The Re:Freshed Orchestra together with special guests Benjamin Herman, Lola Green and Frankadelic will pay a tribute to the legendary Jazzmatazz albums by the late Guru. You should definitely go to if you’re anywhere near Rotterdam on the 25th of May (this Saturday).
This event is taking place at the Grounds venue in Rotterdam and tickets cost 10 euros (not that expensive right?).
I also have two tickets I can give to one lucky person… in case the price somehow is over your budget. The only thing you need to do is send an e-mail to missnegisa@gmail.com. The first person who e-mails me, gets to go to the concert for free and bring a friend too of course.
Here are some of Guru’s Jazzmatazz songs to refresh your memory:
Yes, there’s a new Beats Unraveled online! I have been waiting for this. The Dutch producer BINK rebuilds beats made by other producers. He uses musical instruments but also whatever at that moment will make the sound he needs for the beat. This guy is creative and his talent is great! I love this idea of his and the videos he keeps on releasing. For the 3rd Beats Unraveled, BINK has chosen to rebuild Lapalux’ ‘Without You’ and the result is once again amazing:
On the 2nd of May Sabrina Starke and the Metropole Orchestra conducted by Vince Mendoza presented the album “Lean On Me, the songs of Bill Withers”.
The live performance was at the Paradiso (Amsterdam) and it was sold out. I was lucky enough to be one of the people able to witness this great event. I have never seen Sabrina Starke or the Metropole Orchestra live so I was really eager to see what they had in store for us.
Even though this was my first time attending a Sabrina Starke concert, this doesn’t mean I didn’t know about her before. I have been a fan of her music for years now. Her debut album “Yellow Brick Road” which was released in 2008 is still an album I listen to often. She definitely has a voice that deserves our attention. “Lean On Me, the songs of Bill Withers” is her 4th album and contains her favorite songs from the amazing singer Bill Withers. I am glad that the Metropole Orchestra knows which talents to work with and have cooperated with her on this album. This is a match that can’t disappoint. Before going to the concert I heard her renditions of “Grandma’s Hands” and “Lean On Me”, both sounded good and fueled my expectations even further.
As I entered the venue, it was already filled with people who were anxiously waiting for the performance. It was a very mixed crowd, people from different ages were there. I think there were people who were Bill Withers or Metropole Orchestra/Vince Mendoza fans and others who maybe knew just a few Bill Withers songs but were mostly Sabrina Starke fans. That’s why I think there were people from different age categories. Which of course doesn’t matter, at the end of the day it’s all about music lovers getting together for a good concert. I was there for all of the just mentioned artists in case you were wondering.
Sabrina Starke started the concert by singing “Who is she and what is she to you?” and immediately was able to capture the crowd. During the whole show, she didn’t lose our attention. Her voice sounded just so lovely and soothing. Even the high notes seemed the easiest thing to do when she was singing them. She was effortlessly good and it was a pleasure to hear her sing her versions of Bill Withers’ songs. She really did them justice. A beautiful moment during the concert was when somebody read out loud a personal message from Bill Withers for Sabrina Starke. One of the things he wrote in his message was that he was not only flattered but impressed and praised her talent. This of course made her emotional and she even shed some tears. It was very touching and lovely that he was that supportive of the album.
The Metropole Orchestra and Vince Mendoza were also splendid. Seeing great musicians like them perform is truly amazing. I was mesmerized during the whole evening. I am extremely glad I went to see them perform and if they are going to be at a venue near you, make sure you go and visit their concert. There was so much greatness going on that I couldn’t possibly sum it all up in a short blog post. Hopefully the pictures and videos will give you a better idea of how it was:
Sam Smith has such an enchanting voice. I can’t stop listening to him. This acoustic version of “Latch” has been on repeat for quite a while now. That’s why I thought maybe it’s better to share it instead of keeping it all for myself. The falsetto at 1:38 min. gets me every time. It’s ridiculously good. Take a listen:
Since I am posting about Sam Smith, go on and buy the single he just released with Naughty Boy called “LALALA“. I should warn you that this is also a song you most likely will have on repeat:
I actually thought this event would take place later this month and now I see that it’s going to be tonight!
So a quick post, just in case you haven’t made any plans for tonight and you are a Bill Withers fan. Sabrina Starke together with the Metropole Orchestra will be presenting the album “Lean On Me, The Songs of Bill Withers” tonight at the Paradiso (Amsterdam). Tickets cost 23,50 euro and can be bought at the door or online. Doors open at 19:30 and the show starts at 20:30. For more information and how to get to the Paradiso, go to their website. Here’s a little preview to give you an idea of what you can expect:
Janelle Monáe is back with a video for the track “Q.U.E.E.N.”. This song received mixed reactions when it was first released. I like it, it’s funky and has a message. However I do wish Ms. Badu’s part was longer so that she could really leave the Badu mark on this song. Other than that the song is good, the rap bit at the end is a nice finishing touch. ”Q.U.E.E.N.” is the first single off of Monáe’s forthcoming album, Electric Lady:
I’m extremely saddened by the news that the great Cuban pianist Bebo Valdés has passed away at the age of 94.
I usually don’t write a post when an artist who I admire dies because I simply believe that through their music they live on and I should pay more attention to their music instead of their death. Doesn’t seem to make too much sense, but in my head it does. However, by now I am getting a bit tired of losing so many of my musical inspirations.
I always find it strange that I can be so affected by the death of a musician because I don’t know him personally. I guess listening to someones music so often gives a certain artist a special spot in your life, even if you don’t know them on a personal level. As soon as I heard the news that this incredibly talented pianist has died I just turned on his music, closed my eyes and listened to the magic coming from my speakers.
If you want to know more about Bebo Valdés, read this article. I rather share his music with you.
I made a playlist with 31 songs of Bebo Valdés on my YouTube channel for you to listen to, share it with you friends and make sure his talent won’t be forgotten. I’m grateful that we still have his music with us. Que descanse en paz el gran maestro Bebo Valdes:
