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August 10, 2007
The King Of Pop's Double!
Miming in front of a mirror with a hairbrush to his mouth the gangly Ilford teenager could never have imagined he would one day enjoy the glittering popstar lifestyle of the idol he adored.
As the world's best-known Michael Jackson impersonator, Navi (as he prefers to be known) has tasted the sweet fruits of pop superstardom without ever selling a single record, but admits he was mocked for his dreams as a child and teenager.
One of eleven children, he could easily have slipped into obscurity amidst the hustle and bustle of family life, but a momentous decision made at a tender age, ensured he would never be ignored again.
A tenacious dancer since childhood, Navi idolised the new breed of popstar that appeared during the late 1970s and early 1980s, who combined gymnastic physical routines with powerful vocals during their performances.
David Bowie, Luther Vandross and Tina Turner were early influences, but it wasn't until 1979, the year his family emigrated from Trinidad to Britain, that Navi first experienced the genius of Michael Jackson, the artist who would come to define his life. He said: "I was about six years old and remember switching on the radio and hearing this incredible sound which just made me want to dance.
"It was one of the tracks from his early solo album, Off the Wall, and I pretty much knew from that moment that I wanted to be just like him." Navi's family, and Friends at Valentines High School, in Cranbrook Road, teased him for seeking to emulate the former Jackson 5 star, but were soon forced to take him seriously. He said: "My parents used to think I was just going through a phase I would grow out of, but I knew that I wanted to be a performer. "I was about 15 years old when I entered, and won, a Michael Jackson impersonation competition which changed the way I saw myself.
"I'd always loved Michael Jackson and wanted to be like him but I d never thought of impersonating him professionally until that point." Navi's adulation of Jackson was finally cemented when he attended the momentous Bad tour in 1988, where he was mesmerised by the singer's live routine. Buoyed with confidence, the ambitious teenager signed up with a talent agency as a Michael Jackson impersonator and, after a disappointing spell advertising a brand of peanut butter, was soon receiving a flood of glamorous bookings. He said: "Things really started to take off in the early 90s when I started to get well paid work, such as being flown across Europe by Richard Branson to perform at the opening of a load of his Virgin Megastores.
"It was like a dream being able to do precisely what I love doing in front of large crowds of people - and getting paid for it." Navi, who has undergone extensive plastic surgery to look more like the American superstar, admits his 19-year career has had its fair share of strange moments. He said: "I've been asked to do some really varied things, from performing at working mens clubs up north to singing at the birthday of a member of the royal family of Bahrain.
"Perhaps the strangest gig I've ever had was when Michael's people hired me to act as his body double in 1993. "They flew me to Thailand in an attempt to divert press attention away from him during the court case he was involved in at the time. "Everyone genuinely thought I was the man himself, and I was even pictured on the front cover of The Times newspaper, supposedly as Michael Jackson, which was totally bizarre." The 34-year-old, who has visited Jackson at his Neverland estate in California, admits he is glad he can leave the world of pop superstardom behind whenever he chooses. He said: "After experiencing certain aspects of the life that Michael leads, I can genuinely say that I don't envy him.
"He is a genius, and the best singer/-performer there has ever been, but the price of that has been this unreal world he lives in which he can never really escape. "Some people like the champagne and caviar thing, but I'm more of a kebab man myself." The devout Christian, whose family are regular worshippers at the City Gates Christian Centre, in High Road, Ilford, recently performed to visitors at the Mauritian Cultural Day in Lloyd's Park, Walthamstow.
Navi's next London performance will be at the Hippodrome, Leicester Square, on Sunday, August 26, to celebrate Michael Jackson's 49th birthday. To find out more and to see video footage of Navi's at work visit www.kingofpop.info
Source: http://www.guardian-series.co.uk / paul(mjcool)
