Spice Girls star Melanie C don tok say di 30th anniversary of di band’s debut single Wannabe wey fall on Wednesday na “very emotional day”.
Di singer wey dem formerly know as Sporty Spice recall say to see di song for shops bin “so exciting, because it was everything we dreamed of”.
Di track go on to become one of di defining singles of di 1990s, selling more dan eight million copies worldwide, and launching di band’s Girl Power agenda.
“We knew exactly what we wanted to achieve but nobody imagined di scale [of what] we go on to do,” tok di star wey her real name na Melanie Chisholm. “We go out, we conquer di world. We bin tell say we no fit, and we no go. But we do am.”
Di 52-year-old bin dey speak at di Nordoff And Robbins Silver Clef Awards at di Royal Albert Hall, where dem honour her wit di global impact award.
Di Spice Girls celebrate Wannabe’s 30th birthday wit separate posts for social media earlier dis week. Victoria Beckham tok say di song don “forever change our lives”, while Geri Horner write: “Thank you to my beautiful spice sisters.”
“Na very emotional day yesterday,” Chisholm tok for di red carpet. “We all dey in touch obviously, all of di girls, we dey so grateful and respectful of each other.”
She also recall Wannabe’s nail-biting first week on di charts. After 48 hours, e bin expect to enter di Top 40 at number six. When di chart finally publish, e race up to number three. “We just dey on cloud nine,” tok Chisholm. “Den e go to number one di next week – but we bin dey Japan, because we release di album for Japan before anywhere else. I remember we get to record performances and send dem back to Top Of Di Pops [and] we dey so frustrated because we want to enter dat studio. Luckily e stay dere long enough dat, on di third week, we enter di studio. And den e go on to spend seven weeks [at number one], so we get notin to worry about, really. E change all our lives forever. And some go say e change di world.”
Dem present her wit her award by actor Richard E Grant, wey play di Spice Girls’ harried manager Clifford for di 1997 movie Spice World. To mark di anniversary, he wear one of his original sparkling pink suits from di film.
Di Silver Clef Awards raise money for di musical therapy charity Nordoff and Robbins, wey help pipo wey dey live wit a diverse range of conditions, from autism and dementia to brain injuries, life-limiting illnesses, grief and trauma.
Oda prizes go to Sam Fender, wey win best live act; Jade Thirlwall, name best female; and Lily Allen, wey win di icon award. Speaking on stage, Allen speak about di healing effect music get for her own life. “I think music na inherently therapeutic, for di listening to am and for di making of am. Sometimes when words fail, music begin, allowing us to tap into di most human, most vulnerable, most fallible parts of ourselves. I don only really make am to be an icon because my life don make and save many times over by being lucky enough to make music.”
Di star return to di spotlight last year wit her fifth album West End Girl – a startlingly honest account of di breakdown of her marriage to actor David Harbour.
Singer-songwriter Jessie J, wey receive di outstanding achievement prize, tell BBC News say music don help her through two years of treatment for breast cancer, including a mastectomy. “Dat na di beauty of music, e hold your hand whenever you need,” she tok, singling out Bonnie Raitt’s I Can’t Make You Love Me as “a song wey don hold me for so many different moments for my life.”
As she receive her award, di star advise di audience to make di most of life. “You never know when your tits go be taken from you,” she laugh. “So enjoy your tits while you get dem.”
Andy Burnham take a brief respite from his campaign to become di next Labour leader and prime minister to attend di ceremony. E dey dere to present di legend award to Manchester indie heroes James – best known for songs like Sit Down, Laid, Out To Get You and Sometimes. “I dey present dis award on behalf of a generation of pipo wey ruin dem best going out clothes on beer-soaked dance floors because somebody tell dem to Sit Down. Dem do am because dem love dis band so much. And I be one of dose people.”
Di newly elected MP tok say e don fall in love wit James after buying dem Village Fire EP for 1986 (although e actually release for 1985). Noting say di band often incorporate political messages into dem music, Burnham promise, “I no go talk politics to you tonight. Except to say dis, ‘Count Binface, you dey carry di hopes of di nation. No let us down’.”
Di serial election candidate Count Binface dey stand for di Clacton by-election, triggered by di constituency’s MP, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, wey dey stand again.
US pop star Pink – known for hits like Get Di Party Started and So What – win di night’s biggest prize, di O2 Silver Clef. During di ceremony, she successfully bid £16,000 for a pair of tickets to see Harry Styles for New York – den immediately return her prize to be auction a second time. A second bidder pay £20,000, and return di tickets again, allowing dem to be sold for a third time. For total, di sale raise £52,000 for Nordoff and Robbins. As she accept her award, Pink pay tribute to di therapists, nurses and staff wey “give dem hearts and dem time” to Nordoff and Robbins every day. “Getting dis from an organisation wey run on compassion mean a lot.”
Meanwhile, actor Peter Capaldi present Scottish indie band Franz Ferdinand wit best group – a year after joining dem on stage at Glastonbury to play Take Me Out. Speaking backstage, di former Doctor Who star comment on speculation over di programme’s future. Last month, di BBC tok say e dey cancel dis year’s Christmas special, at di same time as show runner Russel T Davies announce e dey leave di long-running sci-fi show. “Oh, e go be back, definitely. Doctor Who go always come back,” Capaldi tok. “Di funny thing wey I dey experience at di moment, wey absolutely lovely, na say a lot of di kids wey watch me as Doctor Who don grow up. I keep meeting pipo wey be 21 or 22, telling me how important Doctor Who be to dem. And dat go happen wit Ncuti [Gatwa] and Jodie [Whitaker] and whoever di new person be. So e go happen, e too brilliant, e go along again for a minute.”
Di celebratory atmosphere at di Royal Albert Hall bin temper by news say Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler don die, at di age of 75. Chisholm bin among dose wey pay tribute to di star, wey she meet on an episode of di BBC TV show Never Mind Di Buzzcocks. “She just be wetin you imagine, she be as wild as her hair and her voice be, dat be her personality, fiery, funny. We get a scream together, she be so much fun, and e be a great loss, and e make me feel very sad to hear di news.” “God rest her soul,” add Jessie J. “She be one of di most incredible artists – but music never die, so di music and lyrics and stories wey she give us dey forever and ever.”
