Name: Claire Tonna
Age: 30
Occupation: Singer/songwriter and voluntary humanitarian worker
My best ever trip…
Calcutta is like going to my grandma’s house: it feels like everyone knows me and I know everyone else
That would be the whole voyage of life.
I have lived in India, Spain and the Canaries and all were extraordinary. Yet I feel that life itself is a journey.
Since 2008 I have been living in a number of different countries due to my passion for humanitarian work and singing. Every country, culture, city and village has shared with me its power and beauty.
Life is the cause of my joy: the best trip ever!
I felt so welcome in…
Calcutta, wow! Every time I land in this city of joy I am embraced by humanity’s living heartbeat; homeless people of all ages come running for a hug, asking what I need and for what they need.
Calcutta is like going to my grandma’s house: it feels like everyone knows me and I know everyone else. I feel safe, protected and at home.
Calcutta’s people want to give you everything, even if they have very little.
Since it is home to the poorest of the poor, people in Calcutta offer you their hearts, their joys, their pains and their hopes.
With joy you just give it all back – all your strengths, thoughts, smiles and solutions; all the ways to make people feel loved, alive, respected and empowered.
I tend to feel welcome everywhere. In Galway, Ireland, they called me Galway Girl.
In Galicia, northern Spain, they called me Hermana (‘sister’); in Tarifa, Andalucía, they called me Mi Hija (‘my daughter’); in Tenerife I was called Mi Nina (‘my child’)... and so on.
I feel that I have family everywhere and without doubt I am super lucky and grateful for this.
I couldn’t wait to leave...
Kathmandu in Nepal. I was there in 2009 for a week to attain my visa for returning to Calcutta, where I was involved in a humanitarian project.
There was a general strike; the streets were on fire and madness took over. Police and soldiers were everywhere, carrying guns of all sizes.
Fear was unbearably palpable.
Buses were not running so we had to walk for two days to a town where I could finally rest and get a train ticket to Calcutta.
The sadness I saw on people’s faces and the frustration of the city just made it a bad experience. I swore I would never go back to Kathmandu overland – the stress made me sick.
I managed to leave the country and I am grateful to have stayed alive. I couldn’t wait to leave but it was beyond my control. I am still thankful for the experience.
I learned my lesson: always take the plane to Kathmandu!
I partied hardest in…
I am not really the party type. My night-time outings are often my gigs, which are usually quite intimate. When I perform, I tend to be very sober, tranquil and at peace, so as to transmit clean beauty to my audiences.
However, in Ireland it was impossible not to party: the Irish people hardly let me sleep.
Also, being more or less based in Spain for four years meant I was always around a party atmosphere: Spain is the University of Party Life!
After lots of effort, the Spanish did finally accept that I am a non-alcoholic singer, so I just drank my coffee, stayed up, sang my passion and they danced.
I stay still and I party inside. I sit, sing and release my inner smile.
I cringe when I think of…
Marbella, a Miami-like city in the south of Spain. Last summer I was contracted to sing and perform in a number of super-posh clubs and beach bars there, so I had to stay in Marbella for a couple of weeks.
Reality is much better than any of my dreams
The climate was the only thing that kept me alive. I couldn’t take the cold attitude most people had – everyone was so focused on material value yet they had nothing alive inside.
It was all about big boats, big hats, big mobile phones and big cars. In three weeks I did not encounter one smiling face; I wanted to die.
Having been in Granada and Calcutta just before Marbella, it was a huge culture shock. I just can’t stand being surrounded by cold expressions; I tend to function much better in a place where people project the beauty they have inside rather than their fake outer ‘beauty’.
I wish I could live in…
I live where my heart wants to live. For the last five years I followed my wishes.
When I get a calling that makes me happy I follow that call. I sing, I earn the money I need and I move on to the next call.
I started 2012 in Calcutta. In February I landed back in Andalucía and sang about my experiences.
In June I moved to Morocco for three months to finalise my album with a divine writer and friend. In August I arrived in Malta to record the album and perform.
Now I am in New Zealand to launch my album and in three months I will be on tour in Australia.
Believe it or not, none of it was planned.
I somehow end up living in many different countries doing what makes me happy (voluntary work) and funding it by what makes me happy (singing). My heart is my home wherever I go.
I treasure the memory of…
Spending Easter in a slum with 30 women in Topsia, one of the poorest Muslim slums in south Calcutta
Living for three months in the Forest of Punto Paloma in the south of Spain.
Spending the whole of Christmas Day in Calcutta, cooking in the street and giving food to everyone.
Living with Chotolal in India and Romina in Majorca – two beautiful friends I had the gift of living with and taking care of before they left this life in peace.
Singing in Botafuegos prison in Algeciras, Spain, and in Shanti Dan, a Mother Teresa home that caters for the mentally ill.
Living for three months in a caravan on a beach in Puerto Pollenca, Majorca, where I sang in its old towns and swam on its galactic beaches.
The surprise visits from different friends in all the countries I have lived.
I could keep going as I have had much to treasure in my life....
I adored the food in…
Salceda, a little village in Galicia. I have been there a number of times to visit close friends and perform.
The food in Galicia is always delicious. Food is a sacred practice there and I can actually cook thanks to my Galician sisters and all the Galician flatmates I have lived with.
I love their wild-sized shellfish and seafood; their pulpo gallego (Galician-style octopus served on a wooden tablet) and their pimientos de padrón (long peppers soaked in salt and homemade olive oil).
They have quality ingredients that they prepare with so much love. I adore Galicia’s food and its people even more. Galicia Calidade te quireo teee!
I enjoy returning to…
Malta. I am happy to leave but only because I know I will eventually return.
Though I never have a fixed plan, I always visit my family and my homeland. Malta is the most special country and sacred place.
The hardest part of travelling is…
Leaving my parents and other close friends behind, often for a long time.
Travelling has taught me to…
Be a mother to myself. To accept life as it is. To stay optimistic and wise. To do everything mindfully and with heart. To be awake to life and live every moment in peace as if it is the last.
I think that living in different cultures provides the highest education one can attain. The greatest wisdom comes from experiencing who you are and the beauty of life.
I dream of one day visiting…
Sierra Leone. Most third world countries call me and I feel I will live in many of them. I find much joy and strength in such places. Someone said that the miracle is to walk on earth…
I travel because…
Life wants me to.
I am now launching my debut album The Port in New Zealand and will be touring Australia from February 17 to March 30. Who knows what will happen after that? Reality is much better than any of my dreams.
For more information visit www.clairetonna.com.