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The 5-minute Interview: N'Dea Davenport, Musician

'I love miniature goats and some day I will have some real ones'

Wednesday 27 February 2008 01:00 GMT
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(Getty Images)

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Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, N'Dea Davenport, 40, is best known for fronting the jazz funk band Brand New Heavies. In 1995 she went solo but rejoined 10 years later. Now the band are touring, and will be performing at tomorrow's Cancer Research Sound & Vision event at the Abbey Road Studios

If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be...

Sleeping. I sleep at odd hours. I am kind of a nocturnal person.

A phrase I use far too often is...

"Shit". It's bad and I am trying to curtail it but it keeps creeping back.

I wish people would take more notice of...

Children and old people. They shape how our lives will be in the future.

The most surprising thing that happened to me was...

That audiences have taken so kindly to me and what I have to contribute. Music is a common ground for people.

A common misperception of me is...

That I am more serious than I really am. I am actually quite humorous. Maybe it's to do with the music – it can seem like the music we create is very complicated but it is actually really simple.

I am not a politician but...

If I was I would create my own kind of politics. I don't think that the politicians would like me very much. I would get on much better with the people. The CIA would be on my back.

I'm good at...

Architecture. Some people do jigsaws whereas I draw buildings.

I'm very bad at...

Computers, but I have people around to help.

The ideal night out is...

Me spinning vinyl on the ones and twos.

You know me as a singer, but in another life I'd have been...

A goat herder. I have this love of miniature goats and some day I will have real ones. I have been planning for it for three years now. You can't have them as pets in Brooklyn but you could probably have a petting zoo.

The best age to be is...

Always the one you're at – you've got to make the best of any age.

In a nutshell, my philosophy is this:

You have to be you and stop looking for approval from others.

Michael Wright

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