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.
the apex is owned and managed by St Edmundsbury Borough Council.
the apex is owned and managed by St Edmundsbury Borough Council.
