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

EP REVIEW: Juliyaa -Stars & Dragons

All artists seek to express something of themselves and their experience within their music. Juliyaa is an artist, whose cultural and social roots are deeply ingrained in her music. A child of Welsh and Ghanaian parents, the North London singer, celebrates her rich cultural heritage on her debut EP, Stars and dragons.

The EP title is a reference to the national symbols featured on the flags of her parents’ native countries: ‘Stars’ alludes to the Black Star of Ghana and ‘Dragons’ refers to the red dragon of Wales. Juliyaa describes her music as ‘rhythmic soul’ and the opening track, “Thursday Born”, provides the framework for the EP as a whole. On this track, Juliyaa eulogises her story of growing up in a multicultural family in London. She lists the varying musical experiences that have influenced her life, such as singing in a church choir and listening to Garage music. Juliyaa turns her everyday story into a mythical sounding tale of musical and cultural discovery. The five tracks that follow this are an eclectic fusion of cross-beats and polyrhythm played out on songs that incorporate elements of R&B, Garage, Drum & Bass, Dub-step and Highlife music.

“Tidal Wave” is a great example of this. The track uses water as a metaphor to describe the over whelming effects of love. The song combines elements of Pop, R&B and Electronica. The echoic vocals and repetitive bass-line imbue the song with a mood of brooding intensity. Undertones of Drum & Bass and Dubstep woven into the song become increasingly intensified. The arrangement on “Tidal Wave” actually imitates the movement of waves: the layering of different musical strands on the core bass line produces an exciting tidal wave of sound.

“IWIHIA” (I Wish I Had It All) is a gorgeous piano led ballad, executed with class and simplicity. It’s about finding the balance between striving for more in life while still being appreciative and content with what is current and real in the present. Juliyaa’s emotive voice rings out with spine tingling clarity over this poignant song. This track stands out as a moment of calm and stillness on the EP. The paired down arrangement is contrasted against the other predominantly up tempo, elaborately layered songs on Stars & Dragons.

The title track “Stars & Dragons” is inspired by West African Highlife music. It’s an uplifting song that revisits the themes of heritage and identity seen on the first track, “Thursday Born”. It’s inspired by Juliyaa’s trip to Ghana and how this experience enriched her sense of identity. It centres on the concept of home as a state of mind rather than a physical place.  It’s a striking touch to have traditional African music featured here and in some small way it goes toward contextualising the Afrobeat music that’s currently gaining commercial popularity. The intricacies of sounds on this song create a feast for the ears. The rich opening harmony and the percussion- heavy, cross-rhythm creates beautiful colour and texture. “Stars & Dragons” is a celebratory song, which defies you to stand still- there’s a plethora of rhythms and the song quickly encourages you to pick a beat to shake a leg to!
  



 Essentially, Stars & dragons is not only a tribute to Juliyaa’s cultural heritage but also to the diverse music that has helped to shape her life. Everything about this EP is to do with fusion and unity. Even the name Juliyaa is representative the union between European and African traditions. There is particular emphasis on the enhanced unity to be enjoyed from embracing various kinds of fusion- whether it’s racial, cultural, social or musical. Even the EP’s art work fuses different patterns, shapes and colours giving a striking visual representation of the brilliant kaleidoscope of music featured on the EP. Stars & Dragons is a great debut, it’s an excellent introduction to Juliyaa. Her unique, yet accessible sound is truly intriguing.