Jamelia Niela Davis was born on 11 January 1981 and has always loved to sing. Jamelia started her life of stardom 7 years ago in 2000, when she impressed music executives at Parophone records, when she performed songs she wrote herself.Her UK chart toppers include; Superstar and Thank you.Recently Jamelia has launched a government campaign to get children singing more in primary schools.Could you tell me a little bit about the government campaign you have launched to get children singing in the classroom?“Ok well the campaign is called ‘Sing Up’ it’s a fantastic campaign encouraging children of primary age to participate in quality group singing every single day. It will improve their musical skills, their health, their confidence, their behaviour – it really is important and I think a lot of schools at the moment don’t list it as a high priority thing but it really is important, it will help every other academic subject and also it’s a fun activity for them to bring to the class rooms”What inspired you to start the campaign?“I didn’t personally start the campaign; the manufacturer Howard Goodall started the campaign. Basically there are 17000 primary schools in England, and not many of them see singing as important and research has been done that the benefits of group singing are huge basically and we want to encourage schools really to sign up to sing up the website is www.singup.org they have to log on, it’s a free website, and there is free music to download, we want all teachers, whether they are music teachers or not to sign up and become involved and encourage their children to sing. Part of the reasons schools aren’t doing it because the teachers as well don’t have much confidence because we are giving them the resources so they have no excuse.”What do you think the response will be like from the children?

“I think children are very enthusiastic they love to sing me included I look back and remember when singing brought so much fondness and happiness and a smile even singing, “If Your Happy and You Know It”, everybody can’ t help but join in and its fantastic that Sing Up can provide that experience now a days it’s so important.”

Well I was going to ask you how you will persuade the kids to sing because I can imagine that some of them won’t like to sing?

“It’s not about being interested in singing, it’s more to show that it is a necessity in school it’s an activity that everybody can have the chance to be involved in, and should be involved in – it’s not about being interested in the same music or hitting the right notes it’s about an activity that has so many fantastic benefits and learning being one of them we hope to incorporate it into things like maths, English most subjects basically. We all remember rhymes and poems such as ‘I before E except after C’ blah, blah, blah, you can put things like that into a song, I mean my six year old daughter knows so many songs and I would love it if she knew her times table just as well. This is what the campaign is helping to encourage. My daughter actually sings everyday at school and anyone would tell you I have extremely smart children.”

You mentioned earlier that the campaign will improve Health, confidence and behaviour, How can you be sure it will do this?

“Well the research has been done, The top 30 schools in England were contacted and these schools had singing at the heart of their curriculum and the result speak for them selves and they didn’t need any extra help so we need to get all schools involved and give children the opportunity”

I have heard recently that you will be appearing in strictly Come dancing in 2008, for sport relief, is this true?

“There are absolutely no plans of me doing any kind of dancing what so ever”

You have been performing at various shows and in different places live recently where has been your favourite place to perform live?

“My favourite place to perform is in schools and singing with children which is what I’m doing for the next few years.”

Your latest album, Superstar – The Hits, failed to make the U.K Top 40 why do you think this was?

“Because the campaign, Sing Up wasn’t in place.”

Femalefirst - Heather Cowley

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