the
last word
Actress and singer Patti Boulaye is star of stage and TV screen. When not treading the boards, she is busy running Support Africa, an HIV and malaria charity. Her new show, Sun Dance, opens in London this month
What prompted you to set up Support for Africa?
A little boy called Victor who my husband and I met in a children’s
home on a visit to Africa. I thought it was a home for abandoned babies, but
it was for children with HIV. There were about 60, and among them was this
little boy in the corner. I thought he had malnutrition, but in fact he had
full-blown Aids. He was only one and I’d never seen a baby with Aids
before. We tried to save him but we couldn’t. Then we just thought we’d
continue what we’d started.
What sort of work does the charity do?
We’re an awareness charity. Nigeria, where we built our first two clinics,
has the largest population in Africa with 256 dialects and the message just
isn’t getting across. There are some stupid ideas: like witch-doctors
who say you have to purify your blood by sleeping with virgins. As a result,
younger and younger women are becoming infected. Some are little more than
babies. This mostly happens in villages, not towns, because the villagers
are only getting second hand information. It’s like Chinese whispers:
by the time the information reaches them it’s totally different and
spiked with witchcraft and all kinds of nonsense. We’re setting up centres
in rural settings, so they get the information in a way they understand from
their own people.
In 2002 you organized Reaching Out for Africa - a fundraising concert
at the Royal Albert Hall. Was it stressful?
A bit, yes. It raised enough to get the charity going and build the first
clinic. That was good, but it’s not something I want to do again. We
had people like Cliff Richard, Gabrielle, Uri Geller, Maisie Williams, Rick
Waller and 3,000 gospel singers. It was fantastic, but my husband had to carry
me out of the building. It was a whole year of solid work.
Tell me about your new show, Sun Dance.
I’ve been putting it together for the past ten years. I wanted to do
a black Riverdance because studying African culture has been my hobby since
I left school. I wanted to do for Africa what Riverdance did for Ireland.
When you say Africa to people they think war and famine. I want them to think
of Sun Dance.
What’s the show about?
It’s life seen through the eyes of an African woman featuring ceremonial
dance and rituals. I wanted it in a form that has no language and barriers:
music and dance. It’s a spectacular show and I’m really glad to
get it on stage finally. On the 18 May we’re raising money for Support
for Africa. We’re hoping to build our first orphanage.
You’ve recorded, done film, stage and TV, but what’s been
the high point of your career?
The Queen’s Golden Jubilee, marching with 5,000 gospel singers. I wrote
the song, did the recording and timed it. I felt proud of myself correctly
calculating the 25 minutes I had to get 5,000 people from Admiralty Arch and
past Buckingham Palace with military precision.
What’s the biggest problem facing Africa as you see it?
Corruption and bribery. The British Prime Minister does his best by giving
money to Africa, but we know it doesn’t always go where it’s supposed
to. How are they to police it? Yet the British government has to be seen to
be helping. It’s a Catch 22 situation.
Do you see any solution?
The solution for Africa will be its women; that’s from my experience
of the women I’ve encountered through the clinic. There’s one
woman we call Amazing Grace. She’s built two clinics voluntarily - completely
free of charge and supervised everything. So, I think ultimately the women
will be Africa’s solution. It’ll take the strength of a woman
to say: “Sorry, I’m not taking your bribe. Go to hell”.
David G Taylor
Patti Boulaye’s Sun Dance runs 13 May to 25 June at the Hackney Empire
with a Support for Africa benefit night on 18 May. Bookings on 020-8985 2424.
www.pbsundance.com
