Adéla gives World Cafe pop star pointers

Our guest today grew up in Slovakia and then Moscow, where she studied ballet. But in her heart, she always wanted to be American. Why?

Not so much the picket fence dream, but the dream of becoming a pop star. At 8 years old, she began teaching herself English, with the goal of being fluent enough by 12 to audition for The Disney Channel, network of her beloved Hannah Montana.

Now, living and working in LA, Adela is the first Slovak artist to achieve a Billboard Hot 100 hit with her song “Nicole Kidman.”

There’s a whole lot in between, of course, that makes for a thoughtful chat. On today’s episode, Adéla tells contributing host @kallao how the entertainment industry isn’t as predicable as she once imagined, and how she worries its gatekeepers are affecting the lives of young performers.

And of course, she shares some dance floor pointers with Kallao who, may or may not be able to hold his own at the club.

More at worldcafe.org.