Interview with Aziza from Aria Flame and Aziza World Fragances: MFVF has been a career changer and opened many new doors for us!

Interviews:English
  Van Muylem    22 augustus 2016

Aziza Poggi (singer of Aria Flame) and Daniel Cruzan (guitar and backings, Aria Flame) from the US will be a special guest during the Metal Female Voices Fest in Wieze (Belgium), on friday. Aziza will also present us her new perfume and new bottles! She will be delighted to have a chat with her European fans! Time to catch up and ask some important questions ...


Aziza, tell us how come you became a perfumer?

I was always a perfume junkie since childhood. I have always had a good sense of smell. I use to borrow or shall I say, confiscate my mother's perfumes and then experiment with them by blending them together. I got my hands on a batch of essential oils in my teens, and would start making my own recipes for fun.  I became very serious with it when I was wheel bound in a wheelchair from a foot surgery. I was on paid leave from my job and on unemployment so I thought, now is the time to get a new band going (Aria Flame) and launch my perfume line in which I always dreamt about. I used my time studying perfumery, educating myself and taking online classes in it and training under a chemist. A year after, Aziza World Fragrances and Aria Flame launched.

You launched recently a new action and called up for some help, I can see that you work hard and become more and more a professional one, can you tell us how the pledging is working, what’s your aim?

I am running an Indiegogo campaign right now to get a professional perfumers organ and also to get all my signature perfumes transferred into their new bottles and professional labeling sooner. I use to use these boston round bottles, but new buyers would shy away from their appearance.  Perfume is an image business. And the bottle usually captures someone's interest before the scent does. A professional perfumers organ will help me work more efficiently and to invite the press into my home and customers so we can make a custom perfume on the spot! Thus, creating more business for my company. We only have  a few days left on the campaign so be sure to visit the link below to see what unique perks you can get for a limited time! I even have music perks as well as perfume packages, candles and body butter.

With your perfume you also get the help of Helcanen Val, she designed the logo? Am I right? How did it go?

I have known Val a long time.  She did many art for my former band Dendura. I approached her to do all the artwork for my perfume company and her images are very unique and I wanted to set my company apart from other perfumers and she has done that with her artwork.

This brings us to the MFVF, last edition you played over there with Aria Flame, how was it?

Amazing!  Our fans in Europe are incredible! I didn't expect that we would be swarmed with such a warm welcome.  I learned a lot about the European metal scene while from MFVF. There is nothing like it. We have fans who are very supportive in the USA, but Europe has a different approach to music like ours. We can play a big festival in Europe to a big crowd, and here it's like pulling teeth. We do not have a symphonic metal scene in West Michigan. it is more popular in the Detroit area in which we often perform over there than in our own hometown. We noticed bands like Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation and Nightwish do not come to Grand Rapids, they go to Detroit. So we have to as well. We wish we could open the minds to symphonic metal in our local scene, but if these other big bands haven't been able to, it's unlikely we will be able to as well. It's the one thing that bothers me in our town. We can't catch a break here. But we are welcomed in many other states and in Europe! Thanks to MVFV.  MFVF has been a career changer and opened many new doors for us and we have made many new friends in the process.

How would you describe Aria Flame for the people who have yet to discover Aria Flame?

I would say were like neoclassical, symphonic, circus metal and those who love Trans Siberian Orchestra, Tarja, Nightwish and other female fronted symphonic metal may enjoy us.

Are you the main composer for Aria Flame? 

Yes but on the new album SunRiser I will have more help in composing with guitarist Daniel Cruzan. On our debut EP, A World of Silence; I was the main composer for that song and Daniel was co composer along with other members. I did write the majority of the title track SunRiser and he had his hands in co-writing that one.  Daniel has really become a great composer and has composed quite a few songs himself already on the new album that are amazing and let his talent shine.

You will show us your perfumes and also perform, can you tell us already something more?   

Once my campaign is done, (which is less than a week) I will be getting my perfumers organ made and then ordering the labels and bottles needed to get my perfumes all transferred over.  Then I will be prepping for the new album and finalizing lyrics I was working on.  

With whom will you perform, any known duets? Known songs that you will perform?

Daniel and I are going to perform at MFVF this year on Friday’s acoustic show performing a couple songs and then I will be guest singing with Kassandra Novell from Mercy Isle on their song Saying Goodbye. After MFVF, Aria Flame will be main support for Leaves  Eyes, Sonata Arctica and Omnium Gatherum at the Token Lounge in Westland, Michigan on Friday, November 18th!  We are extremely excited to perform with them all! You can get your tickets from Aria Flame off our website here: www.ariaflame.com and get a FREE gift with purchase and also save on ticket fees.

If you have a chance to talk with Tarja, what will it be about and do you have a specific question for her?  

I would just tell her I appreciate her voice and talent and that she is one of my favorite singers. I would tell her thank you for giving us her beautiful music and ask her to sign a cd. I do not like to bombard the stars, but if I was able to have a conversation with her, I would just see where the conversation goes and respect her time as an artist and not overstay my welcome.

Aria Flame will be filming their 3rd music video My Own Little Hell in February with director Michael G. Petersen of Dark Fortress Pictures. Michael G. Petersen also filmed your 2nd music video Realm of Hate. How did it go and how are the reactions so far?  

The shoot went great! I use to be an actress so I met many wonderful filmmakers in the process and Michael was one of them. The video was already filmed with guest star Grace Meridan and is being edited as we speak! We are working on a release date.

Are you still working on new material for Aria Flame, or is the studio work almost done?

Yes we are! We are writing about three more songs to add to the full album. And no, we're not done yet. My campaign has taken up a lot of my time to record and also I’m working two jobs, plus, we have  a new bassist Kevin Turner, and it was important for us to allow him the time needed to be ready to record as well.  But, I am going into the studio in two weeks-time and then things will be progressing more.

The album will be called Sunriser, does it refer to the phoenix?

Yes.  The songs are all written from pieces of my life and the phoenix is in a new world, with new emotions and a new journey.

Will there be any guests on the album?

We will have a vocal guest or two. We are working on the second guest.  Both are females. I love to support other women in our genre so it’s important to have at least one female singer on this album!

What can you say about the album, unveil artwork, some songs? Lyrics, inspiration?

Val Helcanen did the art so you know it’s going to be amazing! All of the songs, lyrics and inspiration come from my life and the things I see in the world.  I write the lyrics.  The songs are all little stories of things I have dealt with myself and some songs are about other people. The title track SunRiser is about fighting the big fight to get ahead in the world and rising above from death to be reborn.  System of Failure is about how not all things are given true justice in our judicial system.   The song; A Fatal Obsession is about someone who is obsessed over someone  she can't have and causes havoc on others because she can't have the person she wants.  You can't control people, you can only control yourself. Miserable people cause misery to others instead of moving on and focusing on their inner flame and rising above to better themselves.  So many of these things have given me stories to write about to hopefully persuade others into thinking more clearly and inspire the world to be better and fight when you must, and stop fighting when you no longer should.  

Who creates your dresses?

Most of my dresses are designed by Amanda Benes. A local seamstress and friend. Some of the others come from costume shops.

Any news from “Scarab’s Empire”? And can you tell our audience a bit more about it?

I'm sorry no. I have had to put it on hold again because I just can't find the time to do it.  I really wish I had the time, but every time I start to write for Scarabs and we find a musician to perform for us, they get busy and then I get busy again so it's a constant battle to get it off the ground. I almost resigned, but Chris Webster (guitarist) didn't want me to and said when time is right, it will come together.

What will the future bring for you?

I see a good future. I didn't mention this but my 2nd job is a voice teacher. I teach lessons right after I clock out of my day job. My goal is to quit my day job, do perfumery and be a voice teacher full time while performing with Aria Flame in mini tours and select festivals. I am not trying to be a touring artist, but to be able to keep growing a fan base and to perform for the love of performing on top of my other goals is my dream.

Is there something you want to talk about, something that I didn’t ask and that you absolutely want to talk about?

 I have only a few days left on my campaign! So if you're into perfume, body butter, candles,  for both men and women, and want to help a growing small business, jump in now and visit my campaign here:    https://igg.me/at/azizaworld.  All my products are made and designed and made by hand by me. Vegan and eco-friendly too!  To check out my band's music, visit us here and like us on facebook: www.ariaflame.com

Discover the line-up of the 2016 edition of the Metal Female voices fest in Wieze:

http://www.metalfemalevoicesfest.be

Leaves' Eyes Official with their amazing Viking ship show!

Tarja Turunen

Battlelore (come back!!!)

Spoil Engine

Savn - Official

Artrosis

KONTRUST

WHYZDOM

MaYaN

Crescent Lament 恆月三途

Blackthorn

Mercy Isle (Usa)

Mourning Sun

Tristania

Enemy Of Reality Official

Feridea

Skarlett Riot (Uk)

Ancient Myth

More MFVF-related interviews:

interview Enemy of Reality

interview Mercy Isle

interview Jaded Star

interview Bergtatt

interview Ancient Myth

interview Battlelore

interview Crescent Lament

interview Evig Natt

interview Whyzdom

interview Helcanen Val

interview Skeptical Minds about MFVF


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