NNEKA, LONDON ULU, 4TH NOVEMBER.
Last week saw MOBO winner (Best African Act 09) Nneka play her only London date at ULU. Which was surprising; I expected someone of Nneka’s pedigree to play a venue like the Jazz Café, or Cargo. I have to say though, ULU was the perfect place to host the show. It may not have been the most glamourous setting, but the close, intimate atmosphere and impressive sound system more than made up for any shortcomings in aesthetics.
Support came from the very impressive, Moroccan hip-hop-esque Amazigh Kateb. Before long, they had the crowd nicely hyped and delightfully rapping back their lyrics. A brief jaunt into some African dancehall and French hip-hop followed, getting the crowd nicely in the mood for what was to be an evening of multicultural music.
By the time Nneka bounced onto stage, complete with her four-piece band, the crowd was warmed up, eager, and ready. No diva behavior here! She was on time, impressively unassuming, and jumped straight into her set with vibrant energy. One thing you should know about Nneka: she is all about the music. She delivered a stripped back, no frills, yet wholly mesmerising performance. A setlist of tracks from both her albums was delivered to an entranced, hushed crowd, hanging on her every word. Saving her best-known song - ‘Heartbeat’ - for last, the atmosphere was surprisingly haunting and, as clichéd as it sounds, truly spine tingling.
No matter how impressive the sound system however, it was, at times, difficult to understand the Nigerian-born singer’s lyrics. Nevertheless, her gorgeous voice captivated, and she gave an impressive, emotion-fuelled live performance. Of course, there were the occasional, slightly deep and preachy points that preceded a couple of numbers. Egotistic self indulgence wasn’t the deal though; her words came straight from the heart. Nneka certainly lived up to expectations. If you ever get the chance to see her perform live, do!
Words: Milly Cundall
Photography by Alan Cooper
