EVENT REVIEW: Juliyaa- Stars & Dragons LIVE!

Juliyaa ensured that spring started with a bang (and an Azonto) at her headline concert, Stars and Dragons Live. The north London singer released her debut EP, Stars & Dragons in the autumn of 2012. The 6-track collection is a colourful mixture of musical elements from various genres, which represent her diverse cultural heritage and experience. The concert was billed as a translation of this EP into an exciting live showcase, along with support from some of London’s best up and coming talents.

East London’s Rich Mix centre was an ideal venue for the highly anticipated show. And as the main room of the cultural arts centre quickly began to fill up, BBC Radio 1Xtra’s DJ, Ace span a selection of choice cuts. Host, Eke Mba warmed the crowd up with animated delivery of humorous anecdotes as he introduced the night’s impressive roster of artists. First to hit the stage was south London singer Dionne Reid. She sang “Here I come”, from her 2012 EP, S.M.I.L.E; plus a nicely reworked version of the Chip and Chris Brown collaboration, “Champion”. Her charismatic stage presence and sweetly soulful vocals loosened up the audience, and readied us for the cheeky charm and heartfelt lyricism of Essex rapper, Nick Brewer. Last of the guest acts was emerging singer, Wilson. He brought a touch of smooth, chilled R&B to the room, performing songs from his Painted on Silence EP, with all the poise and confidence of a seasoned artist.

Following a mini interval, a clearly keyed up Juliyaa took the Rich Mix stage, dazzling in a gorgeous vintage floral dress. Accompanied by a full band, complete with a small string section, she kicked off her set with an explosive version of her party anthem, “The Rhythm”. This was followed up with “Like Magic” from the EP. The crowd, who were fully amped by this point, whooped and hollered their appreciation as Juliyaa’s set got underway.

 Her rendition of “Tidal Wave” was a particular highpoint. The drum and bass inspired single from the Stars & Dragons EP got a rock restyling, and was mashed up with Labrinth’s track “Earthquake”, and Eiffel 65’s 1999 hit, “Blue (Da Ba Dee)”. These elements combined, transformed “Tidal Wave” from a brooding, dubstep- flavoured track into an electrifying, full-on rock spectacle.

 After the high octane start to the show Juliyaa slowed things down and showcased her special ability to write, and deliver sincere relationship ballads. She performed the songs “Talk to Me” and “I do Less”. She later picked up her guitar to play “Bittersweet”, a beautiful song about love and faith; and then gave an impassioned, exclusive performance of “Roundabout Love” from her forthcoming EP 4Loves.

After this, it was back to business: Stars & Dragons Live was, foremost a celebration of Juliyaa’s Welsh and Ghanaian cultural identity; and the West African flavour of “Down To the River” saw Juliyaa encouraging her audience to dance, as she enthusiastically threw a few shapes of her own.

 As the concert drew to a close, it was obvious that the final song would be “Stars & Dragons”: the infectious, celebratory title track of the EP, and of course, the night. The Hi-life inspired song had the crowd two-stepping, and “azonto-ing” like it was the law! This was a party and nobody was permitted to stand still: “Hey, you there, man...” Juliyaa called in typical Ghanaian fashion to one unsuspecting spectator - “Dance!” For that moment, she made honorary Ghanaians of her whole audience. This was a real highlight of the show. It’s a special thing to observe and connect with an artist who performs with such genuinely intense, joy. Stars & Dragons Live was a success.

It was a night filled with rhythm, soul and passion. The warm, carnival vibe created a real sense of fun and unity. People stripped off their coats and winter apparel - they forgot about the freezing temperatures outside, because Stars & Dragons Live made it feel like it was the first day of summer.

 Yes, fans may have been expecting the set to include a few more favourites off the EP, but nevertheless, Juliyaa proved herself to be an engaging, vibrant performer full of fun energy, and graceful humility in equal measure.


Peep my review of Stars & Dragons EP here
As written for wepluggoodmusic.com

EVENT REVIEW: Vocals & Verses- The People's Choice Edition

Vocals & Verses has been responsible for bringing some of the year’s most accomplished underground singers and poets to the fore. The Christmas Special edition of the bi-monthly showcase promised to see out the year with a bang. It was a people’s choice version of the music and poetry showcase where the public were able to vote for their favourite eight past performers. The line up for this highly anticipated event included MOBO award winner Rachel Kerr, former MOBO unsung winner Jacob Banks, Soul-folk singer JP Cooper  and emotive spoken artists such as  LionHeart and  G.R.E.E.d.S.

It was a fantastic night of some of the best up and coming talent that London’s live event scene has to offer held at West End’s 229 The Venue. Resident host and comedian, Kae Kurd conducted proceedings while the really quite awesome house band kept the crowd entertained in the breaks with their quirky, soulful interpretations of popular songs.

Scandinavian soul singer, Marie Dahlstrom was the first performer of the evening. Her version of the Phil Collins classic, “In The Air Tonight” was popular with the crowd who whooped and hollered their appreciation when the familiar chorus kicked in. Singer Jacob Banks, whose career has been steadily gaining momentum throughout the year, gave an elegantly paired down performance. He began with a beautifully re-imagined interpretation of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On”. Instantly, the uniquely smooth rasp of his vocals almost sent the largely female crowd into frenzy. His performance was a slice of modern cool intertwined with the finest vintage Motown spirit. 

MOBO award winning singer Rachel Kerr did not disappoint her fans in the crowd. She performed the heftiest set of the night and was vocally on point throughout her polished, energetic, gospel spectacle.  The performance from soulful- folk singer, JP Cooper was one of the many highlights of the showcase. His selection of charmingly humble acoustic songs created a delicately reflective mood, which was perfect for this end of year edition of Vocals & Verses. His set included songs from both his EPs. There were a few quiet groans of disappointment that Cooper did not perform his superb ballad, “The Only Reason”- which is fast becoming a favourite among fans. But nonetheless, Cooper’s performance was completely stunning.

This special edition of Vocals & Verses featured a great crop of talented artists. And although the “Vocals” component of the show was amazing- it was actually the “Verses” component that truly stole the show. The favourite poets from past showcases, once again brought their own unique artistry to the stage, reasserting the power and beauty to be found in today’s urban poetry scene.  Open Mike performed his poems, “The Time Traveller’s Wife” and “A Tale of Two Haitians” with atmospheric musical accompaniment from the house band. The softly spoken poet’s hypnotic delivery created calm stillness, which encouraged the audience to listen out for the intricate narrative twists within his poems.   

 When emerging poet LionHeart performed his unique combination of politically and emotionally astute poems. You could almost feel a breeze from the collective swoon of the females in the audience. He gave a confident, self- assured performance, demonstrating his artistic appetite for clever word play. Anthony Anaxagorou’s politically conscious performance also stood out- the simple clarity of his poems spotlights the complexity of his message. His set made the audience sit up in their seats and take note.

South London poet G.R.E.E.d.S performed excerpts from his extended work “Confessions of a Teenager”. It’s a series of coming of age poems, which document his migration from Nigeria to England and his various experiences during this time. His piece on child abduction was particularly stirring. His powerfully emotive delivery transported the 300+ audience to a reality that seemed like a world away from where they sat. It was a truly sobering experience that moved some to tears.

The night included an open mic section featuring acts chosen by the public and the hilarious trademark segment “The Verse Off” in which two randomly chosen audience members must wax lyrical about a given subject.

This was a very well organised event. The professional yet welcoming attitude of the Vocals & Verses team meant the show ran smoothly and came across as effortlessly efficient. This, combined with all the inspiring performances means the People’s Choice Edition of Vocals & Verses lived up to everything it promised to be. Roll on next year!

As written for Mixtape Madness

EVENT REVIEW: Bloggers Delight

Picture a Sunday afternoon chatting about the latest popular news and entertainment stories- having some food, a drink and some laughs... Well that’s pretty much Bloggers Delight in a nutshell. A panel of well known bloggers with expertise in varying areas of popular culture from music to fashion and beauty discuss topical and moral issues and then throw it open to the crowd.

 The Rhum Jungle at Cottons Caribbean restaurant in Islington is the venue for this event, which means there is delicious food and drinks available from the bar. It’s a great setting- ideal for creating the relaxed, homely vibe of the event.  Also, the organisers are really welcoming and friendly, they create such a great atmosphere that before long you feel comfortable enough to put your hand up and add your take to the debate!  People sometimes shy away from these kinds of events because they’re worried about feeling like they’ve gate crashed a private party. But that’s definitely not the case with Bloggers Delight, once the discussion is underway you feel like you're in a room of friends just chatting away. 

Presented by the main organiser, Miss Lala (Lorriane Russell), this month’s Bloggers Delight panel featured some great personalities such as DJ Melody Kane, Marvin Sparks, Andrea IIaka, Marvyn Harrison, Yogi Bear and Wendi B offering perspectives on hot topics like: what is the level of responsibility the BBC should take in the Jimmy Saville sex abuse claims?  Can you be in love with two people?  And what were the pro/cons of Starboy Nathan appearing on X Factor? 

The discussion was lively and full of banter while revealing some sound observations too. The event takes place in two parts and last Sunday, each part was punctuated a by thought-provoking spoken word performance by emerging poet LionHeart. This is a great event. The whole experience was refreshing- It’s like an ‘urban’ version of Question Time only with food, drink, friendlier faces and way more laughs! It's a fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  

The next event is Sunday 18th November 2012 

Twitter @BLOGGERSDLIGHT

www.bloggers-delight.com

EVENT REVIEW: Vocals and Verses [Summer Soul Special]

 

Vocals and Verses is an event that showcases some of the best music and poetry from some of the best up and coming artists around and it's fast becoming one my favorite events.

Concrete in Shoreditch was the venue for this month's showcase, featuring the talents of Jodie-Lee, Ink, Nia Barge, Leanne Robinson, YJ, LionHeart and JP Cooper. Hosted by popular presenter Kae Kurd, it was billed as a Summer Soul Special and it was, just that.

Nia Barge, was one highlight of the night. The American spoken word poet offers a female perspective on family, love and relationships. Her poem 'I'm Not Supposed To Be With You' is about the conflict between ideals of love and the realities of true love. The piece is funny and witty in its acute observation of the shallow reasons people use to dismiss the potential for true love.

Another high point of the show was when poet LionHeart took to the stage: you could almost feel the pulses of the predominantly female audience quicken, slightly. Wearing a slick suit this young poet's work is as smart as his dress sense.  He delivered a very confident and passionate performance, using clever word play to articulate complex perspectives on life. In the poem 'Lupus' he talks about the difficulty of witnessing a friend living with this disease. The crowd were gripped throughout his performance.

JP Cooper was the headline act of the night. This shy-seeming unassuming singer ascended the stage guitar in had and began playing a beautiful acoustic set. His voice is soft and soulful but it really resonates. Cooper's songs tell a story and on stage he is a comfortable performer, poised, relaxed and humble. He delivered a stunning set to the crowd  who listened attentively to every word and every note.  There was a queue of people (including me) waiting to buy a copy of his EP at the end of the show.



JP Cooper. Image from: citylife

The vibe at Vocals and Verses is always fantastic, the audience are very responsive this is, in part, due to the interactive features of the show: The Verse Off is where two volunteers from the audience take to the stage to rap or sing about a topic chosen randomly by the crowd. This part of the show is always hilarious and entertaining. Then there's the Open Mic section members of the audience can sign up and get 60 seconds to show their talent for poetry or singing.

Vocals and Verses promises to be a relaxed, intimate evening of great music, poetry and entertainment. It's safe to say that this is exactly what the crowd got.

Josh Osho At The Jazz Cafe

Last night (25/06/12) Camden Town was buzzing with it's usual current of creativity and freedom but yesterday a bit of that buzz was created by south London singer Josh Osho. It was his first headline show at this renowned live music venue and was to celebrate the release of his debut album L.I.F.E (Learning Is For Ever), which came out that day. The album is a blend of folk, blues and soul. He combines these musical styles with telling lyrics that document the experiences his life growing up.

Inside The Jazz Cafe events were kicked off by BBC 1Xtra DJ, CJ Beatz, who hosted the show and treated the crowd to some new and classic urban floor fillers. This was very well received and some members of the audience even took to the stage to demonstrate their dancing skills. With that, the tone was set and the message was clear: prepare to party!

Rax Official was the first support act of the night and he continued what Beatz had started with his own brand of  London Hip Hop which was a delicate fusion of lazy London rap vocals over a US dirty south sounding rhythm. The second act Marcus Bonfanti brought us some straight up London blues and some serious guitar skill too! These two very different acts represented Osho's broad musical tastes and his efforts to unite elements of the two sounds within his own music.

Shortly after this, Osho took to the stage like a rocket! He was clearly full of energy and rearing to go. Guitar in hand he worked through each song with conviction, purpose and poise. He started with 'Ebenezer Hotel', a jaunty blues song in which he describes his experiences living at a hostel after leaving home aged 16. He followed with 'Footprints' which maintained the high energy level with it's feel good pop-African beat. He was full of boyish charm and enthusiasm whenever he addressed the crowd. Whether it was to stir up the atmospshere or to give thanks, Osho displayed natural charisma and grace.

He took the tone down a few notches with 'Wishing Well'  and 'Highlight of  My Day'. And then there was S.O.S:  For a moment, all the crazy energy in the room was focused as if funnelled down into this one quiet moment. The audience were gripped, almost entranced by the hypnotic guitar melody of this beautiful ballad and for this time they were still, calm and contemplative.  His performance of this song was truly a brilliant moment.

But after that, it was back to the business of celebrating. Osho rounded off his show with  the two singles from the album 'Redemption Days' and 'Giants'. The audience responded by singing along in full voice! Osho exited the stage to raucous applause then returned to perform his version of Kanye West's 'Jesus Walks' for his encore song.

At heart Osho is a storyteller,  who makes the kind of music you want to hear live and last night he made it clear that we were there to celebrate and enjoy life in all it's glory and even in it's torment. This was a man on a mission and he put on a great show making sure  no one present that night will forget that learning is for ever: L.I.F.E 

Daley at the Jazz Cafe

I was so excited about seeing Daley Headlining his own tour at last! I first came across him when I saw him perform with Wretch 32 on 'Later... with Jools Holland'. He looked intriguing in a long black jacket, thick rimmed glasses and fantastically coiffured hair, but the thing that got me was his voice- he sounded amazing- I had to hear more! I You Tubed just a couple of performances but that was enough- this guy had me, hook, line and sinker. Daley has a smooth soulful voice with a killer falsetto! I downloaded his EP 'Those Who Wait' and it was everything, I didn't even know I wanted to hear from a new R&B album.  My top three stand out tracks are:

The title track, 'Those Who Wait': A coming of age/coming of music song with a nostalgic kind of laid back groove.

'Game Over': A "player" in love promises his new love that he has quit the "Game". The song has a cool, catchy, summer vibe.

'Spent'- This is a musically stripped down song that uses a money metaphor to detail the wake of turmoil left by a failed relationship.

Loving Daley's EP, as I do,  I decided to go to a few shows where he was either a featured artist or a support act. I found that after each performance I wanted to see more- do people still shout 'Encore'? Because I REALLY wanted to at times! So, you can see why when I found out about the 'Those Who Wait' Tour I was more than overly excited!

The Jazz Cafe was the perfect venue to play this sold out gig and Daley was on top vocal form. He sang most songs off the EP, plus three songs taken from his forthcoming debut album. There were also a couple of surprise treats too: He gave Usher's 'Climax' the Daley treatment and he did his version of Madonna's 'Like a Virgin' to raucous applause from the crowd, who, (like me), I suspect, believe that this is the best version of the song. He also, interluded his own song, 'Game Over' with Rufus ft Chaka Khan's 'Sweet Thing'- and this was indeed, a very sweet thing! He ended his set with 'Alone Together', which is fast becoming a classic among Daley fans. It was one of those "lighters in the air moments", although, with the smoking ban in force, I believe that the use of lighters indoors is also prohibited- but you catch my meaning. It was the perfect way to end the show- Daley left me and the rest of the crowd wanting more, (yet again). But I think this is how it should be, artists should leave their audiences fulfilled yet still wanting more!

Daley's endearing personality gives him effortless charm and a quiet showmanship. The audience connected really well to the performance: constantly clapping along, mouthing the words to all the songs and whooping and hollering their delight at virtually every note he sang. It was clear that Daley was preaching to the converted, I doubt there was a person in there who didn't already love him- but if there was, I'm sure they do now!

Some say that R&B is dead. But I think that the David Guetta era of R&B is moving on.  People are growing tired of feeling like they want to do a gym workout to every song that comes on the radio. Don't get me wrong, I will happily admit to enjoying a bit of Euro-pop-infused R&B every now and again... Granted, it's usually when I'm on a treadmill, but hey...! Daley's music nods to classic R&B while offering something new and I'm excited about that- can you tell?!

Check out the vids below! You can download Daley's EP, 'Those Who Wait' at  www. daley.tv