Post by Stephany on Aug 29, 2007 16:15:42 GMT
Hi everyone,
The 'New Zealand Times' posted a very nice article about our favourite singer.
Hayley talks about Shepherds Bush, UNICEF, 'Treasure' and her upcoming book
Stephany
The 'New Zealand Times' posted a very nice article about our favourite singer.
Hayley talks about Shepherds Bush, UNICEF, 'Treasure' and her upcoming book
Westenra to lead All Black party
By Simon West
New Zealand Times
You’d think Hayley Westenra would have enough on her plate. The extremely talented 20-year-old has recently released her third album, ‘Treasure’, worked as a UNICEF ambassador in Ghana, co-wrote her biography and covered a 50th anniversary recording of West Side Story – this while fulfilling a gruelling schedule of live performances.
But, as always, Westenra has found time for her beloved All Blacks. On Friday 31st August she will be joining forces with Dave Dobbyn and Fiona Pears to send them to France on the best possible note. The event, aptly named Hayley’s Kiwi Ceili, is more of a Kiwi celebration than a typical Westenra performance. It will take place at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire and is set to feature a mixture of cultural classics among some new material.
“I decided that it would be fantastic to have a large Kiwi get together to unite all the New Zealanders in London and a lot of the people coming over to London especially for the World Cup,” Westenra says of the bash. “It’s going to be a big Kiwi love fest!” Uniting people however, has always been one of Westenra’s strengths. Of course, this is usually the range of different groups that merge at her concerts to listen to her angelic voice, but she has also spent considerable time uniting people for a greater cause – combating the suffering of children in less fortunate countries.
In 2005 she visited Ghana with UNICEF and began raising awareness and plenty of money for bicycles to aid children in getting to and from school. “I saw the bicycles being very effective and I was determined to find more funds for them,” she says. “Over the last couple of years that has gone way over our expectations.”
Westenra doesn’t plan on stopping there either. She’s keen to visit other third world countries while going back to Ghana to tighten the bond she originally formed with the place. “Until you’ve met the people first hand and seen the situations in the flesh you can still be easily distanced,” she says of the experience. “It was a very motivating trip.”
With an already tiresome travel schedule, trips to places such as Ghana are becoming more difficult. During May and June, Westenra toured through the United States attracting much attention to the tracks off her most recent album, ‘Treasure’. The collection is essentially a mix of native New Zealand songs and Irish born tracks with a Celtic touch. This is an exciting venture for Westenra, as it adds something fresh to her distinct sound.
“I’m really proud of the album,” she says. “I think it’s a really good balance of moving forward yet at the same time not forgetting our past.” Fans will undoubtedly be happy with what she’s come up with. It can only be described as emotional, thought provoking and relaxing – the kind of music that allows the listener to drift off and get lost in its sound. Westenra, as she typically does, plays down the album’s success. “What I was really excited about for this album,” she says, “was the fact that I managed to get my act together and write some songs for it!”
Although she may have been joking, Westenra has definitely been busy. She has endured what she describes as “hours upon hours” collaborating with a co-writer to tell her story in a biography, while also finding time to tour. It’s a lifestyle that could easily result in burnout.
“I only get low if I’m sick and have singing commitments,” she says, affirming her positive attitude. “When you’re sick and have back to back performances it becomes a bit of a nightmare. I just call up my family and talk it through, I also go for walks and I guess a bit of retail therapy helps sometimes.”
Another therapy for Westenra is arguably her most inspiring of performances – the singing of the New Zealand National Anthem at All Blacks games. Although unfortunately, it’s yet to be confirmed if Westenra will travel to France to inspire the team with her singing, her Kiwi Ceili will at least supply the team with some prior motivation. More importantly, it’s a night of fun before the serious stuff gets underway.
“We’ll be covering New Zealand favourites and a few new things,” she says, excited at the possibilities and surprises. “It will be our big send off for the All Blacks!” With a fantastic line-up of talent and the live sound of Westenra, it’s a more than that – it’s a celebration of New Zealand.
By Simon West
New Zealand Times
You’d think Hayley Westenra would have enough on her plate. The extremely talented 20-year-old has recently released her third album, ‘Treasure’, worked as a UNICEF ambassador in Ghana, co-wrote her biography and covered a 50th anniversary recording of West Side Story – this while fulfilling a gruelling schedule of live performances.
But, as always, Westenra has found time for her beloved All Blacks. On Friday 31st August she will be joining forces with Dave Dobbyn and Fiona Pears to send them to France on the best possible note. The event, aptly named Hayley’s Kiwi Ceili, is more of a Kiwi celebration than a typical Westenra performance. It will take place at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire and is set to feature a mixture of cultural classics among some new material.
“I decided that it would be fantastic to have a large Kiwi get together to unite all the New Zealanders in London and a lot of the people coming over to London especially for the World Cup,” Westenra says of the bash. “It’s going to be a big Kiwi love fest!” Uniting people however, has always been one of Westenra’s strengths. Of course, this is usually the range of different groups that merge at her concerts to listen to her angelic voice, but she has also spent considerable time uniting people for a greater cause – combating the suffering of children in less fortunate countries.
In 2005 she visited Ghana with UNICEF and began raising awareness and plenty of money for bicycles to aid children in getting to and from school. “I saw the bicycles being very effective and I was determined to find more funds for them,” she says. “Over the last couple of years that has gone way over our expectations.”
Westenra doesn’t plan on stopping there either. She’s keen to visit other third world countries while going back to Ghana to tighten the bond she originally formed with the place. “Until you’ve met the people first hand and seen the situations in the flesh you can still be easily distanced,” she says of the experience. “It was a very motivating trip.”
With an already tiresome travel schedule, trips to places such as Ghana are becoming more difficult. During May and June, Westenra toured through the United States attracting much attention to the tracks off her most recent album, ‘Treasure’. The collection is essentially a mix of native New Zealand songs and Irish born tracks with a Celtic touch. This is an exciting venture for Westenra, as it adds something fresh to her distinct sound.
“I’m really proud of the album,” she says. “I think it’s a really good balance of moving forward yet at the same time not forgetting our past.” Fans will undoubtedly be happy with what she’s come up with. It can only be described as emotional, thought provoking and relaxing – the kind of music that allows the listener to drift off and get lost in its sound. Westenra, as she typically does, plays down the album’s success. “What I was really excited about for this album,” she says, “was the fact that I managed to get my act together and write some songs for it!”
Although she may have been joking, Westenra has definitely been busy. She has endured what she describes as “hours upon hours” collaborating with a co-writer to tell her story in a biography, while also finding time to tour. It’s a lifestyle that could easily result in burnout.
“I only get low if I’m sick and have singing commitments,” she says, affirming her positive attitude. “When you’re sick and have back to back performances it becomes a bit of a nightmare. I just call up my family and talk it through, I also go for walks and I guess a bit of retail therapy helps sometimes.”
Another therapy for Westenra is arguably her most inspiring of performances – the singing of the New Zealand National Anthem at All Blacks games. Although unfortunately, it’s yet to be confirmed if Westenra will travel to France to inspire the team with her singing, her Kiwi Ceili will at least supply the team with some prior motivation. More importantly, it’s a night of fun before the serious stuff gets underway.
“We’ll be covering New Zealand favourites and a few new things,” she says, excited at the possibilities and surprises. “It will be our big send off for the All Blacks!” With a fantastic line-up of talent and the live sound of Westenra, it’s a more than that – it’s a celebration of New Zealand.
Stephany