Reviews

Black Coffee Live Review in Bristol

Posted on: 2018-05-10

All in all, Black Coffee surpassed my expectations with ease and there is no wonder he is tipped for even greater success especially after the accolades he has won. The world is truly blessed to have a musical icon as such.

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South Africa… Where shall I start? From its tumultuous history, this country has provided us with many icons in the world of medicine, entertainment, sport as well as an esteemed and accomplished gentleman who went on to become a resounding dedicated leader of this rainbow nation. I know it is odd that I should begin a review with this description, but I feel it’s important for whoever reads this to understand that often, a thing of great magnitude and splendour has a history of dealing with the rough and ready, constant pressure and indignation to blossom into a thing of wondrous beauty; much like a diamond.

For those who are fans of Black Coffee, I need not reiterate the background of this gifted musician as you will know that description is befitting. However, I wanted to embark on a journey of discovery to find out what makes this genius tick and what his influences are amongst other things.

 

I entered the Trinity Centre in Bristol with a great feeling of trepidation, partly because I was about to meet a musical beacon of not just South Africa but a proud son of the African continent who in my opinion has surpassed so many of the well-established DJ’s of the world. And also, I was in constant fear that something would come up and the gig would be cancelled. Going by history, comedic star Trevor Noah had cancelled his gig in Bristol when he was offered his job in America and I had these thoughts running through my mind as I came into the venue. I was also giddy with excitement like a child in a sweet store after visiting the dentist; it was truly a mixed bag of emotions. I was also filled with a sense of pride as one of our own had pushed the boundaries and achieved what so many have tried to attain. Black Coffee is special, not because of his limitations, but because his music is symbiotic to traditional African percussion married with the vibrant flows of modern house giving a sound that I can only describe as a transient state of euphoric proportions. One can only try to measure the level of his success and it’s not everyday you get to meet a superstar!

 

I was ushered into his dressing room where he was awaiting to start his set and thought ‘man this guy is TALL’; I could detect a state of urgency as I am sure he wanted to get into his pre ritual (whatever that is) as soon as possible and I felt obliged and informed him that I was only going to ask him four questions which I felt were pertinent to the state of not only his career at present but what was held for the future. I immediately tried to play the clown in the room by stating the only thing missing was a certain ‘entertainer’ from back home. That joke fell like a lead balloon but his response was that of a very astute individual who was on a mission and in this he did not want to detract from what he was doing. This immediately proved to be our first talking point. I couldn’t understand how a superstar DJ would be in Bristol on a Tuesday night. He very eloquently put it as a plight of planting seeds. He explained that he has played at sold out venues but those particular gigs were meant to be sold out. His dream is to see his genre of music grow in stature and with that popularity. In order to accomplish this, it requires he play in venues where at times it may not be always sold out but it shows the artist is committed to his art form and that in the future can be translated into more people appreciating the music. He went to say that he hoped he could solidify this in his next album. I pressed him for a name of the project and the release date but he declined to divulge this information, but that just filled me with more excitement and intrigue. This quickly led us to discuss his musical influences. I took a stab in the dark and put a question to him whether South African House was a graduation or some form of evolution from ‘Kwaito’ music. (Kwaito is essentially another form of South African dance music.) I was going to explain that it seemed that the music scene had aptly moved from Pantsula (another form of South African dance music) to Kwaito leading us to where we are now. I was immediately stopped in my tracks and Black Coffee was adamant that this was not the case and this was a devolution from all of that; although it has its influences from jazz and rhythm and blues, his music very much has its own identity. He stated that he has worked with numerous artists and was willing to collaborate with more. I brought a question forward whether South Africa could have its own ‘supergroup’ like Major Lazer? This could be him working with the likes of Heavy K and so forth. He stated that it wasn’t feasible in the near future plans but that he was willing to work with any artist. This was as long as could be incorporated into his plans for the future, which included his residencies in Las Vegas and Ibiza where he is expecting to play over 40 gigs over the summer not including the current tour he is on where his next stop is Amsterdam then Leeds.

After our scintillating chat, I exited the dressing room not know what to expect with the performance but in all honesty I need not have worried. It is not often a person gets to witness a genius at work but this performance encapsulated why I became a DJ in the first place. Not a single soul was still that night. Whether it was through the shudder of the impeccable bass or the pulsating lights the night quickly transformed into a whole psychedelic mess of fascination and wonder all fused together by a bit of truly exceptional bit of music. Most DJ’s respond to the crowd particularly in night spots where certain songs are requested a pitiful number of times. But this was different. Immediately you realised you were being taken on a journey with each song delivering a bit of the story. Playing tracks like Muy , Buya and his own remixes to Umbovukazi and Afrika by Da Capo sent you into a world of enchantment oblivious to the fact not knowing where one song ended the other began as the mixing was seamless. His stage presence was truly animated coinciding with the jubilation going on the dancefloor as if one was encouraging the other and Black Coffee obliged. On a personal note, I would have liked many more to have witnessed this show but I feel true to his word he will be back and we all can get into one psychedelic mess together.

 

All in all, Black Coffee surpassed my expectations with ease and there is no wonder he is tipped for even greater success especially after the accolades he has won. The world is truly blessed to have a musical icon as such. Black Coffee we salute you and keep it going!

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