INTERVIEW: Shingai From The Noisettes

<p>We caught up with Noisettes lead singer Shingai, whilst she was in Africa. We talked Clarkson, Come Dine With Me and dressing up 'like a dinner lady on acid, going to a rave.</p> <p>by Jake Simpson | 3rd Aprl 2013</p> <p></p> <p> </p> <p><img src="http://www.thegayuk.com/communities/8/004/009/928/388/images/4590038901.jpg" width="461" height="306" alt="" title=""/></p> <p></p> <p>How’s Africa?</p> <p></p> <p>She sends her love, we’ve just had a monsoon, but the clouds have parted and it’s warm. I just went Bungie jumping with my brother over the Victoria Falls, which was amazing.</p> <p></p> <p>Whats the best thing about being a celeb?</p> <p></p> <p>The best thing about the job that I do, is that it doesn’t feel like a job, I get to share apart of me with lots of people. As for celebrity, I never know how to really deal with it. I love to get creative with the stage and costumes though. In one of the last shows, my costume was made of something that looked like a plastic table cloth and by the time Health and Safety were done spraying flame retardant on me, I looked like a dinner lady on acid, going to a rave.</p> <p></p> <p> </p> <p><img src="http://www.thegayuk.com/communities/8/004/009/928/388/images/4590038897.jpg" width="461" height="306" alt="" title=""/></p> <p>What's the one thing people are surprised to learn about you?</p> <p></p> <p>Erm, I’m very outdoorsy, I love getting on my bike and getting out to the country-side. I think it comes from the time when I was 11 I lived with my grandmother from Malawi - and the land was so green and fertile. I can go the glam thing, but I’m just at home putting on some riding boots and getting out there...</p> <p></p> <p>Any guilty pleasures?</p> <p></p> <p>I can sit on the sofa once in a while and have a TV marathon. I don’t know if any pleasures are guilty, I’m a complete petrol head, so I love Top Gear and Come Dine With Me.</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p> </p> <p><img src="http://www.thegayuk.com/communities/8/004/009/928/388/images/4590038899.jpg" width="461" height="306" alt="" title=""/></p> <p>Have you ever been mistaken for somebody else?</p> <p></p> <p>When I was in a hotel in Romania this guy thought that I was Whitney Houston - and I was like No No No (Laughs) She’s amazing… I wish… But he was like, ‘yes, yes, I Will Always Love You, my favourite song... and I was like it’s 2009 now so if I am (Whitney Houston) I’m looking really young! </p> <p></p> <p>Dead or Alive who would like to collaborate with?</p> <p></p> <p>Owwww, it would probably be Jimi Hendrix </p> <p></p> <p>That’s something we would love to hear!</p> <p></p> <p>Let’s make it happen!</p> <p></p> <p>If you were to do a reality show which would it be?</p> <p></p> <p>I would love to do Top Gear, I’m a die hard Top Gear fan, that’s if Clarkson wants me!</p> <p></p> <p>Getting political - gay marriage - Yay or Nay?</p> <p></p> <p>I say, people should be able to marry and join in matrimony to the people they love regardless the sex, the creed, the colour. In a time of a lot of world unrest we should be promoting love.</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p> </p> <p><img src="http://www.thegayuk.com/communities/8/004/009/928/388/images/4590038895.jpg" width="461" height="306" alt="" title=""/></p> <p>So tell us about the Fiesta! </p> <p></p> <p>I love the way you left it right to the end… Well it came about through the people I’ve collaborated with. What was really exciting about it, like I said - being a petrol head, was driving around in a new car and have my ideal day (which is what the current Fiesta ad focuses on) </p> <p></p> <p>I never thought that spending the day in a ford would be so glamorous.</p> <p> </p> <p>It was so nice to be pampered by the vice creative and team and ford crew.</p> <p> </p> <p>When they reunited me with my dear friend Nuwella in the guitar shop and enabled me to perform alongside my sister's beautifully choreography, it was like a dream come true.</p> <p> </p> <p>The cosmic golden bass and I instantly became friends. She fitting neatly into the back seat. All I had to do for the adventure to begin was to the turn the key and voice command one of my favourite songs for the ride.</p> <p></p> <p>I’m from the generation, where my first boyfriend’s brother had a Ford Capri, so Ford has always been a company I’ve watched with interest and the Fiesta was famous in the 90s, and before we shot the video I had no idea what the new car would look like, I had a vision of the 90’s, chavvy, Ford Fiesta - the kind of thing I’d see around Deptford - a pimped up version of that, but it’s beautiful. It’s great car and I had so much fun doing the video - and I can’t wait to see it!</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Check out Shingai’s Mum’s charity http://www.ponayi.org.uk</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>Related Stories:</p> <p></p> <p><a href="http://www.thegayuk.com/null">Interview with Julian Clary</a></p> <p></p> <p><a href="http://www.thegayuk.com/#/magazine/4574334751/INTERVIEW-MATT-FLINT-LORD-OF-THE-DANCE/5064747">Interview with Matt Flint</a></p> <p></p> <p><a href="http://www.thegayuk.com/#/magazine/4574334751/NEWS-Queen-To-Address-Anti-Gay-Discrimination/5114777">Queen to address Discrimination</a></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p> </p>