Preview

The streets of south London where roots and dancehall rub shoulders with Afro beat, hip hop and dub provides the recipe for Soothsayers' organic and unique sound. The sweet vocals of Adesose Wallace summons the vibe of his native Lagos to the stage while the beautiful reflective voice of Zimbabwean soul princess Netsayi Chigwendere floats alongside. Add to this a slice of chunky horns from co-writers and producers Idris Rahman and Robin Hopcraft, and a rhythm section that'll rock you 'til sunrise, featuring musicians working on the cutting edge of the UK music scene as well as performing with many of the big names from Africa and the Carribean. Fat, rootsy grooves with a sprinkling of afro jazz to keep your feet moving, heart beating and soul alive.

Whilst Soothsayers' debut album, 'Lost City', received rave reviews in the UK press, the live show presents a set of new material that continues the band's journey from its Afro jazz roots into exciting new territory. Prepare yourself for an organic sound as fitting to the streets of South London as to the dance floors of Lagos or Kingston.

'Now and again an album comes apparently out of nowhere that hits you straight between the ears. Lost City - a joyful, funky set mixing township jazz, dub reggae and jazz-funk - is one such recording' - The Times March 2002

'Infectious dance rhythms dominate, from the breezily grooving title track to the light, understated African swing of Umtata' - The Guardian April 2002

Review

Um ... er ... well ... WOW! By any criterion - sheer musicianship, danceability, value-for-money, charisma - this seven-man South London fusion outfit were a revelation ... with their intoxicating blend of Afro beat, jazz-funk, township groove and dub, even free jazz, Soothsayers, in the opinion of all at HQ and the delighted punters alike, tower head and shoulders above almost any equivalent band we've hosted in recent times.

This band boasts seven musicians, each of them a master in his own way. Co-writers Idris Rahman (sax) and the lofty be-capped Robin Hopcraft (trumpet) provide both unison horn charts and solos of breathtaking class; Jonny Phillips and Phil Dawson on guitars are superlative complementary foils for one another, each laying down a compelling rhythm groove when required, or stretching out with bewitching solos drawn from an astoundingly broad stylistic vocabulary. Then there's the dream rhythm section: as if the mingling of Patrick Illingworth's awesome drum skills and the incomparable bass work of Eustace Williams were not enough, the icing on the cake comes in the majestic and charismatic form of Adesose Wallace, seated centre-stage, who performs magical percussion duties on dhembe plus an array of shakers and resonant wooden objects ... Wallace also handles lead vocals, with Idris and Robin chiming in to create those trademark township harmonies.

Soothsayers opted for a non-stop show of not far short of two-and-a-half hours' duration, and the sense in this approach became apparent as the night progressed: the polyrhythmic earlier stages of their set gradually made way for changes of mood and feel, with, for instance, a pronounced dub reggae trend (with rib-rattling bass) emerging about ninety minutes in. To stop and restart would have seriously fractured the narrative flow of proceedings, and this is a band whose spell, once cast, should never be broken ... you're picked up and carried, willing passengers all, on a bewitching journey, from 'In the Beginning' to 'Blinded Souls', via 'Eagle Song', 'Freedom', 'Dog Eat Dog', 'Africa', 'We Must Return' ... and so many more. Infectious, irresistibly funky, and above all, supremely musicianly, Soothsayers met with universal approval, and, you may be assured, a return visit is a rock-solid certainty.