What a fantastic event this proved to be! Winnie commanded a packed house for her first ever album launch which took place in London. Winnie was fully supported by her dedicated fans, based pre-dominantly in London and Birmingham, so it was good to see such a high turn-out for this wonderful artist. Winnie's album is titled Living My Best Life, something she has certainly achieved since having a mini stroke six years ago. As Winnie is constantly jetting off somewhere I am so pleased that she has taken time to record an album. I absolutely love her voice and must add 'spirit' as she is a genuinely good natured and generous person.
I must mention that 'Living my Best Life' was produced by Gary DigiTec Lewis, who made it to the launch despite not being in the best of health, which was very much appreciated. Gary has advanced his career to new heights the last few years and become known for his Reggae productions.
I was very much looking forward to this evening, especially as I haven't seen Winnie or Freddy (Frederica Tibbs) for a very long time, the last event I attended being the Acton Carnival which a few friends went to. For those of you who don't know, Winnie and Freddy are besties who go back a very long way.
I went to the album launch with a couple of friends, Reggae singer Michael Arkk and Dancehall artist Zeena Banks, both of whom are very experienced in the industry. It was such a pleasure reconnecting with many of the artists whom I used to see, which all added to the joy of the night.
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| PD Coolie |
PD Coolie hosted the evening and I must say his take on 'black and gold' was beautifully understated! There is definitely something about a man in a hat and PD played this to the hilt being very comical, which was a good move. I have seen PD Coolie DJ before on many occasions but never seen him host an event, so I really enjoyed and appreciated the exposure to this side of him.
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| Mitsy June next to Amaziah Rose |
The first act PD Coolie introduced was the lady I know as Mitsy June. Right now I am slightly unsure how to refer to Mitsy- should have recorded the intro as it was quite clear! I believe I'm confused as there was a Diva somewhere in the title (laugh). I know Mitsy is the owner of Diva studio and gathered that her slight change of name is due to taking the plunge, branching out from a backing singer to develop her career further as a solo artist. Mitsy is currently working on her upcoming releases including 'That's Life.' I have since clarified that Mitsy uses Mitsy Diva for her YouTube Channel. Well, Prince really started something when you look back on it didn't he! I am aware that Mitsy used to sing Jazz, so as expected her delivery of 'That's Life' was extremely relaxed, making easy listening and fooling us into thinking that it's an easy song to sing. I will just mention that backing singer Amaziah Rose is a brilliant solo artist in her own right too. I think this is a good time to mention what a fantastic job the band did and compliment Fadda Smedley and Suzy Wong, who were responsible for the music throughout the night.
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| Leroy 'Shines' Moncrieffe |
Leroy 'Shines' Moncrieffe, Winsome's brother as you probably guessed, was next to take the stage and sang a Reggae version of Will Young's hit 'Leave Right Now.' This song has a really timeless vibe and is highly relatable for those who have been hurt in the past and don't wish to put through that again. I feel that Leroy's version is very sincere and totally conveys the song's message. I have uploaded it for you so enjoy. For me, it was interesting to see how Leroy approached Reggae as I have previously only heard him sing Motown and was extremely impressed with his style, in fact, he has had a highly successful run of Motown shows just recently. Leroy also sang Lionel Ritchie's classic, 'Lady.'
PAUSE: Sometimes you have those moments in life where a song really touches you and this was one of those moments.
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| JJ Born2Sing |
The ever popular JJ Born2Sing was up next, blessing us with his unique voice and vocal agility, patterning riff after riff. JJ sang a song he 'd written in which he speaks about the pride he feels when looking at his children and their achievements, something so special. I've noticed in recent years with so many talent shows surfacing that audiences expect singers to belt their songs out riffs and all, the louder the better, so I am pleased that JJ doesn't subscribe to this and uses his softer tone in a consistent manner to express the emotion within his songs. 'So Proud' could be seen as a testament to the joy of parenthood, a moment of reflection because we are entitled to look at our children every so often and appreciate them for who they are. And give yourself a pat on the back too! JJ made a further appearance and after the show I was speaking with Michael Arkk who said, 'JJ has a lot of humility and is amongst the best male singers in the UK. He flows, he has confidence and the ability to draw his audience in. He has mastered the ability to control his voice, taking it wherever he chooses.'
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| Winnie and Freddy |
Now we move on to Frederica Tibbs, one of Reggae's great artists who opened for Delroy Wilson, Jamaica's first child star, back in the day. Freddy astounded me with her version of, 'No No No, You Don't Love Me.' Quite honestly, I was blown away. Previously, I always perceived this song as quite light hearted, probably because it's usually sung to appeal to the masses, but Freddy took it to the Blues side and I was left thinking, WOW. I would really like to hear more of the deeper, expressive side of Freddy and would love to hear her singing Reggae with a Blues twist where it's appropriate. Ultimately, music is about connection and Freddy's delivery really connected! Freddy and Winnie frequently sing together which is great as their voices are highly complimentary. I think their special friendship speaks for itself and comes across on stage too.
Let's now reflect on the Lady of the night, Winsome Moncrieffe-Mitchell. Winne certainly made a grand entrance looking every bit the star and singing There is a Land, Far Far Away, while walking towards the stage to take her place beside her friends. I have always loved Winnie's voice from day one- rich, powerful and expressive. I did miss hearing, 'I am blessed' which I view as Winnie's key song, however changing times require change and Winnie is stepping into her arena now. Obviously the harmonies underpin everything. Freddy, Amaziah and Mitsy June provided a really firm foundation above which Winnie could showcase her voice. I think the song choices were excellent being very familiar to us all which is guaranteed to generate great vibes.
I was in a good position and recorded the first half of the show- so you have plenty of videos to view! My take overall- the performances were lively and engaging being fortunate to have such class acts. Michael was very impressed with Winnie so I'm letting him summarise his thoughts about her voice, and he is full of praise: 'It's the first time I've listened to Winsome as a soloist and I found her really, really beautiful. Her voice is up there with Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin. She has the quality of top league singers in the world.' So there you have it- a highly successful evening.
I have uploaded videos from the first half of the show to my new YouTube channel and included several links above to the different artists. Please click 'like' under the songs and subscribe to Its Braap TV YouTube and Its Braap~ Its Life blog. Thank You!
Additional related blog: Family Love~ Hurting Me
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