I confess that, before interviewing Camila Batmanghelidjh, I was not aware of her strong background in the performing arts. As it turns out, this leading charity worker and businesswoman is one of the most creative people I've ever met.
This week's guest Camila Batmanghelidjh
Her love of colour is pretty apparent - anyone who's seen Camila talking about her work on TV cannot have failed to notice her amazing dress sense – but only during the interview did I learn that the children she works with often source the fabrics used to make her amazing outfits, from all sorts of places including skips! They rush back to Camila bearing their gifts, knowing that she can incorporate this treasure (with the help of a seamstress) into one of her stunningly vibrant kaftans; I've seen one close-up now and can attest that they're created with incredible attention to detail, beautifully pleated and draped.
I was delighted when Camila referred to her love of felt-tipped pens, wondering if she was alone in her obsession. No! The other felt-tip obsessive is me (especially pink and mint green), a shared interest that made us both laugh. Camila is the sort of person who brings joy into a room. I apologised for possibly infecting her with my cold, but she wouldn't hear any of it. She was simply happy to sit, listen to music, and talk openly about her life, and all of its challenges.
I tried to understand how she maintains her calm and happy outlook as I felt fascinated, admiring and even a little envious of it, but that seems to be a mystery even to Camila herself. One thing that's for sure, great music helps, and that's something that I think we can all tap into.
And if you’d like to catch up with the complete interviews you can do so via the Essential Classics podcast
