Singer-songwriter Russell Curtis, to quote his favourite band Queen, has ‘A kind of magic’, and is not shy of spreading it around.
The multi-talented musician has rebounded strongly after being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. He is now busy again.
Although the shows are coming in thick and fast, Curtis still found time to resume his Christmas charity show on Dec 14.
It is a tradition he started in 2016.
“I could not do any charity shows during Covid-19, and it felt great to do one this year,” said Curtis, an aspiring stand-up comedian.
“The charity shows began in 2016. The best was in 2017 at The Gardens Theatre, where we raised more than RM7,000 for a children’s home in Klang.
“I feel so blessed to be able to do what I love, and this is a small way of giving back.”
Curtis said the reason for having the Christmas special is that many know the carols, and the audience can join in the fun. He, however, puts a personal twist on each performance.
“It does not matter if it is a small, or big event. I approach each show as I would a concert,” said Curtis.
“I must ensure the quality is the same wherever I perform.”
For this year, Curtis tied up with C3 Church for its YouMatter project to support the Semoa (Semenanjung Orang Asli) Education Centre.
He said he owes some “dear friends” for putting him in touch with C3 when he was undecided on which cause to support.
“I am not complaining, but I have been quite busy. It certainly is so different from 2020 and 2021, where I had to close my business (Russell’s Place),” said Curtis, who has a hotel catering and management degree.
“C3 has several outreach programmes and helps feed the poor around the Klang Valley.
“They also repaired and cleaned up dog sanctuaries affected by last year’s floods. One of them was K-9 Cottage, a therapeutic sanctuary for dogs and people.”
But it was C3’s YouMatter project and its work with Semoa Education Centre, that Curtis chose.
Curtis said education was close to his heart, and he was saddened to read that the dropout rate of Orang Asli children was at 10 per cent.
Former Rural Development minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid revealed the figures in October.
“The show was to help the education of the Orang Asli children, as many people talk about helping them, but not many come forward,” lamented Curtis.
“All proceeds from the show went to help them equip their library and resource centre.”
As for his plans for next year, Curtis said he spent a lot of time writing during the pandemic and hopes to release an album or a single.
“I have enough material for two albums. Hopefully, I can work something out.”
