What can’t Ch’An sing?
This could have been the question swirling in the minds of those who attended the most recent staging of Mahalia’s Corner at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.
Around 9:47 p.m. she entered the stage accompanied by the Marlon Legall Voice Project and performed For Nina. After that, her set would be backed by the band 2 Mile Hill, along with violinist Wesley Morris.
Songs such as Grover Washington Jr and Bill Withers’ Just the Two Of Us, Bruno Mars and Cardi B’s Finesse, SWV’s Weak and Stevie Wonder’s Master Blaster (Jammin’) are popular, but she found a way to make them her own. Her originality also shone through when she sang Happy Birthday to a few friends and audience members on a Bashment beat.
This prompted band member Kris Clarke to put the headliner on the spot and asked her to sing the words onomatopoeia, melon ball and antidisestablishmentarianism.
She effortlessly made each word and phrase sound like a jazzy hit and the crowd went wild. Things intensified when Ch’An introduced Alix Cage and they set Fyah to the stage.
Her original love song Body was also a favourite with the audience, as was the final song Ain’t Nobody. By the end she had everyone on their feet, dancing and singing along. Kris Fields as the spotlight artiste performed his original song Fallin.
He then mixed closed his segment with reggae numbers including Night Nurse, Who Knows and Welcome To Jam Rock.
The open mic segment was also filled with numerous performers, including Maya Sobers who was impressive with One Moment In Time, Kenyah who sang Love On The Brain, Jabarrie with I Who Have Nothing and Stefan Walker with Ain’t No Sunshine.
This Sunday the concert series returns to the same location and The Mighty Gabby is expected to headline. (TG)
