Six weeks ago, Rachael Calladine felt sudden chest pain that she put down to a sports injury. The Dubai-based jazz singer, who moved from the United Kingdom in 2009, considers herself to be physically fit, so when she was diagnosed with coronary artery spasm a few days later – a condition attributed to stress, high cholesterol and high blood pressure – she was taken aback.
Calladine, 46, says it isn’t uncommon for women to have a “get on with it attitude” towards their health, so to spread awareness about heart disease prevention in women she will perform with the NSO Jazz Ensemble for the Red Dress Gala this weekend at the Rosewood Abu Dhabi on Al Maryah Island.
The eight-piece orchestra will be led by the musical director Andrew Berryman, with Calladine providing the vocals for a selection of jazz and pop numbers, including songs by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Bruno Mars and Chaka Khan.
NSO’s founder, Janet Hassouneh, says they also wanted to celebrate annual National Wear Red Day this year to shed light on an oft-ignored topic. “We realised that we should start a community health programme to help raise awareness of the shocking prevalence of heart disease in women,” says Hassouneh.
Calladine, who researched her condition extensively, believes women need to be more alert about their health and says a lot of women “tend to put such pains down to indigestion”.
“They think they’ve eaten a heavy meal really quickly, which could be causing the uncomfortable feeling,” she says. “I got involved because I had recently gone through a similar issue and wanted to see what I can do to create the awareness. I couldn’t understand what was going on. At this stage it isn’t life-threatening, but if it goes undiagnosed and unmanaged, it could lead to a heart attack.”
In the UAE, 25 per cent of deaths are caused by the disease, with as many women dying as men, according to the Emirates Cardiac Society. Ministry of Health statistics show that in 2010 the main cause of death for women in the UAE was cardiovascular disease, followed by cancer and road accidents. And according to the World Heart Federation, heart disease and stroke cause 8.6 million deaths among women around the world every year.
Calladine, who has been singing for 29 years, says keeping stress at bay goes a long way to protecting the heart. “That’s what singing does for me,” she says. “It is who I am and the stage is a place where I can forget about things. My father recently died and two days later I was back on stage singing. It has been my thing through many a life crisis. Music is my happy place. Also, you have to learn breathing techniques which can reduce stress.”
The artist, who also writes commercial house and dance music, says the rebellious streak in her draws her to jazz.
“I don’t fit into the norm and jazz is the quintessential underground music,” she says. “There are no rules, you are free to express yourself any way you want and it changes every day. There is no formula like pop music and you end up making music together with like-minded people.”
Calladine has been expanding her prolific body of work since the age of 17. Back home, she found her feet at the prominent Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, where she performed 35 times. From there, she was picked up for concerts with the musical greats Prince, Kylie, Jamiroquai and The Spice Girls. She has also recorded three solo albums and has released music with labels such as Universal and Kwerk Records.
“It took me 19 years to get my first gig Ronnie Scott’s,” says Calladine. “I remember in the old Ronnie Scott’s there used to be this taped white cross in the centre of the stage and that’s where the singer would stand. When you stand there you realise who has been there – such as Nina Simone – and you are standing in the same place. It’s amazingly inspirational to be in that environment and be part of that family.”
Her favourite moment on stage was in 2000 when she performed with Prince.
“I realised then how all ‘true’ musicians are the same, regardless of their fame,” she says. “Prince is gifted and deserves all the accolades he gets, but at the same time he is humble and someone who’d continue to make the same music even if he wasn’t famous.”
Calladine says moving out from the hub of jazz music in the UK posed a challenge to her creative growth and she is constantly on the lookout for avenues to promote jazz in the emirate. The musician, who is managed by The Fridge in Dubai, currently runs jam sessions at Jazz at Pizza Express.
“I support any platform for live music, such as the Dubai Jazz Festival, but I think no attention is paid to local artists. The artists who perform here are more mainstream and pop, and resident artists aren’t invited to perform, even though there is a large jazz community here.”
• The Red Dress Gala is on Friday at the Rosewood Abu Dhabi on Al Maryah Island. Reception at 7.30pm is followed by dinner and concert (dress code is red). Tickets are Dh375 per person or Dh2,850 for a tale of eight. To book, visit www.timeouttickets.com or www.nsouae.org
