Omar

Omar with Soul Purpose at London's best live jazz club Hideaway!Friday 11th May, Tickets £15, Doors 7pm, Music 9pm (2 sets, approximate finish 11.30pm)

Hideaway favorites Soul Purpose come back to Hideaway for a  special 2 night collaboration with the Godfather Of UK Neo Soul Omar. First set will see Soul purpose bring their unique brand of Funk, R&B and Soul with their trademark sound to the stage, then in the second set they will be joined by Uk legend Omar, who they will then back as he performs his hits and more, that have been with us for more than 15 years. This will be 2 nights that you wont want to miss, as Hideaway favorites Soul Purpose and Omar come together for a unique night of Soul & Funk. Be there!

You can also hear Omar's recent Radio 1 interview, which includes his work with Stevie Wonder here!

Brian Henry: Keyboards / Talkbox

Katie Leone: Vocals

Chris Ballin: Vocals

Ernie McKone: Bass

Isaac Kizitso: Drums

Rob Harris: Guitar

Omar, the 'Father of British Neo-Soul

One of the British Soul scene’s most influential figures since the early 90s, vocalist Omar is currently celebrating the re-release of classic album, Sing (If You Want It) – and yet another smash hit single that’s been keeping dance floors packed across the nation.

The Sing (If You Want It) album - featuring collaborators including Stevie Wonder, Estelle, Common and Angie Stone – was re-released in July 2011 with the addition of two new bonus tracks (one of which, the Zed Bias collaboration 'Dancing', has been riding high on the BBC 1Xtra playlist).

Omar’s sixth album, Sing (If You Want It) is a bona fide soul classic and was all set to tip the UK soul sensation into the pop-star realm, once and for all, on its release in 2005. However, a series of setbacks – not least the sudden collapse of the record label involved, a week after release – severely dented its chances of breakthrough success. Hardly a flop, it impressively still sold over 50,000 copies, but as Tru Thoughts A&R and long-time Omar fan Robert Luis says, “it was so heavily anticipated, and with collabs from the likes of Stevie Wonder...well, everyone knew it could have sold ten times that”.

Having recently made contact with Omar through his work on Maddslinky’s 2010 album, Make A Change, Robert Luis found himself chatting to his soul hero about how they could work together to re-promote Sing (If You Want It), as well as some exclusive new material that he had bubbling away, and this new, augmented version of the album is the result.

The 'Dancing' single highlights Omar’s continuing appeal in today’s music scene. Tearing up radio and clubs across the UK and beyond, it is currently sitting pretty on the BBC 1Xtra playlist; also picking up plays from BBC Radio 1’s Rob Da Bank, MistaJam and Trevor Nelson, and across Kiss FM, Choice FM and other stations.

Omar’s enviable career – which has seen him sell over half a million records - first started taking shape more than 20 years ago, when his debut single for indie label Kongo Dance made him a hot name on London’s underground. Then came the hit 'There’s Nothing Like This', in 1992, which captured the imagination of soul fans the world over; Stevie Wonder declared himself a fan on first hearing it, and vowed to work with him. Further releases on Gilles Peterson’s label, Talkin’ Loud, were followed by a move to RCA, for whom he cut two albums (including 1994’s For Pleasure, on which he worked with legendary Motown producers Leon Ware and Lamont Dozier), notching up critical acclaim and introducing him to several more of his musical heroes and heroines.

In 2000, now the leading icon of the UK’s resurgent soul movement, Omar released his fifth LP, on French imprint Naïve Records; Best By Far was a self-produced set on which his interest in cinematic soundtracks and jazz rose to the surface. This time, Erykah Badu and MOBO winner Kele Le Roc came good on their promises to work with him. Robert Luis summarises: “Omar is just a hugely influential and talented artist, and importantly he has always been respected by fellow musicians, which is proved by all the people queuing up to collaborate with him.”

With Sing (If You Want It) Omar embarked on a new phase of his career, one designed to bring him directly to a wider public than ever before. With the sheer quality of the music, underpinned by the world’s finest on collaborations, the album’s hit potential was clear; now this reissue is set to bring it back into the limelight, and into the record collections of many old and new Omar fans around the world

Soul Purpose are the Soul, Groove and Funk outfit guaranteed to get the party started on a Friday night. Led by writer and producer Brian Henry, this collective of top artists always fill the night with energy because they’re making the music they love, the way they love it, and the way you love it too. Grab your dancing shoes, boogie boots or whatever other funky footwear you like to get down in and book for this one before it sells out.