Kirsty bertarelli - B-Beyond Magazine

When
Libby met
Kirsty
photo by Phil Griffins
The performance is beleaguered with
misfortune. It’s raining. Hard... The
Caribana music festival crowds seem
more concerned with wolfing down
meat sticks in beer tents than braving
the summer showers. Even those hardy
enough to venture out from shelter
to stage seem subdued. The obligatory
festival nut in this case is an elderly
lady who dares clap along with the
desperately encouraging bass player.
“The Swiss people are shy,” mutters my
companion. They sure are.
Unfazed, Kirsty Bertarelli delivers an
accomplished performance of tracks
including her recent UK dance chart hits
“Set Your Body Free” and “Green”. The
consummate professional, she cajoles and
corrals the weather wary crowd and is
endearingly appreciative when the applause
reaches a decimal beyond Swiss reticence.
Kirsty Roper was the Staffordshire born
Miss UK who in 2000 married entrepreneur
Ernesto Bertarelli, Swiss owner of the
biotech giant Serono. The Sunday Times
Rich List recently put Kirsty Bertarelli
as the UK’s richest woman. Why then
is she subjecting herself to the alwaysunpredictable
festival scene? Why not just
give the odd champagne-fuelled private
performance in a Gstaad alpine palace?
Or bathe in Beluga? Or bomb about in
a Bugatti? Or bounce her baby on her
Hastens Vividus mattress ($50,000, not
kidding)?
But marriage did not turn Kirsty into a
peeled-grape demanding chaise-lounger
- instead she forged on with her already
successful song-writing career and added
performer, designer and philanthropist to
the success inventory.
Her powers lie securely in song writing
but Kirsty sings too - from the heart in her
disctinct breathily sweet vocals. The crowd
slowly loosens from its torpor. At one point
she blows a kiss to a ravishing woman in
the audience: “This is for you, Miriam,” she
says. The song is sweetly sad and Kirsty’s
voice wavers, closed-throated and pitchy
with emotion; tuning eschewed in favour of
truth.
After the performance she is embraced
by the entourage, all of whom had been
Britishly bopping about backstage. “You
were fabulous, darling!” they gush. And
she really was. She opened the festival to
indifferent crowds and won them over.
The ravishing Miriam arrives flinging
herself into Kirsty’s arms. “I’m so sorry.
I should have warned you I was going to
sing it.” “No, no, it was beautiful, you were
beautiful,” Miriam replies.
Ernesto Bertarelli, looking sporty yet
slightly forbidding in his Alinghi team
attire, marches up to his wife and
congratulates her. “You did a great job. It
was a good show.” He is brusque and matter
of fact. None of the backstage hysteria.
She looks at him with a touching, little girl
gratitude.
When I finally get my time with her, she
is heaven. She is no remote, air kissing,
smug socialite but all warmth and kindness.
I compliment her on her performance
and she hugs me. A real hug. Sitting in
her little dressing room trailer, sipping
on champagne, her eyes still shine with
performance elation. She is a tiny, like a
toned Daryl Hannah. She is considerably
younger looking than her 40 years, who
speaks with a curiously transatlantic twang
for a Staffordshire lass who found herself in
Switzerland, but it is pretty and melodious
and it suits her.
I show her a copy of our magazine and she
giggles her approval of the edgy design.
With that we are ready to begin.
You are a fashion designer as well as a
musician. Who or what inspires you?
I’ve got so many designers that I love.
Giorgio Armani because the clothes are
strong and structured. And I’ve always loved
Libby Caudwell talks to
Kirsty bertarelli
at the Caribana music
Festival
BBEYOND 2011/2
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10 BBEYOND 2011/2
the floaty femininity of Valentino. I also
love up-and-coming British designers such
as Alex Noble. For me fashion is always a
mood. It’s fun to play different people by
wearing something that can take you to
another headspace.
Tell me about your collection.
I did a collection for Alinghi (the sailing
syndicate set up by her husband) because
back in 2007, the designs were mainly for
men. Knowing that I’m creative they asked
me to design some ladies’ wear. So I initially
created a more feminine, fitted collection,
which was such a success and I ended up
doing a line for the team as well.
Do you see any future fashion
endeavours?
Maybe, not at the moment. I am
concentrating on the music. I enjoyed
designing but I think I would be burning
the candle at both ends. I want to
concentrate on my family and my music
and, you know, you have to get a balance.
What music do you enjoy listening to?
Adele. I love her voice. Also I’m writing a
lot of high-energy dance tracks so I’ve been
listening to the Black Eyed Peas a lot. They
are inspirational to me. They always seem to
originate a fresh sound.
What have you got planned for your
music in 2011?
I recently performed at the Sundance
festival which is a dance / electro festival
with DJs Igor Blaska and David Guetta.
I’ve been writing a lot so I’m excited about
all the new songs I’ll be releasing. “Set Your
Body Free” went to Number 1 in the Dance
charts recently, which I think is quite an
amazing achievement.
I’ve collaborated with Igor on “Green”, an
environmental dance anthem with proceeds
being donated to WWF to support their
ongoing conservation projects around the
world. “Miriam”, the song you just heard,
is coming out by the end of the year. I just
finished a great track with Matthias Rollo
called “Twilight”. I’m really happy that my
music is filtering into the UK because that’s
where my roots are.
You mentioned Miriam. Could you tell
me the story behind the song?
It’s a song dedicated to a very dear friend of
mine, whose husband loved her more than
anyone imagined.
photo by Julie Rheme
Is it true that you wrote “Black Coffee”
when you first met your husband?
Absolutely. It was when we first met. Again,
that’s when the best songs materialise when
the words are almost effortless and I have a
very strong emotion about something. “Sail
away, I miss you more, until you see the
shore. There I will be waiting, anticipating.”
He was always sailing away and I was trying
to bring him back to shore.
Was it strange to hear somebody else sing
such a personal song?
It was a little bit. Obviously I was thrilled
with the success. William Orbit did an
amazing version for All Saints, but I was
so happy that I sang it at my wedding. I
wanted people to know that I had written it
for my husband.
Proudest accomplishment to date?
My three children. They are an inspiration
to us all. It is the most wonderful love to
have children. They fulfil you in so many
ways.
Do you have a dream music venue?
Do you know what? I haven’t really thought
about it because I take every step as it
comes. Without too many expectations you
can only be thrilled about the next thing.
It’s a privilege to create music and then if
you have the opportunity to sing it and
share it, all the better!
Is there any area of your life in which you
do not feel fulfilled?
I know what I want to say. (Embarrassed
pause.) I’m just really frustrated with
my golf! It should be something more
important than that shouldn’t it? But it’s the
truth. I love my sports. Obviously with the
Bertarelli Foundation we are always striving
to achieve greater things and help more
people but personally, yeah, I would like to
improve my golf.
What is your major shortcoming?
Worrying I think. I’m a big, big worrier.
About anything and everything. It drives
everybody mad. It’s my mother’s fault, she’s
always worrying as well. It’s wonderful to
see that your children don’t always inherit
your characteristics! I see my daughter and I
love how knowing and confident she is.
Tell me a little bit about the Bertarelli
Foundation.
It’s active in many different areas, from
marine conservation to education, to
photo by Julie Rheme

funding orphanages and schools in underdeveloped
countries. I’m really proud of
Chagos. It’s the biggest marine reserve in
the world encompassing 1% of the world’s
ocean and we’re hoping to increase that
to 10% in five years’ time. It came about
after we watched a video called “The End
of the Line” presented by George Duffield.
I was so touched and shocked by it because
it emphasises the depletion of fish in the
world’s oceans. I love diving with my
husband and I have seen for myself what’s
happened in the last 10 years. I don’t want
my children to grow up in a world where
there’s no fish in the ocean.
Do you extend any charitable outreach to
the UK?
I was involved with “Facing the World”, a
charity which brings children from Third
World counties over to the UK in order
for them to have reconstructive surgery for
birth defects or disfigurements caused by
war crimes. We don’t have any UK based
organisations because the Foundation
focuses on a few different areas and then
puts the utmost effort into them. I get so
many letters asking for help but at the end
of the day, if you spread yourself too thin,
you’re not really doing any good at all. It’s
better to concentrate on a few things and do
them well.
12 BBEYOND 2011/2
How easy or difficult is it to reconcile
your music career with your
philanthropy?
I think it’s important to have a balance
and in fact I think I am accomplishing
quite well at the moment. I have monthly
Foundation meetings and I find time to do
music. You set an agenda and you try to fit
everything in as best you can.
What makes a philanthropist?
I think it’s a bit like music. When you feel
very strongly about something you give it
your all. It’s about considering what really
matters to you and, if you are in a position
to help, then to go out there and help as
much as you can.
photo by Chris Jackson
Do you collect art?
Yes. I appreciate art very much and I love
drawing in fact; it’s another part of the
creative side of me. I think when you are
creative it’s multi-faceted: whether it’s
writing or designing or drawing. I love
Tracey Emin at the moment. My favourite
piece, that we own, is a neon piece that says,
“I Never Stopped Loving You”. It’s just a
little phrase but it’s there for life. No matter
what happens, the ups and downs, it stays
true. I never stopped loving you, you know?
And it’s pink!
Does beauty play a part in success?
I think it’s important to teach your
children at a young age that beauty comes
from within and to encourage a sense of
self-worth. They need to understand the
importance of emotion and education, and
to live a full life, because in that way, you
will be beautiful.
To what extent is success dependant on
luck and how much of it is hard work?
I think it depends on what you want from
life. Some people are… more ambitious
than others. If you have a passion and you
act on it then you can be successful because
you are living your life exactly as you want
to live it and that’s up to every individual.
Success is relative.
There is nothing relative about Ernesto’s
success and as such he must not be kept
waiting any longer, and so I free Kirsty
to her husband and hoards of admirers. I
cannot resist introducing myself to the big
man and, for a second, all of that Swiss
sangfroid dissolves; he winks happily and
thanks me for being speedy. Oh, Lord. Now
that is success - when a simple gesture of
approval is enough to send endorphins skyrocketing
to the brain of the lucky recipient.
I know it, Kirsty knows it and I have no
doubt Ernesto does too. n
For more information on
Kirsty please check out her website:
www.kirsty-music.com