Eagle-Eye Cherry on his favourite places in the world

A favourite summer destination?

‘Now that I live in Stockholm, it’s Tuscany. There’s a hotel called L’Andana that I really like – the lunches are incredible.’

Name a place that lived up to the hype

‘Mauritius. I’ve been a few times – most recently for New Year’s Eve. The people are cool, and you find peace straight away. Another country that was better than I ever imagined is Brazil. I haven’t been there since it all went haywire, but I’m going in October to play some gigs, so we’ll see.’

And a place that didn’t?

‘Barcelona. Everybody loves it, whereas I prefer Madrid. Barcelona has the ocean, but there are just so many visitors. Same with Florence: when I went there it felt like Disneyland.’

Where in the world have you felt happiest?

‘Our childhood home in Skåne, in southern Sweden. My sister Neneh and I still have the house. It’s in the middle of the woods, so as kids we would head out with our friends all day. I lived in New York between the ages of 13 and 27, and I would always go back to that house because it is so untouched – a place of solace. I probably went there more when I was based in the USA than I do now.’

Do you have a favourite road trip?

‘Well, I’m a musician, so I’ve done a lot of road-tripping. But for fun, there’s a region in southern Sweden called Österlen, which is very beautiful. So sometimes when our house gets a bit crowded – it’s a big family – we’ll slip away, drive to a nearby hotel, Karlaby Kro, and eat out at all the restaurants around there.’

Describe your favourite view

‘Mountains. I used to ski a lot, and to be on top of a mountain – looking out over the Alps or the Rockies – gives me a feeling of total freedom.’

Any memories of a treasured summer?

‘Neneh and I once drove through France in an Alfa Romeo and stayed only in hotels that had Michelin-starred restaurants. And when my sister lived in southern Spain, just outside Málaga, I had a wonderful summer with her. I was quite young, and Neneh was a big star with an amazing house and a fridge filled with food. I stayed for a couple of months and was very disappointed when I had to move back to London.’

Tell us about a great little place you know

‘There’s a gallery space out in the Stockholm archipelago called Artipelag. It was built by the guy behind BabyBjörn and has really interesting exhibits, good food and a lot of nature, so you can go on long walks.’

Where did you go on your first holiday without your parents?

‘When we moved to New York, a good friend’s family let me borrow their apartment at weekends. So at 13 I had my own pad, a headquarters for my whole posse in the East Village. But I don’t think I went on a proper holiday on my own until quite late. After my first album hit in the 1990s, I headed to Tobago. I wanted to go to the Caribbean, but only to an island that was not ruined by tourists – I remember driving through the countryside and people waving at me, which I think was a sign it hadn’t been.’

‘I lost my heart in…’

‘New York. I miss it a lot. I wouldn’t want to live there again, but I still go back and forth. It was the city that made me the man I am today. Every culture is there. London’s got all that, but it’s just such a pain in the ass to get around. But, God, New York is horrible in the summer. I had a motorbike when I lived there so I could escape.’

Which is the smartest hotel you’ve been to?

‘When I stopped touring that’s one of the things I decided to spend my money on – smart hotels, and flying comfortably. Probably the fanciest one was the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo in Monaco. It felt like all those classic Hollywood actors would have stayed there. I can’t imagine what it would cost when the Grand Prix is on, because you can see the track from the room I had.’

Sightseeing or sun lounger?

‘I love a good book, in the shade, on a sun lounger. I’m reading Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison at the moment.’

Who is the most interesting person you’ve met on your travels?

‘Carlos Santana. I recorded a song on his Supernatural album. He’s got a lot of philo-sophies about life and music, and quotes his friend Desmond Tutu. He’s quite spiritual and similar to my dad. I thought, “Man, I could stay here for weeks talking to this guy.”’

Which foreign phrase do you use most?

‘I curse in English even though I mostly speak in Swedish – the curse words just aren’t as good, so if I get angry I’ll resort to English. And ciao probably turns up every now and then. I always think, “Did I just say ciao? That wasn’t very cool.”’

What would you like to find in a mini-bar?

‘I used to drink Johnnie Walker Black religiously, then one day I realised I was tired of it. Now I’m a rye-whisky man. But you don’t often find that in the mini-bar. I once saw a can of oxygen in one – it cost $20 and I couldn’t figure out what you were supposed to do with it!’

Favourite summer soundtrack?

‘“Back to Life” by Soul II Soul. When that song came out, I had my first apartment in Brooklyn, which was quite funky in those days, and it was everywhere. All day long you’d hear cars going by playing it. I remember that summer very well, because that song was the anthem.’

Eagle-Eye Cherry has tour dates around the UK and Europe. His new album ‘Streets of You’ is out now (eagleeyecherry.com).

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