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Review: Live Vibe August 2009
Words: Belinda Nimo
The moment Hakeem (founder of Impact Dance) jumped out from the shadows luring an
unsuspecting audience member onto the stage the fireworks kicked off. Once warmed
up the audience was hyped and ready for the 6th instalment of the show.
MXT was the first dance act. The group recently won second place in the UK’s Dance Challenge. Their routine was perfected by back/front flips and an intriguing display of flexibility from one of the lead choreographers.
Next up, Drayus a young singer/songwriter from Hackney highlighted his own vocal flexibility with his song entitled Melody. This artist has already won a singing competition sponsored by the Prince’s Trust, so the only way is up!
Sheik It displayed a real touch of spice. They enthralled with a mixture of Bollywood/bhangra belly dancing to a sound track of traditional Bhangra & hip hop. The colourful mix of music totally matched the Indian themed costume and was a real treat to watch.
Next up, JP, alias Jermaine Payne, had the audience fixated with his powerfully charged MCing vocals of Put the Knives and Guns Down. The title speaks for itself – JP did the rest as he made sure his message resounded through the audience. As winner of UK Unsigned (2008) and a voluntary mentor to youths of the street he is a bonus to his community. His main aim is to spread positivity across the country. He’s definitely on the right track listen out for more from this guy!
Perception worked well on stage with a medley of energised dance moves. Just two guys and one girl hold their own in this group formed through shared interests. Look out for this group who have performed at events in London and have moved through different genres of dance namely jazz, ballet, tap and street!
Avalanche, just 22 from North London, who prides himself as a grime/hip hop artist melted more hearts and minds when he performed The Man I Am. His voice cascaded through the audience as he charged “they need to know the real me!” His works have enabled him to collaborate with Gemma Fox, Ironic and Chipmunk. His forthcoming single There She Goes will bless our streets soon.
People talk about street dance and we think about young people hot stepping it across a stage – it’s more than that. III Religion who perform routines for specific shows highlight the important factors it takes to create a group and put on a performance; organisation, dedication, good team work and inspiration. They are testimony to how it should be done.
Singer Hayley from North London struck gold with the audience when she sung Faraway. Her natural melodic voice took us on a real journey – faraway. Fighter was taken up a few tempos and the heat was on. This girl is a passionate performer and her vocal skills really can’t be faulted. She’s a mix of Jill Scott, Eryka Badu and Beyonce. Look out for her upcoming EP Real Talk.
Audience Got Talent pulled a few talented surprises out of its box tonight with singers and dancers, but Redinho proved he was the true talent king! He had the audience jumping off their seats for more as he beatboxed his way through the personality profile to the finals in September!
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The Open Mic section closed the show with songwriter Abdul, likened to Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke. He brought with him a fresh vibe as he sung about the aftermath of a broken relationship. Hopefully we’ll be seeing more of this guy who ended the show on a real high note.
Once the chairs were pulled back it was time for the audience to revel in the sounds that DJ Mikey J had to offer. Sadly as all good things do, the night came to an end. LiveVibe once again served up a delicious night of entertainment!
Next: Live Vibe September >>
Spotlight on Mikey J:
You may be asking yourself about the guy who stands in the shadows behind the DJ set. His name is Michael J Asante a true asset to the show. He provides the vibrant musical backdrop to the entire Live Vibe experience. He hypes it up during audience games, never leaves us static in the interlude and gets us up when the show is over.
Michael is a gem in his field, not only as a DJ but as a Singer, Songwriter and Music Producer. Hailing from London’s grime central East London he began to craft his skill from the tender age of 14. After a stint studying commercial music at Westminster Uni he decided it was time to hone his skills. He has since worked with many grime artists and continues to work with and produce material for Kano and his new album.
He’s had his hand in engineering the musical score for Fiat 500 Reveal, Nike-
Together with Kenrick Sandy he founded Boy Blue Entertainment in 2001 -
Contact: mikeyj@rawheed.com
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