10 minutes with Nelly Furtado

MANILA, Philippines – “I’m Like a Bird” became the anthem of young females around the world (including yours truly) when the song topped the charts in 2001.

Since then, Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado has come out with hits like “Powerless (Say What You Want),” “Promiscuous” and “All Good Things (Come to an End).” 

The fangirl in me jumped at the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interview the pop star over the phone for Rappler. How can anyone resist an interview with an artist who has a song entitled “Maneater”?

I was told that I would be interviewing Furtado for 10 minutes over the phone at 10:15PM. At exactly 10:15, my phone rang and the interview began. 

In exactly 10 minutes, Furtado shared 10 things we didn’t know about her:

1) On the Philippines: 

When Nelly hears the world “Philippines,” she thinks of her daughter.

“My daughter is quarter-Filipina. Her grandmother is Filipina, and I’m sure (my daughter) gets some of her beauty from (her grandmother).” 

2) On her daughter:

Furtado’s 9-year-old daughter Nevis appears to be following her mommy’s footsteps. She’s already exhibiting great interest in music.

“My daughter plays the violin and piano,” Furtado says with pride.

3) On Filipino food:

“I’ve eaten lots of different Filipino food over the years. I hope there’s puto in my dressing room!”

We also hope the organizers are reading this.

4) On her upcoming album:

Furtado’s 4th English-language studio album, Spirit Indestructible, will be launched in September 2012. Her last album was in Spanish, entitled Mi Plan.

“(Spirit Indestructible) was recorded over 3 to 4 years. I had to choose the best 12 songs from about 40 songs,” she shares.

She describes the record as “energetic and fun, but there’s still a certain depth to it.”

5) On her olive skin:

Furtado has Portugese parents, which explains why the woman raised in British Columbia has a darker complexion than her fellow Canadians.

“I’m proud of my olive skin. It shows my Portuguese heritage and Mediterranean roots,” she says.

To maintain it, she drinks a lot of water and makes sure she “doesn’t get stressed.”

6) On AIDS/HIV awareness:

In 2006, Furtado was one of the top-billed performers for the AIDS awareness concert in South Africa for World AIDS Day.

She also reached out to teens and young adults by being part of a TV show on AIDS/HIV that aired on MTV with stars like Justine Timberlake and Alicia Keys as part of the Think HIV campaign.

7) On her main advocacy: 

Furtado is the ambassador of Free the Children, an organization where children help children through education.

In 2011, she donated US$1-M to the organization to build schools for girls around the world.

“We’re also building medical clinics, and with that comes AIDS/HIV awareness. Everything’s connected: health, education, environment,” Furtado muses.

8) On raising funds for her advocacy:

100% of the proceeds of the specially designed Spirit Indestructible t-shirt will be given to the construction of a new all-girls’ high school in Kenya, Africa, called Oleleshwa.

9) On inspiration:

The song “Miracles” in her upcoming album was inspired by her trips to Africa and her experiences as Free the Children’s ambassador.

10) On collaborations:

The hitmaker has collaborated with artists like Timbaland, Flo Rida and Bryan Adams.

When asked who else she’d want to belt a tune with, she candidly answers, “It would be fun to sing a song with Manny Pacquiao. I like a lot of the things he represents and I’ve heard him sing in that late night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live.”  

A duet of “Sometimes When We Touch,” perhaps? – Rappler.com

On Thursday, August 16, Nelly takes the stage at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with American rap rock band Gym Class Heroes. For ticket information, visit www.ticketnet.com.ph or call (02) 922-5555.