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February 21 - 27, 2018
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Gulf Weekly WELCOME HOME

Gulf Weekly Stan Szecowka
By Stan Szecowka

CHART-TOPPING singer James Arthur, one of Bahrain’s most famous expat sons, will be returning to the kingdom to perform at this year’s Spring of Culture annual festival.

The 13th edition of the two-month-long cultural programme boasts an array of talent from all over the world … but at one school in the kingdom the biggest buzz this week has been all about the ‘homecoming’ of one of its pupils.

Former teachers and classmates at the British School of Bahrain (BSB) remember the star as James Rafferty, or simply Raff, the ‘class clown’ with a passion to perform during his four years as a pupil. He has told friends: “I can’t wait to touch down in the kingdom again!”

BSB head of school Julie Anne Gilbert told GulfWeekly: “We are so excited he is coming back to Bahrain and hope he will have time in his busy schedule to pay us a visit.”

James shot to fame in winning the TV talent show X Factor in 2012, aged 24, and enjoyed a massive hit single Impossible and successful debut album. A photograph of him wearing his BSB school uniform was placed in the school library which also contained copies of his book highlighting his happy times as a pupil.

Shy James, with his eyes on the ground, looked little like the charismatic singer now playing sell-out shows and with chart-topping singles to his name.

The official TV talent show winner’s book James Arthur – My Story, published by Harper Collins, revealed how he moved to Bahrain at the age of nine but he had to return to the UK when his mother and stepfather split up.

He said: “I especially liked school as all the kids in my class were from all over the world, so I experienced a lot of different cultures.

“When I first realised that I wanted to be a singer I kept it to myself, and it wasn’t until I moved to Bahrain that I even took part in a school performance.”When he was 12 and 13 he won leading roles in the school musicals Oliver! and The Pirates of Penzance, notching the ‘Performance of the Year’ award for his latter role as the general.

“Whenever I was in plays it was because my teachers used to encourage me to get involved, and they really pushed me, otherwise I’m not sure I would have bothered,” he revealed. “We stayed in Bahrain for a few years and I had an amazing time.”

James is fondly remembered by his fellow students and teachers at BSB which was based in Adliya when he attended.

Shortly after his TV success, ex-classmate Alexandra Potter, who had since moved to the US, told GulfWeekly how she remembered how happy and easy going the sociable young James was.

Alexandra, said: “He was very funny and never took anything seriously, and was friends with everyone. The teachers were very fond of him as well as he would joke around with them and the whole class loved to watch.

“I feel a sense of pride that I knew him and even more so that he went to my school in Bahrain.”

Teacher Brenda Laskey also told this newspaper at the time: “I remember James as a confident singer and budding guitarist who often performed at school talent events.

“He developed a strong, clear voice. His presence in performance was always emotionally-charged and vivid: the contrast between his slight frame and the intensity that he conveyed was striking even then.

“Fortunately for James the music teacher at the time, Yvonne Edge, was a vocal specialist in her own right and a music graduate who, during her time at the BSB, worked hard to establish a high standard of solo and choral singing here and encouraged students like James to find their own voice.

“Life was not easy for James in the end for a number of reasons, but when he was making music he was in his natural element.”

In fact his teenage life spiralled out of control when he had to return to the UK at the age of 14. He recalled the trauma of having to leave behind a comfortable expat lifestyle and ending up in foster care.

Fame was not initially kind either. After the massive hit single Impossible and successful debut album, things once again went disastrously wrong for the singer-songwriter, caught up by the whirlwind of sudden fame. He was axed from TV show mogul Simon Cowell’s record label after a number of fallouts over his lyrics and behaviour on social media.

After scooping the X Factor crown - James must have thought he was swapping his miserable bedsit for a life of fame, fortune and glamorous ladies. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

But everyone loves a comeback story. Two years on, he was back with his feet firmly on the ground and armed with the emotional acoustic hit Say You Won’t Let Go, which soared up the charts to No 1 globally, from the equally successful album Back from the Edge.

Julie Anne was one of those listeners emotionally touched by the song which was played extensively by Radio Bahrain and Studio One FM. “When I heard the song for the first time on the way to school I did not know who was singing it,” she told GulfWeekly at the time of its release. “I remember thinking that the lyrics were brave and original and I loved the sound.

“It is such a good song and although the voice sounded strangely familiar I didn’t immediately recognise it. The ‘of course’ moment happened when I listened to it again in the evening. I’m so delighted for this young man – we would love to invite him back to the school.”

It was first hoped an appearance could slip soundly into the year-long celebrations which marked the 200th anniversary of British-Bahraini diplomatic relations with 200 activities across the kingdom but tour arrangements were already in place.

Now the big stage at Bahrain Bay has been set aside for James Arthur’s long-awaited return to the kingdom on Friday, March 23, at 8.30pm. Tickets, priced BD20, BD30, BD40 and BD60 will go on sale shortly.

He’ll be playing all his hits and new material too. “I grew up with my mother’s soul music, but my father loves hard rock like AC/DC and Thin Lizzy. You get a little bit of everything,” he added.







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