Jonathan goes pop in Swaziland

FORMER Darlington schoolboy Jonathan Curren has travelled the world, dedicated himself to protecting the environment, helped AIDS orphans in Africa and become a pop star in Swaziland. And he is still only 33.

Today his life is spent in the dusty villages of the African outback, meeting Swazi government officials and ministers, or playing to adoring fans at sell-out concerts.

But it was different in 1987 when he left the Sixth Form College in Darlington, determined to forge a career in the arts, which started with Cleveland Theatre Company.

He then worked for Impasse, a charity for the unemployed in Middlesborough, but in 1992 his wanderlust got the better of him and he spruced up his old VW Camper van and set off round the world.

First stop for the former Hummersknott Comprehensive School pupil, was Holland, where he did manual jobs included planting dahlias. Eventually, having reached Australia, he decided to devote his life to environmental projects.

Talking from his Swaziland home, he says: "When I left college I had no real goal, a change of scenery was necessary as was time to decide what I really wanted to do. Holland was a good eye opener to help realise that the world is a lot bigger than Darlington and other horizons were calling.

"I'd always been interested in the environment and felt we were abusing our natural surroundings. This is bad for the environment in terms of extinction of species, land degradation and pollution of the land, water and atmosphere, but also in terms of mankind. We depend on our environment for our very survival."

Returning to England, he completed a Masters course in renewable energy and worked for a energy consultancy firm in Wales before being appointed as a Renewable Energy Officer in Swaziland, which is in in southern Africa, through the Skillshare International organisation.

Since arriving in Swaziland in 1999, he has promoted the use of renewable energy, initially for the Swazi government, to whom he was an advisor, and now through his own business, Sustainable Energy Solutions.

He has been heavily involved in developing a national energy policy, including reducing carbon dioxide emissions, which cause climate change, and helping improve the huge local sugar industry through more efficient power production.

But he is happiest when working with people: one job provided solar power to a small village school far from the national grid. He says: "This project means a lot to me, we spent a lot of time working with the community to ensure the project was sustainable and would carry on after we left, and I am very happy to say that it is still functioning three years on with limited assistance necessary from the Government. There are bright lights in a part of Swaziland where they never shone before."

Another project which he is working on, is a community-owned wind turbine to generate electricity, with proceeds going to help children whose parents died of AIDS.

Jonathan says: "This is one of the greatest tragedies to hit this continent. AIDS is killing people by the thousands and many of these people are not old. I have personally lost a few people from around me. With so many people dying, there are a lot of orphans being left being to look after themselves. What is an even greater tragedy, is that many of these children themselves have HIV.

"This project, in addition to providing environmental benefits, may also go a small way to improving the lives of a number of children in an isolated community."

Then there is pop stardom: having always liked music, played acoustic guitar, and been part of an indie band when he was 19, he says: "I used to try and play at the odd folk club here and there, now and then, a bit of busking when I was travelling and broke, and as a student. Through a strange turn of events, I ended up at a backpackers/tourist hostel one night, run by a Swazi friend of mine.

"There was a band jamming on the terrace and since I had my guitar, I ended up being persuaded to have a jam. It went so well, we decided to repeat it the next week - and Black Roses was formed.

"I am the only white guy, the rest are Swazis or Mozambican. We have played the whole country from top to bottom, from big hotels and fancy venues to the small, wild little bars out in the sticks. Our average show tends to last for about three to four hours and they can be pretty lively. One time we played at a community hall in the local township as part of an AIDS awareness campaign. We played and played and they wouldn't let us leave. We finished as the sun rose."

The band plays reggae, r&b and 'afribeat' and last year, having funded their first album themselves, saw all 500 copies sell out.

Jonathan says: "Stardom makes me laugh sometimes. We are still getting airplay on the local radio one year on and TV stations occasionally show excerpts from our live concerts. A few months ago, we played in Maputo in Mozambique to a crowed of at least 2,000 and we've played at a number of festivals and with many of South Africa's big names, including Ladysmith Black Mambaza.

"We are the most well-known band in the country - the press love us. It's great fun, I love music and I love playing with the rest of the guys.

"We have an amazing synchronicity. It is very powerful."

So is the pull of home: mum Mavis and husband Les live in Darlington and, with his main project due to finish next year, Jonathan plans to try to find work in the growing UK renewable energies sector.

But Africa still exerts its own hold: "I feel I have made a bit of a difference: it is satisfying to receive the gratitude and appreciation from people I have been working with and working for. I do this work because I believe it is important. It is not for the money and I am not rich, not by a long shot.

"There are so many interesting things going on out here, I have made a lot of friends, it is a stimulating environment, and the summers are great. Work is good, social life is good - but I will come back.

"However, give me a few years and I'll start getting itchy feet again. It could be a return to Africa or it could be anywhere else on the planet."

What's certain is it will be the next chapter in a remarkable story.