MY FAVOURITE place in the world is Brazil. I think of it as “God’s country”. It’s like He breathed and suddenly it was there. I’ve toured it since the early 1960s, and I suppose it grew on me. I do remember finishing one tour there about 15 years ago, when we were getting ready to go back to the States. I woke up in my hotel room the morning after the final concert, opened the curtains and looked out over the Atlantic Ocean. The sun was rising, the beach almost deserted and I suddenly thought to myself: “I know where I’m supposed to be — and that’s here.”
The people are wonderful — even where there’s poverty you find things that the rest of the world has lost. Brazilians care about their families, they’re kind and naturally friendly. They love God and aren’t afraid to let people know.
Music is so important there. It’s the pulse of life — you hear it everywhere, people just sing along. My favourite area is Salvador da Bahia, on the northeast coast. They play a small drum, the afoxé, and the place is famed for its samba music.
I’m a sun-worshipper and Brazil’s beaches are beautiful, of course, but I only want to look at them. My friends down there think I’m crazy, but I don’t like sand. I’m not a swimmer, either, and so although I like looking at the ocean, it’s an awful lot of water to swallow. I’ll jump in and right back out of a swimming pool, and then lie down and listen to music or read a book.
Everything you eat in Brazil is grown in your garden, bought from the market or caught in the sea. They have a dish called feijoada, which I love. It’s pork and beans all cooked up in a stew that you eat with rice. It’s very simple but, when you’re sitting on your balcony overlooking the ocean, it really does taste better than just about anything else in the world.
We travelled quite a bit when I was young, because my mom and dad liked to go on road trips around the States. We lived in New Jersey, so we would go up and down the eastern seaboard. We also went to the Midwest, and as far as Chicago and Detroit. We even drove to Texas once — the longest drive of my life. But, for me, the best bit of the whole trip was getting the chance to stay in a hotel. I’d lie in bed unable to sleep because of the thrill of it. I was about 13 or 14, and I remember being so excited because I saw a real cowboy — up till then I’d only ever seen them at the movies.
Looking back now, what was great was that my parents did these trips for us. They wanted to give us exposure to different people and lifestyles, and for us to develop a taste for travel, so that when we were older we’d get out and see the world — which I did.
Japan is wonderful, too. People think it’s all buildings and crowded streets, but what surprised me when I first went, and what I appreciate every time I return, is that it’s very green, very floral. Japanese gardens are so calming, so tranquil.
I love to shop when I’m travelling, especially for clothes and shoes. A credit card is my vacation nemesis. I used to take an extra empty suitcase with me, but I’ve been threatened so many times by my accountant. He finally decided the only way to deal with my shopping compulsion was to put me on a strict budget — I’ve got a certain amount to spend now and that’s it. It’s so unkind.
Some celebrities try to disguise themselves when they’re away, with sunglasses and big hats. I’ve never done that. People occasionally come up to me and start singing Heartbreaker or San Jose — it’s happened in London, Paris, Africa, all over the world. Sometimes I join in, sometimes I just let them do their thing.
Many years ago, someone at a hotel front desk asked: “Are you registering in your own name?” I thought he’d lost his mind. I said: “Whose name should I register under?” He explained that some of their famous guests used aliases. I did try it, but when one of my friends rang my room and asked for the alias I’d checked in under, I said: “Sorry, you’ve got the wrong room” — I’d completely forgotten that I’d given a false name.
Now, if the clerk asks for an alias, I say: “Just put Dionne Warwick on the register. That’s who I am.”
