I have just been having a great time in Singapore's last analogue studio - the aptly named Lion Studio. I spent my day recording great tunes with some of the best musicians and friends I have in this nation state. I came home to discover that I had made it and was 1 of the chosen few. It is 2.50am here now. I have to write a profile. I am very tired and possibly a little bit funked out after 8 hours of singing. Uh oh. This may prove interesting when I read it again in a few days time. I'm a Gormley Girl in a Gormless world.
A vocalist, bandleader and songwriter, I have been working all over Europe and Asia as a freelance musician for the last 8 years. I applied to do this project whilst living in Singapore - just after I completed a contract at the Shangri-la Singapore. I have been working abroad now for over 2 years and I see the UK differently from a distance. Its rather like the first time I went up a ladder to put up Christmas decorations in mum and dad's sitting room and saw the furniture and layout from above. Going from London to China with no preparation and even less knowledge, my eyes, my ears, my nose, my taste buds were opened utterly different culture, feelings of expectation and anything-could-happen-ness and, of course, ex-pat living.
The first of these makes me compare and thus measure the culture I have lived in for 30 years prior to now, the second makes me realise how exciting a new world economy can be. The third makes me realise the damage an old world influence can do to that new world and, in equal measure, what it can do to help and broaden both worlds. Here in Singapore I have sat round a low table, in ridiculous humidity and sweat with French, Indian, Singaporean, Malay, Japanese, Kenyan, American and English girls, boys, straight, gay, lesbian, (and a small yappy dog) eating creole foods, discussing chinese horoscopes, joking about each others stereotypes and knowing we had the luxury of being free to be who we are. It makes me embrace the differences, and challenge the nonsense. Or maybe to embrace the nonsense and challenge the differences.
So anything that tries to demonstrate who people are, without the usual trappings of car, sitting room, what drink they buy, the food they choose, seemed to me to be an interesting idea. Well that and to imagine yourself on a plinth in Trafalgar Square when you are so far away from London seemed surreal and fabulous and a great bit of madness. And I only had to fill something out that took about 2 minutes. So I was immediately sold on the idea.
I just had fingers crossed that it wouldn't be in the midday heat (of a typical english summer?) or that it wouldn't rain.....
After creating a temporary home at Centro, Beijing - the Zagat 2008 Survey's ‘Most popular’ bar with ‘Great jazz’ - I decided to keep exploring my Britishness abroad. 2008 saw me hitting the Melbourne Jazz Festival’s late sessions and appearing at music venues in Sydney, Singapore and London. 2009 has already got underway with new recordings in Singapore, more planned in London and a debut album due in autumn with the newly signed electronica band, Sunharbour Collective. I would like to add performing on a Plinth to that list. Some of my very good French friends would immediately remind me that the 14th July is Bastille Day. Odd to know I shall be in Trafalgar Square. At the moment I am hazy about what I will do with my hour but Piaf on the Plinth sounds kind of cool as...you know...they both start with a 'p'. Hmm me feels I may need to work on this...Well it IS 3.30am now. Give me a break. See you on the plinth
