Heather Small's big soul - The Nation

Heather Small's big soul
By Daniel Calderbank
Special to The Nation
Published on March 2, 2010 [available at nationmultimedia.com]

The British singer talks about her involvement with a children's foundation and the future of M-People

British soul singer Heather Small opened her three-date Thailand tour with a short but sweet set in the leafy grounds of the British Club in Bangkok last Friday.

On a day when Thailand was transfixed by the ruling of the assets of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, the theme of the M-People singer's concert was all about helping those with nothing, with proceeds going to the Melissa Cosgrove Children's Foundation, a not-for-profit charity to help orphans and children living in squalor.

The charity was created by Pattaya-based Brit Tracy Cosgrove in 2001 and has received international recognition for its work.

On a breezy night not conducive to good sound projection, Small's distinctive voice, accompanied by two female backing singers, compensated for the absence of a band with a powerful performance that featured hits from the heyday of the '90's Manchester club scene, an era when M-People won two Brit Awards and the Mercury Music Prize.

Opening with a "Sight for Sore Eyes", the singer ran through the Manchester band's greatest repertoire, including "One Night in Heaven", "How Can I love You More?", "Search for the Hero" and the band's signature tune "Moving On Up".

Aside from the M-People catalogue, Small also dipped into her own material with a rousing rendition of "Proud", the soundtrack to the successful London 2012 Olympic bid.

In the company of the British Ambassador and assorted Bangkok luminaries seated in the VIP area near the front of the stage, Small's rich voice enticed those roped off at the back to dance during the closing stages of the gig, which lasted a little over 45-minutes in total.

Ahead of the concert, The Nation chatted with Small about the Cosgrove charity and her own future with M-People, as the group celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

Speaking of the foundation, she said, "Every child deserves to have a happy and peaceful environment, be educated and to be safe. That's a basic human right and I want to do anything I can to help Tracy's work.

"During this trip, I went to Burma to see schools and orphanages being built, which was very inspiring. The first thing I noticed is that the children [there] are allowed to be children and to be happy. They have been educated and they are safe. The children are looked after on a daily basis by local people, they are not taken out of their familiar environment. Home is home. They are also cared for by monks who bring calm, stillness and discipline."

On playing intimate concerts in Thailand, compared to previous gigs such as the Euro '96 Football Championship, where M-People played to 65,000 people at Manchester United's Old Trafford, Small said: "It's not the size of an audience that counts; it's the level of participation and appreciation that are more important."

And speaking of M-People's future, she commented: "It is 20 years since we started the band this year, so we might do something that is a celebration of that time. I'm not sure there will be more albums, but we will always do shows."

She also spoke briefly about today's plethora of "manufactured" singers from shows such as American Idol.

"I think performers should do their apprenticeship out on the road. There might be a short-cut to fame, but there is no short-cut to experience and when you are out there live, over time, you learn how to manage a crowd and with these new format shows, you can bypass all of that.

"One day you can be an unknown, then the next day you are famous and everyone expects you to deliver on an international scale and I don't think many people can do that."

Simon Cowell, take note!

Pattaya People TV

An evening with Heather Small,
Taken from: pattayapeople.com

"A fundraising charity concert with world famous soul singer, Heather Small and guests, was held at the Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort on the evening of the 27th February. London born, Heather has been touring Thailand with her charity concert to raise money to support the Melissa Cosgrove Children Foundation, helping underprivileged children in Thailand and Burma. Heather’s distinctive voice has sold 10 million albums worldwide, including her solo album ‘Proud’ and her involvement with the popular M People group."

Heather on Wave.fm Thailand

Heather Small appeared on Wave88.fm yesterday, Thailand's biggest English spoken radio station.
Here she is with DJ Paul Jackson, you can check out a selection of photos of Heather in the studio on the radio stations facebook page.

Thailand Interview

Heather Small gives an e-mail interview to a Thailand newspaper.

click to enlarge

Thailand Tour 2010

Heather is performs 3 concerts in Thailand in aid of Melissa Cosgrove Childrens Foundation.

2010 Thailand Tour DatesFriday 26th February - Bangkok, British Club Lawns
Saturday 27th February - Pattaya, Centara Grand Beach Resort
Tuesday 2nd March - Koh Samui, KC Resort

Buy Tickets: Total Reservation

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[Press Release]
An EVENING with.... HEATHER SMALL

We are pleased to announce that HEATHER SMALL will be coming to THAILAND to perform ALL THE HITS for charity...LIVE!
4 CONCERTS
4 LOCATIONS
MILLIONS RAISED FOR CHARITY

After selling several million records, winning two Brit Awards and the Mercury Music Prize, performing across the globe and recording a track that has become an unofficial national anthem - international anthem even!

The Award Winning singer from M PEOPLE is without doubt one of the most successful female recording artists of recent years and she is coming to Thailand. Heather will be singing LIVE all the hits such as 'Moving On Up', 'One Night In Heaven' and 'Search For The Hero' and of course the Olympic Anthem “Proud”

The evenings are in support of the MELISSA COSGROVE CHILDRENS FOUNDATION and the fundraisers will be held over 4-nights in late February and early March.

DATES:
BANGKOK- BRITISH CLUB LAWNS on FRIDAY 26th FEBRUARY
PATTAYA- CENTARA GRAND BEACH RESORT on SATURDAY 27th FEBRUARY
KOH SAMUI- KC RESORT on TUESDAY 02 MARCH

[NOTE: More INFO on all the shows and activity coming soon]

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION
GIVING HOPE TO THOUSANDS

Award winning Fundraising guru Tracy Cosgrove has given hope to thousands of youngsters in Thailand through the Melissa Cosgrove Children's Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation which she set up after seeing at first hand the terrible conditions in which many are forced to live.

Her transforming work in orphanages, street children's projects, and for Aids and disabled youngsters, has received international recognition - and inspired hundreds of people who have been touched by her courageous story.

Now based in Pattaya, Thailand the MCCF team is working alongside the booming construction industry to continue giving hope and improving the lives of children living with their parents in the many squalid labour camps around the cities of Pattaya and Bangkok.

The starting point is to try and give the child...
‘The day in the life of a child’
A decent meal... Some new clothes...
A fun swim... An education... And day care centres... Very basic things which we take for granted in the West but which these children do not receive...

DETAILS ON SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES please contact Tracy Cosgrove at travelswithmum@aol.co.uk or call
Thai / English speaking: 0843520309
English Speaking: 0843520299

PRESS ENQUIRIES, PR ACTIVITY AND EVENT INFORMATION please contact Ruskie at ruskiecleaver@gmail.com

Supported by the BIG organization
http://www.mccf.uk.com/
http://www.bigorganization.ning.com/ [VIDEOS ON-LINE HERE]

Heather Small - Thailand Charity Dates 2010

Early next year Heather Small will be performing a set of Charity dates in Thailand.

The gigs are in aid of the Tracy Cosgrove Children's Foundation which helps under priveliged Children across Thailand.

Heather last performed for the accociated MCCF at a fundraiser held in Edinburgh's Jam House during November 2006.