Her Mum’s refugee past helps Charli XCX keep things in perspective.

Charli XCX's family first arrived in the UK from Uganda with cash rolled up in toothpaste tubes in the seventies - now their granddaughter is making music for the world.

Source: Twitter

Charli XCX explains how her family had to escape from Uganda into the UK in the seventies. Source: The Feed

Charli’s XCX’s story didn’t start with her string of number one hits in 2014. Marty Smiley discovered in a recent interview with the ‘Fancy’ singer, there’s a lot more than meets the eye. 

“Maybe this is the same for a lot of kids,” Charli said, "you’re kind of like not that interested in your parents when you’re younger".

Charli’s Mum is an Indian Ugandan forced to flee her country when the former President of Uganda Idi Amin, who was responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands of people, expelled all people of Asian descent from the country.

Charli’s family was lucky enough to make to the UK, who accepted thousands of Asian Ugandans at the time.

Now I realise she’s a really powerful person

"Her parents had to really fight to look after them and moved them from Africa to the UK with money rolled up inside toothpaste tubes because they had to hide it otherwise it would get taken from them".

“Their story is a really inspiring one and it makes me realise how lucky I am” Charli said.

Charli XCX didn't pay much attention when she was younger, but now her mum inspires her. Source: The Feed

"Being a creative person no matter what field you’re in, you’re kind of addicted to the highs and they’re so great but they’re only really great because the lows are so low".

So I think that putting it all into perspective is really important

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