Cultural Vibrations is the brainchild and legacy to the Nottingham music scene, of Rasta Rella aka Rastarella L Falade. From very humble beginnings the organisation has become a central part of World Music in our city and now celebrates its 15-year anniversary. We went along to the Playhouse to celebrate...
Regulars at the Hockley Hustle will know of the work that Rastarella puts into the Cultural Vibrations events and, more recently, she has been heavily involved as a host on 97.5FM Kemet Radio.
Much credit and appreciation goes out to Nottingham Playhouse for allowing the celebration to happen, and they were not disappointed with the large turnout on Saturday. Over 400 fans of World music turned up to show their love for Rastarella, Cultural Vibrations and each other. One World, One Love.
After a very special introduction from Rastarella the evening's music started with the talented Matamando, originally from Malawi and now living in the East Midlands. Matamando has a real passion and love for the Gospel sounds and was supported by three exceptional singers, Charlene, Nash and Sabrina, who provided faultless backing harmonies. She sang in her native Malawi tongue and I'm still struck by her voice, particularly her lower ranges! The crowd loved the performance and she included a live version of her first UK single I Belong To You. Bless you Matamando for starting the evening off with a great set.
Next, we witnessed the stunning skills of Mendi Singh who presented the audience with a masterclass on his Tabla grooves and percussion artistry. Mendi has played and recorded for many great artists including Peter Gabriel and Courtney Pine, working within varied genres that include EDM, Hip Hop and World. His quiet and calm stage presence contrasted with his dominant musicianship; nobody could touch his ability to hold an audience captivated during his performance and I'm left wondering how he manages to produce such a wide variance of sounds from the Tabla, as he darts from contemporary arrangements to folk beats. I'm new to Mendi Singh and the Tabla but it's not going to stay that way. A must see again artist!
No time to ease up and chill, Gambino Akuboy stormed the building: he's an Afrobeats singer and just wants to make people happy. I last watched him at the Hockley Hustle a couple of years ago but since then he had success as a recent semi finalist in Britain's Got Talent and his stage presence has grown 1000%. Accompanied by his cousin, Akuboy blasted through a set of high energy songs including Party Alien, Do What I Want and Weekend. His ability to connect with the audience meant that everybody was smiling and moving to his rhythms. I challenge anyone to watch Gambino Akuboy's performance and not dance, it's just impossible. Surely this man will soon be on to bigger things...
Just when everyone thought the event had ended, Tippa Irie joined The Friendly Fire band for a magical finale and sweet ending to the evening. Tippa, best known for his hits in the 1980's including Hello Darling and Raggamuffin Girl stoked the energy to new levels and the audience showered him with their love and appreciation. Fast talking, hard hitting and genuinely humble, Tippa is a legend of the UK Reggae scene and I can understand why he has successfully toured the World. See the man, the legend and discover the importance of his work in his new book, 'Stick To My Roots'.
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