Estevam Peric's first
 Céline's Concert 

I’m back! Yeah! And I’m too proud about me… I had the chance to see Celine for the very first time, singing live. It was wonderful! You can imagine, can’t you???

On this section, I’ll tell you all that happened and all that I did… Press your seat belts… and, LETS GO!

I’ve decided to travel abroad and see Celine because, as long as we know, she will give herself a much needed break. We don’t know how long it will take and, Celine will delay a couple of years to be here in Brazil. I couldn’t wait more. The first step was to buy the tickets… but how?? I was too far away from her country… Yeah… I have some connections… One friend of my cousin have bought it for me… Of course I’ve taken it from Scalpers, but it doesn’t matter… I wanted to see Celine Live… and I did.

I didn’t have money, so, the only way I’ve found to travel and realize my dream was selling my precious car, yeah… everyone I know and all the people I tell about it ask me: "Are you crazy??" … All I can say that I’m crazy… crazy for Celine… In the last few years I’ve been so closed with her voice, with herself… (I’m sorry Rene, but if you are reading this… I want you to know that I Love your wife). One day I’ve heard Celine saying: "There isn’t a dream that can’t be realized" And I really believe on it! That’s why the song I like most on Celine is The Power of the Dream.

I’ve bought the ticket, I’ve bought the passage, got the visa, everything was ready… I just had to wait… And The day finally came!

On September 13^th I was taking the airplane, going to Toronto, Canada, to make my dream come true.

When I arrived, my first step was to find a CD shop, but Why ?? Yeah, Sony Music was releasing the Latest Celine’s Upcoming album… "Au Coeur du Stade" (On the heart of the stadium)… A wonderful album, totally Live, with all her best last French Songs… I’m too proud… I think I was the first Brazilian to put the hands on this terrific work!

When I found it, I almost got crazy… There was a lot of things on Celine… albums, singles, videos… I’ve bought almost all the shop.

So. It was Tuesday, and I had to wait until Friday too see her… What to do??? It was my very first trip abroad and I wanted to see some interesting points of Toronto.. A very wonderful city (You should visit!). I saw The CN Tower (the highest tower I’ve ever seen), it has some part of the floor made of glass, and we can see the street very far away from us. I also visited the Skydome, it’s an stadium, very nice place. Its roof opens on hot days… I’ve also visited the Eaton’s Center, a shopping center that will be closed in a few months or weeks because everything there is too expensive. And the best place I’ve gone in Toronto… The Toronto Islands, I had to take a ferry boat to get there, but the place is wonderful, full of animals like birds, full of nature… if you visit Toronto one day, you can’t leave to be there…

Bien, the day finally came… The so hoped Friday was in…. I couldn’t wait more, I was in front of The Air Canada Centre about 4 p.m., when It was 6 p.m., Celine Arrived! Two girls I’ve met and I went to the stage, to try an autograph on Celine… but a men took us away… No problem, some minutes later, Corey Hart was opening act for her. I was very closed from the stage, I just regret about my camera, it didn’t have a zoom, so, the pictures I’ve taken were a little bit distant…. No matter, I saw Celine Live, I realized my dream, And I’m too proud of that!

There were two best moments on the show: The first one was when she talked about Rene, everyone there and herself included started crying, Both of them were there (Celine and Rene) and she told us, exactly on these words: "If I am here, it’s because everything is ok".

When she started singing "Treat her like a Lady" I started dancing upside, on the chair, and when she ended singing, she told… "You’ve danced well" before asking us… "Do you like to dance??"

Yeah… I don’t know if it was for me, but I started crying because she told that looking on my eyes, and there was only me dancing upside, on the chair!

She played all her best English hits… Immortality, Treat her Like a Lady, Let’s talk about Love, The reason, Love can move mountains, Because you Loved me, Declaration of Love, Tell him, The power of Love (there were more, but I don’t remember all). She sang two hits in French… S’il suffisait d’aimer and Pour que tu m’aimes encore. And also some songs that she will release on her next album, All the way (some album tittle) from Frank Sinatra and The first time I ever saw your face. Ah! She sang also Tears in Heaven, from Eric Clapton and ended the concert singing My heart will go on!

It was the best time of my Life!

I had one week more and… what to do?? So, I decided to go to Montreal, in Quebec, to visit a friend that you should know… Sylvain Beauregard… I’ve traveled 7 hours by bus (very tiring) but it was great… When I met him, I’ve got crazy… He is really the best person on Celine, he has all on Celine, his life is for her… He lives on a very simple apartment, but he has a treasure that no one has… All about Celine! A lot of friends and… the chance to be on her Province… only a few people have it!

After I buy some rare LPs and CDs, we went to Nickels, her restaurant… Very beautiful one…

The food is also very good, very tasteful, We’ve eaten the Famous Putin and a sandwich… both great, I just regret because both were too big and I couldn’t eat all… I also couldn’t try Celine’s cake!

Any way, Thanks again for my friend, Sylvain Beauregard, you deserve to see Celine as faster as anyother fan!

I’m so happy, I’ve taken so many things on Celine and the precious "Heart of the Ocean" from Titanic!

And it’s all! I’m back! You can see now that my modest collection have became bigger, but it’s nothing comparing to her great released stuffs!

I’d just like to thank everyone who’d helped me to Realize this dream, because without them, it would be much more difficult!

My father, in particular, I LOVED YOU but now I LOVE YOU more than ever.
Catia and Mike, Thanks for hosting me… (Mike, I Loved our cooking)
Chris, my cousing… thanks for helping me to convince my parents on letting me travel.

AND ALL OF YOU WHO GAVE ME POWER TO REALIZE MY DREAM !!!

[Some photos]

Estevam Peric
September 25, 1999