designing shoes. The interpreter looks at me: let her speak for a moment.

"I walk through a street, I see a small shop, an antique shop or something. Then, suddenly, I'll see something. A thing that wants me to notice it. I see an angel of wood, small, tender, and the angel says: Alla, save me, take me with you" In Moscow she's got a house full of objects. Today, in the Amstel Hotel, she bought  a vase, tomorrow she may find an interesting thought. "Let it be, let me be, make me feel no pain. Let's not spoil eachother's live in Russia, the country where there are so many problems."

Alla will continue for the time being. She will soon give her famous Christmas concerts in Moscow again. She will undoubtedly perform with her daughter Kristina, who is a successful singer in her own right in Russia. And she hopes for a carreer in the West. At least: "I don't have to have fans, they don't have to love me. As long as they know my name." In Holland she's started a little, thanks to the Contest. "When I was singing Primadonna in Dublin, I was a little sad. I thought: I have a wonderful carreer in Russia, my whole life was very interesting, with all its ups and downs, and now I was standing there, starting all over again. There was noone there who knew me!"

She says: " I love Holland. You gave me eight points. You're good people. At least one country has seen my qualities." Will she place this outburst into perspective? She takes her biography. "Look at  this biography I see Holland as a new page, a new chapter in my life." She laughs again, walks to the bedroom, where her husband Philipp is sleeping now. Is he sick too? Alla shouts "Ciao! I won't eat fish here. I'll drink whiskey, because that disinfects."

by Cornald Maas
(Volkskrant, 22 May 1997)