Two
showcases.
Two
cities.
One
weekend.
A
bevy of talent from both the UK and the US.
And
The Soul Survivor London Award show!
This
mammoth feast of musical goodness could only be the MusicConnex September
Showcase Series.
Fresh
(quite literally) from the Friday night performance in Manchester at renowned
music venue Band on The Wall, Saturday the artists moved south to London Town
to perform for the eager crowd. After a schedule of promo all over town, the
audience had heard enough about each of these amazing ladies to know that an
amazing evening was on the cards. In addition The Soul Survivor Awards were to
be announced on the night and we were all excited to see who would walk away
with the many awards!
You
could hear the soothing baselines vibrate through the walls as DJ’s Undercover
and JM were on hand to warm up the crowd for the beginning of what was sure to
be an electric night.... MusicConnex part 3.
As
people filtered in and the venue filled to brimming, the buzz was evident for
both audience and artists.
Ann-
Marie finished out her set with 'So High' feat rapper Guiltz. A reggae
beat and punchy melody. The little dub step breakdown was a nice touch. The
hooks are immediately catchy. A clear radio track. Nicely built to a crescendo
with Ann-Marie jumping from vocal support to mc mode and bringing on what can
only be described as an epic bass face from a few members of the MusicConnex
team. Don't tell them I told on them! Music to make you dance for sure.
Ann
Marie was eclectic in musical genre and hilarious in person. Such a full body
of work for someone who only has one EP. We will be staying tuned for the
follow up EP.
Kadice
took to the stage and immediately surprised me. Which is a rarity. When Kadice
started singing – a sublime rendition of ‘Ready Ready Love’ I was, it is fair
to say, mesmerized. This artist is in her 20s and yet as she went from
‘Ready Ready Love’ to ‘Misty Blue’ I had the feeling of being transported back
to the early days of Jazz. She has the vocal dexterity of an old school blues
artist with the belt of someone like Jennifer Hudson. By the time she sang ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ I was a life
long fan. The crowd loved her. I don’t think the audience could have anticipated the
kind of performance which they were about to witness when this young songstress
took to the stage but they sure were impressed.
All
of these amazing songs were delivered as if they had been originally written
for and performed by Kadice herself. With the types of influences Kadice sited
in her interview with us on the run up for the event, its completely
understandable how she can put herself into the songs and become one with the
original. These renditions were spectacular. A big talent.
MusicConnex
very own Charlene was third on the bill for the evening and we were all very
excited to have her there launching her debut album ‘Good Day’. When she sang
her song ‘It is the way’ I just was taken away into a day dreaming moment, like
with so many great songs. When you get swept up in the music it is amazing.
This is definitely one of my favourites on the album but it came to life in a
completely different way when performed live with a feature by Purple Reign PR's
Rowan who was in his induction week! He graced the stage and together they
really set this song alight. So delicate and emotional. Really raw in texture
and such interesting harmonies. There are so many great songs on this
album. We would highly recommend you buy it and take a listen.
The
music was then paused so that Soul Survivors could present the award for Best
Soul Album. The amazing Omar was on hand to accept his win. The win was a landslide
of appreciation from the Soul Survivor readers. They certainly know what they
like! He is indeed a lovely chap! The 2013 release ‘The Man’ was one of
our favourite albums of the year so far, so it was great to see Omar get that
recognition.
Timotha
even brought us some of her very own ‘baby making music’ as she described it. Using
both growl and soft tones she owns the stage. She is captivating. Her entire
body is involved in every song. She communicates every word masterfully. Very
few artist’s understand how to 'talk' in that way to an audience.
Closing
up the set with ‘Getting To Know You’ which has a real funky groove. Soft
vocals. A sing-along vibe. Timotha makes it easy and seamless with each song.
The Rhodes sound on the keys makes it feel like rain drops on a cold day when
all you want to do is decide to stay in with your special someone and while
away the day. She paints those kinds of pictures with her songs and makes it
all easy to just listen and be.
Yet
another evening of real music from real artists who truly study their art and
take it seriously. These ladies brought their ‘A’ game and managed to take it
higher still when on stage even when there seemed to be no more to give. They
shared their music but they also shared part of themselves. They invited us
into their story and made us feel like a part of their friend family. We got to
know so much in such a short time. The crowd moved and swayed. Listened and
responded. Sang along when asked and sang along when not!
The
question remains, when is the next showcase?
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