How long have you lived in Notting Hill for and what do you love about the area?
Since my family moved here in 1952 when I was five years old. This is my home and I love the mult culti [sic] aspect of it. You walk down the street and hear different languages, see different colours and different national costumes. This is a very creative area to live – it’s not conventional in any way. Complete strangers talk to each other on the street because it’s such a creative area and that’s the way it should be. Also, I look strange in the way that I dress, but I fit in here.
Who are your all-time favourite artists and why?
Feodor Chaliapin is the greatest opera singer on record. You can rarely call a singer a genius, but he is one. Enrico Caruso is another favourite – he changed the music industry. Pavarotti is third league compared to him and that isn’t an insult to Pavarotti. I’m also a big fan of Giacomo Puccini. In the field of jazz; Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. In bossa nova it has to be Joäo Gilberto who invented the genre and Antonio Carlos Jobim. In pop The Beatles and Stevie Wonder. My comedic hero is Charlie Chaplin.
What has been your most memorable performance?
I have two. One was performing at the London Palladium for a big gala event a few years ago. It’s a magical theatre – it has 3,000 seats, but it feels so intimate because of its design, plus the lighting and sound are perfect. I was born to sing there! The other performance was at the Project Arts Centre in Dublin. I was on stage at midnight but the audience wouldn’t let me off until 2.30am.
What are you most proud of?
My non-comedy songs. I’m always most proud of the latest songs.
How do you like to spend your free time in London?
I’m either looking for 78s [rpm records], which I collect, or I stay inside listening to my music.
Describe yourself in three words…
Witty; quirky; irresistible.
Where’s your dream holiday spot?
Home.
You did a record-breaking 18 consecutive years at Edinburgh Festival. Have you beaten that since?
I have been back, but I went to Brighton Fringe Festival this year, which has the feel Edinburgh used to have; it’s genuinely friendly and it hasn’t been invaded by PRs, agents and scouts.
What are you currently working on?
Next week I’ll be leaving for a mini tour of Belgium and the south of France using Eurostar. It’s a nightmare travelling by air with a guitar! In the autumn I’ll be off to Cologne, Braunschweig, Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Paris. In between, I’ll be at home.
Notting Hill Carnival – love it or loathe it?
Neither. It was better in the ‘80s. I remember on one occasion a black girl spotted a black policeman who she thought needed to be kissed, but he ran away. We need to bring back more live music. It has the potential to be great, but the organisers aren’t questioning what needs to be changed. Currently, it’s over controlled and you can’t find out what’s going on!
