The voice behind DJ Bobo's hits Lori Glori is no longer silent and criticizes Swiss musicians
Lori Glori is still waiting for the money that DJ Bobo still earns with her voice. She felt left out by the Swiss musician and is now venting her anger in a play.
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- The American singer Lori Glori (64) signed a contract in the 1990s in which she unknowingly ceded the rights to her own voice.
- The contract was drawn up by DJ Bobo, who has since earned millions from her voice - Glori now tells her side of the story.
- The play by Schauspielhaus Zürich focuses on a white DJ who becomes a global star with the help of a black woman's voice.
Together with the Schauspielhaus Zürich, American singer Lori Glori (64) tells her life story. She also plays the leading role in "Last Night a DJ Took My Life".
Glori lent her voice to the songs of DJ Bobo (56) 30 years ago. And apparently almost came away empty-handed, writes "Blick".
"It's the first time in all these years that I've felt something like justice," she says. The Californian was able to make a name for herself as a Eurodance singer in the 1990s - which is how she met DJ Bobo: "He praised my voice and invited me to his studio."
Unknowingly ceded rights
She records several songs with René Baumann, for which she is paid 10,000 German marks - and has to sign a document. She didn't realize that she was signing away her copyrights with this piece of paper. She never speaks to DJ Bobo again.
She later realized through the music channel MTV what exactly had become of the recordings, among other things. Glori sang "Let the Dream Come True" for the Swiss musician - her calls to the management remained fruitless. Bobo needs her voice for several hits: "There's a Party", "Pray" and "Respect Yourself".
Baumann earned a golden nose, Lori Glori stayed behind. To this day, Bobo's wife Nancy pretends to sing Glori's parts at concerts - with the help of playback.
White DJ becomes a world star thanks to a black woman
As director Joana Tischkau suspects in "Blick", Nancy is not one of the live female voices, she simply moves her lips to the singing of professional singers. Tischkau has staged Glori's life for the stage and says: "It's about making someone heard whose voice wasn't loud enough in the face of the more powerful people in the music industry."
And what does the play look like in detail? A white DJ becomes a global star with the help of a black woman's voice and argues that he has made it this far with down-to-earthness and hard work - not talent.
"Glori's voice is not mediocre, but above average and he has simply made use of it," says Tischkau. DJ Bobo is never mentioned by name, but it should be clear to the audience who is meant by this figure. The successful Swiss musician is harshly criticized.
Glori also describes a big concert in Germany in 1995 as the worst moment with DJ Bobo: "I was standing in the middle of thousands of spectators when I heard my own voice. But they were cheering for others. It tore my heart out."
Meanwhile, Bobo is still on tour, traveling through South America this summer - and playing the voice of Lori Glori.