ALANAS CHOSNAU - Lithuania's finest singer with MARK REEDER, breaking internationally.

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00:00 Introduction/growing up in Baghdad
08:54 Mother dies in his arms
18:13 Western music in former Soviet Union
33:41 Car crash where he nearly died
41:31 Meeting Mark Reeder releasing english language songs
51:38 Being a father after such a life

Alanas Chosnau is Lithuania's most famous singer. He's recently released an album of great electro-pop with Mark Reeder (see his podcast too - great cold war story). And he has lived ten lives in his one life.

His story reads like a Netflix movie. Born of a Lithuanian mother and Iraqi/Kurdish father, Alanas spent the first 8 years of his life in Baghdad in the late 70s. His mother died in his arms when he was 8 years old in a hospital in Cologne, and his father was back in Baghdad with his sister.

He moved to Lithuania and was brought up by his grandparents. He was an outsider at first, speaking only Arabic at first. Many years later, after being inspired by banned western music, he started a musical career.

Success came when Lithuania split from the Soviet Union. Then as his fame rose, and his musical career took out tragedy stuck - a car crash that left him in hospital for over a year.

Alanas returned to his band, and to greater success, eventually going solo and achieving ever greater fame and fortune.

A stroke of luck came at a film festival, a chance meeting with electro-producer Mark Reeder, and they started working together. Now on their second album - Life Everywhere -, Alanas sings in English - to Mark's music, a spectacular combination that has become one of my favorite albums.

This is Alanas' story - moving, emotional, and yet hopeful. We could have talked for many more hours because there was so much to talk about.

I hope you enjoy this Deep Dive interview as much as I did!

Check out his and Mark Reeder's album Life Everywhere.

Connect to me on Instagram: steve.blame

And please like this interview!