My Favourite Holiday: Chiedu Oraka
A childhood adventure to California brings back happy memories for Hull rapper Chiedu Oraka
I’ve been lucky to have had some great holidays. SXSW will always be special because it was my first time performing overseas. And my first lads’ holiday to Faliraki back in 2006 was… memorable (I probably can’t say too much about that one). But the holiday that really sticks with me is the first time I ever went to America. I spent six weeks in San Jose, California, when I was about 11 or 12, staying with my auntie. It honestly felt like one big adventure. She made sure we had the best time, eating amazing food and visiting loads of theme parks.
One of the highlights was attending a church summer camp. There were kids there from all over the state. We stayed in dorms, went kayaking, did talent shows, the lot. Everyone was fascinated by my accent so I felt like a bit of a star for the week. I even made a mate from Oakland and ended up staying with his family for a few days. Looking back, it was probably one of the happiest times of my life. Big thanks to my auntie Helen for giving me a memory I’ll never forget.
Chiedu Oraka plays Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, Friday 3 April.