As befits a bohemian grande dame of the arts, in conversation Marianne Faithfull exhibits that peculiarly aristocratic mixture of airy grandeur and ripe earthiness. Her smoked-through voice has become even more wonderfully imperious with age, even punctuated by a rather alarming cough and frequent expletives. The daughter of a British military officer and a Viennese ballerina with both toes in the Habsburg dynasty, Faithfull's regality is beguilingly rough around the edges.
Although it's her work ethic that drives her forward these days, a certain louche notoriety still clings to Faithfull. You sense she wouldn't want it any other way. She has certainly been through more in her 64 years than most. As Mick Jagger's girlfriend and a deceptively angelic pop doll she experienced the high-end of the Swinging Sixties while still in her teens. The desperate lows of heroin addiction and destitution followed before she cleaned up her life in the mid-1980s.
Since then she has rarely been idle. In the past decade alone she has appeared in Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette, regularly collaborated with her brood of "adopted children", which includes Polly Harvey, Jarvis Cocker, Beck and Damon Albarn, and written a second - although not terribly good - memoir, Memories, Dreams and Reflections.
Her new album, Horses and High Heels is her sixth in little over a decade, and one of her best. Recorded in New Orleans and produced by her long-time collaborator Hal Wilner, it's a warm broth of soul, rock and blues, mixing strong new Faithfull originals with hand-picked covers of songs by artists as diverse as the Shangri-Las, Lesley Duncan and Mark Lanegan. Jackie Lomax's No Reason is transformed into a Tumbling Dice-style Stonesy stomp, while Faithfull's sand and gravel voice adds a unique tang to old soul numbers like Gee Baby and Back in Baby's Arms.
"Hal came over to Paris in August and we went through our ideas," she says. "I mostly listen to stuff I've always liked, a lot of blues and soul: Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding. Hal persuaded me to try the soul angle on this record and it kind of worked out. I had a reticence because I didn't want to do it badly or be exploitative about it. I had to believe that my voice had something else to bring, but I think in the end it worked out."
Her creative roll isn't confined to making music. Faithfull has more than 40 years' worth of film and stage credits to her name, and she made two movies last year, Faces in the Crowd and Belle De Seigneur, both scheduled for release in 2012. "My career is definitely two-parted," she says. "My records and performing are one side, and there's my film. I'd love to work with Martin Scorsese. I have my dream directors but they haven't asked me to do anything. Now I work with a lot of very good people, but they're just not famous - yet."
Befitting a queen in exile, Faithfull lives mostly in Paris, although she also has a home in Ireland. It's clear that she lives firmly in the present, but she's gracious about acknowledging the long shadow cast by her past. Although her stint as a "proper pop star" back in the mid-1960s was brief, orchestrated with ruthless dispensability by Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog-Oldham, she remembers it as being "really wonderful. It was a great idea to leave school and learn all these new skills and make something of it. I was only picked by Andrew because I was so pretty. I don't think he expected more than one hit record, really."
That big hit was As Tears Go By, written by Jagger and Keith Richards. Both men remain friends, and I ask whether she has read Richards' recently published autobiography, Life. "Of course!" she roars. "I loved it; it was absolutely great." Is she comfortable with the way Richards recounts - in typically frank fashion - his liaison with Faithfull?
"A little bit of it is slightly shaky, but let's go with it," she laughs. "It's Keith's memory and it's his truth, and of course his memory is not going to be the same as mine. The bits concerning me aren't quite right, but I don't care. What I really liked was the stuff about the music, the feeling you get when writing and the feeling of being on stage."
She may have kicked heroin more than 20 years ago and stopped drinking in 2004, but Faithfull has had a turbulent time of it recently. In 2006 she was diagnosed with breast cancer, although rapid surgery prevented the disease spreading and she has fully recovered. In 2008 she cancelled her world tour due to what at the time was described as "general mental, physical and nervous exhaustion", and which she now calls "clinical depression". Little wonder she says today that "I spend a lot of time staying healthy, that's my first priority."
Another trial has been the much publicised end of a 15-year relationship with her manager, François Ravard. Happily, their friendship seems to have survived the end of the romance - she talks about him frequently, in the present tense and with obvious affection.
Ever since her landmark 1979 album Broken English, Faithfull has confronted every aspect of her life in song, however painful, and her break up with Ravard is raked over on Why Did We Have to Part, one of four songs she wrote for her new album. Her last album, 2008's Easy Come, Easy Go, consisted entirely of covers, but her songwriting spark returned for Horses and High Heels.
"I'm sad now that I only wrote four songs for this record," she says. "I could have written more. Since I started to write properly on Broken English it's never really been difficult, but as I get older it gets more so. I think for next time I'm going to start stockpiling songs like a real pro. I guess my writing is pretty individual. I don't hear any other songs like that."
She's rather shy about her aspirations for her new album, conceding that it would be nice to have a hit, while at the same admitting it is unlikely. "I think maybe I still have a slight longing for commercial acceptance," she says. "I know it's not going to happen, it's just one of my fantasies, a secret wish. I think François would laugh because it's not really 'me' to think about things like that, even though I started out in the pop business - it was all about the charts. If I was just beginning now I'd never get a record deal. I don't think the people on these X Factor programmes are very good, but they've got qualities that I never had: flashy voices, incredible dance moves that look fake, fake personalities."
"They're completely false," she drawls, with a stately shudder. Through all her extraordinary ups and downs, faking it has never been Faithfull's style.
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Race 3
Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars
if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Super%20Mario%20Bros%20Wonder
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Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Richard Jewell
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Brandon Stanley
Two-and-a-half out of five stars
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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