Post by Sing on Nov 6, 2007 15:50:53 GMT
A Voice heard
At just 20 years old,'popera' star Hayley Westenra has written an autobiography. But what could one so young have to write about, Kimberley Rothwell wonders.
Pen to paper: "Popera" star Hayley Westenra, who has just published her autobiography, In Her Own Voice, written at the age of 20.
It appears Hayley Westenra and I have something in common , we both like a bit of a sleep-in.
Every morning, if possible.
"I'm not great at being on time. I cut things very finely. I underestimate how much time it takes me to get ready.
"I've always been late for school. All my friends can vouch for that," Westenra laughs.
But that's where the similarity ends.
Westenra is a multimillion-album-selling "popera" singer who has shared a stage with Andrea Bocelli and Jose Carreras, brought Andrew Lloyd Webber to tears, and has performed in front of world leaders. I'm just another hack ringing up to interview her about her autobiography, In Her Own Voice, written at the tender age of 20.
Twenty, you ask? What can a person have to say at age 20? "I was sceptical at first," she says.
"I thought, how am I going to write a book? "(But) it was actually quite a mission to actually cut things down to just a book. I have done so much in the last, well, you know, my lifetime, now's a good time to write it down while I can still remember things." It has been quite a life, so far. The girl from Christchurch has gone from competing in shopping mall talent quests to busking at the local Arts Centre, to being discovered by an international record label -- all by the age of 13.
Three and a half million albums later, she's is a household name in her home country and has fans all over the world.
She has sung for the Queen, for United States President George Bush and for All Blacks fans.
Now she is based in London, where she's just bought a flat.
Westenra agrees it's been a fairly straightforward rise to fame. There's no Amy Winehouse slide into drug addiction, no Britney Spears-style head-shaving incident.
"I don't have much time to be bad. I'm not perfect, put it that way," she says.
You could say Westenra's story lacks theatrics.
There's an almost-missed concert, thanks to a plane holdup, a telling-off at a Japanese spa and a ruined family camping trip, thanks to the attention of curious fellow campers and she writes of sneaking a serviette embroidered with the American embassy logo into her bag, and stealing sugar sachets from the White House.
But, with the exception of a couple of overzealous fans, her life, so far, makes for undramatic reading.
With her impeccable skin and constant references to her wonderful family, Westenra has often been described as angelic, serene and in a compliment that is at times seems almost darn
ing, nice.
"I am quite a serene person," she says.
"I just like to think there are a few more layers to me.
"I'm not just a one-dimensional angelic girl. I'm 20 now -- I'm an adult, I have things to say and there are many different layers to Hayley.
"I probably wouldn't wear black nail polish along to my shows.
"I am conscious of the idea that I have an image and that they're not going to want to see me falling out of nightclubs absolutely wasted.
"I'm very open when I give interviews and when I'm on stage chatting with the audience I'm very much myself, so I don't feel this pressure to be something I'm not, which is important.
"There are a lot of artists that do have this pressure on them. And that's only going to cause friction later on." Surely she can't be all nice -- Kiwi rock bad boys The Datsuns came to her 18th birthday party.
"We're Kiwis, we're all Kiwis over in the UK.
"I have a lot of interesting friends, I might not agree with everything they do, but it keeps it interesting." Under the nice-girl image, though, is a very disciplined young woman keen to focus questions on her music.
"I'm becoming a more confident performer, and more confident about my musical abilities and my own opinions and so I'm keen to make albums these days as opposed to me being too conscious of what other people are expecting of me," she says.
She wants to experiment more with her music and is to tour next February with Dave Dobbyn.
An unexpected combination? "I did a show with him at the Shepherds Bush Empire in London and I think quite a few people were sceptical as to whether it would work or not, but the show was fantastic.
"It was a huge success.
"Dave and I have decided to team up again, we had such a great time performing together." Her latest album, Treasure, is a testament to her being a bit more forceful about what she wanted to do with her music, and includes four tracks she has co-written.
Source: The Southland Times
At just 20 years old,'popera' star Hayley Westenra has written an autobiography. But what could one so young have to write about, Kimberley Rothwell wonders.
Pen to paper: "Popera" star Hayley Westenra, who has just published her autobiography, In Her Own Voice, written at the age of 20.
It appears Hayley Westenra and I have something in common , we both like a bit of a sleep-in.
Every morning, if possible.
"I'm not great at being on time. I cut things very finely. I underestimate how much time it takes me to get ready.
"I've always been late for school. All my friends can vouch for that," Westenra laughs.
But that's where the similarity ends.
Westenra is a multimillion-album-selling "popera" singer who has shared a stage with Andrea Bocelli and Jose Carreras, brought Andrew Lloyd Webber to tears, and has performed in front of world leaders. I'm just another hack ringing up to interview her about her autobiography, In Her Own Voice, written at the tender age of 20.
Twenty, you ask? What can a person have to say at age 20? "I was sceptical at first," she says.
"I thought, how am I going to write a book? "(But) it was actually quite a mission to actually cut things down to just a book. I have done so much in the last, well, you know, my lifetime, now's a good time to write it down while I can still remember things." It has been quite a life, so far. The girl from Christchurch has gone from competing in shopping mall talent quests to busking at the local Arts Centre, to being discovered by an international record label -- all by the age of 13.
Three and a half million albums later, she's is a household name in her home country and has fans all over the world.
She has sung for the Queen, for United States President George Bush and for All Blacks fans.
Now she is based in London, where she's just bought a flat.
Westenra agrees it's been a fairly straightforward rise to fame. There's no Amy Winehouse slide into drug addiction, no Britney Spears-style head-shaving incident.
"I don't have much time to be bad. I'm not perfect, put it that way," she says.
You could say Westenra's story lacks theatrics.
There's an almost-missed concert, thanks to a plane holdup, a telling-off at a Japanese spa and a ruined family camping trip, thanks to the attention of curious fellow campers and she writes of sneaking a serviette embroidered with the American embassy logo into her bag, and stealing sugar sachets from the White House.
But, with the exception of a couple of overzealous fans, her life, so far, makes for undramatic reading.
With her impeccable skin and constant references to her wonderful family, Westenra has often been described as angelic, serene and in a compliment that is at times seems almost darn
ing, nice.
"I am quite a serene person," she says.
"I just like to think there are a few more layers to me.
"I'm not just a one-dimensional angelic girl. I'm 20 now -- I'm an adult, I have things to say and there are many different layers to Hayley.
"I probably wouldn't wear black nail polish along to my shows.
"I am conscious of the idea that I have an image and that they're not going to want to see me falling out of nightclubs absolutely wasted.
"I'm very open when I give interviews and when I'm on stage chatting with the audience I'm very much myself, so I don't feel this pressure to be something I'm not, which is important.
"There are a lot of artists that do have this pressure on them. And that's only going to cause friction later on." Surely she can't be all nice -- Kiwi rock bad boys The Datsuns came to her 18th birthday party.
"We're Kiwis, we're all Kiwis over in the UK.
"I have a lot of interesting friends, I might not agree with everything they do, but it keeps it interesting." Under the nice-girl image, though, is a very disciplined young woman keen to focus questions on her music.
"I'm becoming a more confident performer, and more confident about my musical abilities and my own opinions and so I'm keen to make albums these days as opposed to me being too conscious of what other people are expecting of me," she says.
She wants to experiment more with her music and is to tour next February with Dave Dobbyn.
An unexpected combination? "I did a show with him at the Shepherds Bush Empire in London and I think quite a few people were sceptical as to whether it would work or not, but the show was fantastic.
"It was a huge success.
"Dave and I have decided to team up again, we had such a great time performing together." Her latest album, Treasure, is a testament to her being a bit more forceful about what she wanted to do with her music, and includes four tracks she has co-written.
Source: The Southland Times
and so do you........
