There are still lots of places around the world I want to visit. I have never been to Australia, India or China. If I went to China, I don’t think I would go with any big plan to see the Great Wall. I would just rather hang out there.
I know the north of Africa reasonably well, but I would really love to get to know the rest of the continent.
The local music in Senegal is amazing. I’m also interested in Hebrew music, so I’ve been listening to the new album by Yael Naim, who was raised in Israel and sings in Hebrew, French and English. I’d definitely recommend it.
We have our own island in the Bahamas. Surfing is not my thing, though, just swimming in the sea. Unfortunately, because we’re so busy, we haven’t had time to go there for a while. When Johnny [Depp, her partner] was filming Pirates of the Caribbean, I was able to visit him on location. The Caribbean is a beautiful place. I love the nature and the spicy food.
I take my two children on tour with me. We were in Europe recently, to promote my new album. They would watch me from the side of the stage and learn the words to my songs. I particularly like touring in France. Every gig is different, but I prefer it when a tour is quick so I can get back home again.
We don’t really live in one place. Sometimes it’s LA and sometimes the south of France. I come from Paris and when I go back there, I don’t let my fame stop me from doing normal things, like shopping or just walking down the street. I don’t hide beneath a hat, as that would make me a cliché. I have a job in the public eye and therefore it is inevitable that people are going to recognise me. That will never stop me from living my life, though.
I still get jokes from cab drivers about my first hit single, Joe le Taxi. But as it’s been 20 years since it was released, they have at least calmed down a little.
Vanessa’s latest album, Divinidylle, is out now on Wrasse. Interview by Sophie Heawood.
