- Title: PERU: Rock star Sting prepares for first concert in the country
- Date: 23rd February 2011
- Summary: LIMA, PERU (FEBRUARY 22, 2011) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) BRITISH ROCK STAR 'STING' ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS WORKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) STING SAYING: "You know this is my first visit to Peru. Although I've spent a long of time in South America, I've never been to Peru although it's a country that's fascinated me for many, many years-- historic
- Embargoed: 10th March 2011 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Peru, Peru
- Country: Peru
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA7AOC5CUUUN29RLBKMRGD5IO5
- Story Text: British musician Sting admits he is a Peru "beginner" ahead of his first concert in the country.
British rock star Sting was in Lima on Tuesday (February 22), ahead of his first performance in the Andean country.
As an ardent campaigner for rainforest conservation, the former frontman of the Police has travelled extensively in the continent, but said this was his first time in Peru.
"You know this is my first visit to Peru. Although I've spent a long of time in South America, I've never been to Peru. Although it's a country that's fascinated me for many, many years-- historically, archaeologically, culturally, so I'm really a beginner with Peru. I've always longed to go to Machu Picchu and I think I will go very soon. I have no time on this trip," said Sting.
The singer, whose real name is the rather less rock-and-roll Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, is known for experimenting with various musical genres.
"You know I've never really taken the separation between music forms very seriously. I think whether it's classical music or jazz or pop music or folk music, it's using the same building blocks, it's using the same common language to make music. My interest is the future of music and sometimes to find the future of music, you have to go back, go in reverse. I'm curious about it. I don't know what the future of music is. I don't know what the future of my music is but I'm curious and being curious is the first step," he said.
The 59-year-old, known for being politically outspoken, also gave his opinion on current protests in the Middle East and ongoing violence in Libya.
"I'm very intrigued by what's going on in the Middle East at the moment. I think one of the most useful things about the events is that I think in the West, we look upon Arab culture as being monolithic and simple and what has come out of this conflict is how complex the society is; it's just as complex as ours and therefore the stereotypes are being counterproductive. So we need to treat the Arab world in the same way we treat each other. What's happening in Libya is appalling. It's really about a man desperately trying to hold on to power when he has no business holding on to power. I hope it stops soon. I hope that Egypt and Tunis are the best examples we have of a revolution that's largely free of violence and that's the wave of the future I hope," said Sting.
Sting is often seen at the side of his wife, Trudie Styler, with whom he has formed a rainforest conservation charity. He spoke highly of his family's support.
"I measure my success by my relationships with my family, with my friends, the people I work with and if those relationships are healthy, then my life is a success. If those relationships are unhealthy, then there is no success. Even though you have money and you sell albums and concert tickets, if you don't have relationships that have integrity, love, then it doesn't matter. So that's success really," he said.
Sting is playing at Lima's Monumental stadium on Wednesday (February 23), where he will be joined onstage by Peru's Symphony Orchestra. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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