Soweto Kinch, Eska Mtungwazi And Andy Hamilton for Birmingham All-Dayer
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Since parting company with the Dune label last year saxophonist/MC Soweto Kinch, who has yet to release the second part of his Birmingham B19 project Basement Fables, or sign a new label deal, is keen to do his own thing, forging an identity as a rapper while still incorporating his original alto saxophone style into his overall concept. What that is will be further explored on 31 May at an event he’s promoting called The Flyover Show underneath the Hockley Flyover in Birmingham.
Along with Bashy, Ty, nonagenarian saxophonist and Birmingham local hero Andy Hamilton, singer Eska Mtungwazi and many more, the free admission show begins at 1pm and runs through until 9pm. Kinch, who recently gave a flavour of the Basement Fables project at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival alongside guitarist Femi Temowo and Eska, manages to harness certain aspects of the urban culture into his act (the video backdrop, the Bluetoothing of images from audience members) but also, unusually, brings an overt Christian rapping focus to the bebop. For the moment he’s keeping his cards close to his chest about future directions but with recent gigs, seeing him perform in Soho with the likes of Gwilym Simcock and Tim Garland, as well as his urban project, he’s not one to stand still.
Most vitally, in Birmingham he’s developing his own Nu Century Arts organisation with regular events at the Drum and also allying, as part of an initiative called CISC, with other local arts organisations. Last year’s 'Midnight Hop' which premiered at Birmingham’s Town Hall – a jazz celebration of the forgotten stories of 18th and 19th century black musicians in England, inspired by Black Hops dances where the black population mingled with the poorer members of the white majority – was one of the first fruits of his overarching socio-musical outlook, all part of the new direction.
Go to www.myspace.com/flyovershow
(Pictured: Soweto Kinch)
Most vitally, in Birmingham he’s developing his own Nu Century Arts organisation with regular events at the Drum and also allying, as part of an initiative called CISC, with other local arts organisations. Last year’s 'Midnight Hop' which premiered at Birmingham’s Town Hall – a jazz celebration of the forgotten stories of 18th and 19th century black musicians in England, inspired by Black Hops dances where the black population mingled with the poorer members of the white majority – was one of the first fruits of his overarching socio-musical outlook, all part of the new direction.
Go to www.myspace.com/flyovershow
(Pictured: Soweto Kinch)