Tony Hamlyn from FUSE Magazine talks to Kate Ceberano in this very special Christmas interview.

She is currently doing the rounds promoting a holiday album, Merry Christmas – a collection of your more traditional carols, with a few new Christmas tunes thrown in for good measure. Featuring duets with local and international stars like Ronan Keating, Jimmy Little and David Campbell, it’s the perfect soundtrack for anyone’s festive season, and proceeds from the album’s sales are going to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, so it benefits a good cause too.

Kate interrupted her busy schedule of parties, press junkets and dress fittings to chat to Tony Hamlyn at FUSE Magazine about Santa Piñatas, the Christmas Ninja and all things Christmassy.

FUSE: Have you done all your Christmas shopping yet?

Kate Ceberano: I have finished Christmas shopping for everyone. My daughter selected different things and I’ve been collecting them over the last couple of months. My husband’s spotted a few things. But my main obsession is not just Christmas presents, but actually Christmas decorations. I’m sick on it, just completely stupid.

FUSE: I can’t believe you’re so organised.

KC: Well you know what they say, (adopts sassy US accent) if you want something done you gotta give it to a busy girl!

FUSE: Is your tree up yet?

KC: I’m actually going to go out this afternoon and buy a really massive Christmas tree.

FUSE: Are we talking real, or are we talking fake?

KC: Real, ‘cos nothing compares to that smell. The fragrance of a Christmas tree for me just kicks off the whole stupid season. It’s beautiful.

And there’s things I’ve collected over the years since Gypsy, my daughter, was a baby. Small things she’s made that we put on the tree. There’s all these memories that have to do with setting up the tree, so I’m really looking forward to doing that this weekend.

FUSE: Angel or Star on top?

KC: I have a beautiful star. It’s a glass one. Well actually it’s made to look like glass. I like to think of it as being a big Swarovski-like snowflake.

FUSE: Have you ever had to dress up as Mrs Clause?

KC: No. But I have had to dress up as the Baby Jesus on occasion. We have a pantomime of the nativity scene every year, and every time we have different visitors we all have to change our casting.

One year my dad didn’t fit the casting, because we already had our Three Kings, Baby Jesus, Joseph and Mary cast. So my dad, who’s a martial artist, came in with a set of Nunchucks and a towel on his head and said he was the Christmas Ninja. So now Santa is long gone in our household, I think the Christmas Ninja is going to be immortalised for the rest of time.

FUSE: What’s the best Christmas gift you were ever given, or you’ve given to someone else?

KC: To be perfectly frank with you, I don’t actually recall things, I don’t recall stuff. I do tend to spoil my family a lot by really creating a decorative event, so all the effort and all the money I put into the event and the setting. I often dress the whole house up, like last year I went with a Mexican Christmas theme and we had Santa Piñatas and we beat the crap out of him at about 3 o’clock in the afternoon. I think that’s where I spend all my money, and that to me is a gift also to myself, 'cos I know it thrills all the family. They love it.

FUSE: Favourite Christmas song?

KC: I’m particularly partial to my own one (I Remember, a duet with Jimmy Little which Kate co-wrote), which is on the new album. It’s the only one I know that really takes in what I consider to be the memories of an Australian Christmas. Things like the smell of fresh mowed lawns and sounds of sprinklers and the warbling of the magpies. Just things that are really innate to our home. And Jimmy Little’s singing with me on it, and he’s just a wonderful statesman with his big, round, warm voice.

 FUSE: Who gives better Christmas gifts, Jimmy Little or Ronan Keating?

KC: Oh dear, now that’s tough because Ronan’s presence alone is a gift enough. (Starts gushing) Oh my god, he’s just like liquid lunch isn’t he? He is stunning! He’s really beautiful.

 FUSE: For Christmas this year I would love to be crooned to by David Campbell. Could you arrange that please?

KC: He would love to know that. He is Mr Mischief, isn’t he? He is such a naughty boy. He is so gay, but he’s straight! He is in every way the personification of a certain type of performing artist, and I’m one of them too, just the good all-rounders. And you can put them in front of any public, you can have them work in any performing artist medium, and we’ll give it a red hot go.

 FUSE: Well that’s Christmas – what’s the New Year got in store for Kate Ceberano?

KC: I’m actually going to take over from David (Campbell) next year as he’s finishing up with his Artistic Director’s role as Adelaide Cabaret Festival, and I’ll take it up for 2012. I’m thrilled about that.

And I’m going to be travelling quite a bit because I’ve got a hosting role on Getaway, which will be awesome. I’m really looking forward to that. So you know, there’ll be dribs and drabs of different things, and there’ll be music. There’s always music.

FUSE: Any plans for a gig or two in the Nation’s Capital?

KC: There’s a place where I had so much fun in. I think it’s called Tilley’s. I loved that gig. And I would love to come back and do that gig for sure. I will come and drag my lazy butt over there, get in there and give you guys some titillation.

FUSE: Any Christmas wishes for our FUSE readers?

KC: I would love that there would be some more tolerance. That people would contemplate tolerance. Just to be a little more tolerant and loving.

Kate Ceberano's Merry Christmas  is currently available at:
iTunes, Bigpond music, JB Hi-Fi and all good music stores.

Visit Kate online at: www.kateceberano.com