Enigma is the group that has the longest and biggest influence on me as long as I can remember a single thing. Michael Cretu's project is my first encounter with music and then on it became a vital part of my life. Recalling the many times I watched stared at the TV while "Sadeness" or "Mea Culpa" were on TV bring wonderful memories to me even now. First time I heard "Sadeness" I just couldn't take it out of my head and although I couldn't say a word in any language than Bulgarian I was doing my best to repeat the lyric. Almost twenty years after the founding of Enigma they still are the most successful New Age groups of all time and it's pretty sure that there will be no other project to outscore their success.
Years went by, but my love for Enigma only grew stronger and I dare stay I have a stronger connection to them than to any other singer or group I have ever liked. Michael Cretu has certainly had his ups and downs with Enigma and no matter how difficult it was for him he managed to keep alive his wonderful idea. Cretu himself is a prolific composer and songwriter working on every single song included in Enigma discography. He liked to keep an eye on his product, although his last albums cannot match the praise his first works received. Perhaps, some of his idea wore out and others were just not suitable for Enigma or he just wanted to experiment, which resulted in some rather negative responses from the fan base.
Nevertheless Enigma's true followers have never been let down and every album has the beauty and uniqueness of its own. For instance, the critically acclaimed "MCMXC a.D" is based on Gregorian chants, "Le Roi Est Moi, Vive Le Roi!" is like a rejoice after a deep sorrow and "A Posteriori" is a cosmic trip out of any boundaries. It's almost impossible not to find at least one Enigma song that you cannot relate to: starting from songs of faith and devotion and ending with lyrics filled with lust, pain and desire out of reach.
Music is what matters and it's sole purpose is to convey emotions and ideas, not being turned into a piggy bank. That is why I support Enigma's lack of desire to embark on a tour. They just want to keep things the way they are, without renditions, improvisations and craze about their concerts. Another thing is that Enigma is a project that has no strict line-up and people come and go leaving their prints on the project and having a tour can never provide the uniqueness of the sounding of an album. This music is a private experience that deepens into your mind, guiding through emotional landscapes and visualizing the sound of your soul.
