This petite young lady is a prime example of YouTube success. She was discovered for her soothing, sultry voice recorded with just one guitar and sometimes even the ukulele. Part of her face was hidden in her earlier videos, preferring people to appreciate her for her talent more then her looks. Zee has since travelled all the way to Los Angelos, toured in the United States, performed in Europe, hung out with rock stars and debuting her album with Brushfire Records on the 19th May 2009!
Zee Avi makes Malaysia proud ;-)
Here's her official music video "Bitter Heart". Directed by The Malloys, wardrobe by Gregory Parkinson and a special cameo by Matt Costa. Noticed the Camilla Skovgaard ankle booties..sweet!
Here's an interview with groundbreaking Ethiopian Jazz musician and arranger, Mulatu Astatke and U.K collective The Heliocentrics about their forthcoming album 'Inspiration Information 3' under Strut Records. A much anticipated album, this collaboration is to be released very soon..for more info visit Strut Records.
On a different note, i spent last Saturday night chilling to Brazillian World Percussion Ensemble at No Black Tie. Led by VALTINHO ANASTACIO of Sao Paolo who has lived and performed in Japan and New York, the rest of the crew features our very own Lewis Pragasm on drums, Tay Cher Siang on piano and Norman on bass. The crowd was small but attentive and the ensemble was spontaneously breezy but lively. A nice way to end an evening.
Karin Dreijer Andersson aka Fever Ray's new project, which is a debut solo album that is yet to have a title, is an interesting combination of dark, hypnotic and dreamy tempo. Check out the first single entitled "If I Had a Heart", directed by Andreas Nilsson. For more info visit http://feverray.com/
Jamie Lidell's second album, Multiply
caught people off-guard in 2005. Few expected the restless sonic
scientist to make an uplifting soul record, but he did; and audiences
and critics were captivated by the fusion of his influences with deeply
felt song writing, meticulous production skills, and most of all, that
flipping amazing voice. According to the reviews, Jamie was at various
times, Little Richard, Jimi, Otis, Sly, Prince, Marvin, Stevie or some
mashed-up combo of them all. Meanwhile, his live show has become an
infamously exhilarating experience, with Jamie performing on the edges
of control and chaos, turning music inside out.
And now here he comes again. Jim is ten very different songs. Jim is energy, integrity, emotion. Jim is all about the hooks. Jim is getting the sounds absolutely right. Jim is keeping things fresh. Jim is the voice. Jim is Jamie and Jamie is Jim.
Recorded in Berlin, Los Angeles and Paris, Jim
takes even further what was started with Multiply, finding the balance
between the spontaneous creativity of his raw ideas and the careful
craft and polish of a great record. The musical world of Jim is richer
and more refined; but it always comes back to the voice. As Jamie says,
"The most important thing was the vocal, to capture
the balance of me delivering the songs with full gusto, and at the same
time retaining the grain and the grit."
Jim will switch you on in the morning, move you on the dance-floor
and take you down in the small hours. It's a bold, promiscuously
diverse album, mixing up gospel grooves, sweetly sung and fiercely
passionate soul, delicately moving ballads, thumping early R & B,
synthed-up disco, and even a touch of 'hillbilly funk'. "I haven't tried to hide the influences," he says "This is the music I love." But, listen closely and you can hear Jamie moving in new directions, creating a sound and style that is entirely his own.
A video by Ash Nair featuring Vanessa Chong from The Amazing Race Asia, Moots from Pop Shuvit, Harith Iskandar and Chelsia Ng. The video was shot at Bulldog in Hartamas and a studio in Kelana Jaya. Make-up and hair for Vanessa and Ash by moi.
