2009/09/04
DAUGHTER OF THE SOIL

Somi is a true daughter of the soil. Dressed in one of David Tlale’s signature gowns, the Rwandan artist looked like a goddess

Her heavenly look did not prepare us for the songbird’s mellow toned voice. Somi brought the Mbira stage to a standstill as she sang a melody creating a beautiful ambiance with her silky voice.

Somi’s vocal technique is exceptionally unique and incomparable to other vocal artists because she has a distinct sound. The alto’s talent is portrayed through her exploration of her vocal chords, displaying an array of rare sounds. Her music presented a sense of purity and innocence. The songstress’ music spoke of life journeys, love and the challenges we face as human beings, this therefore brought a sense of familiarity and connection with the audience. Somi also used folk inspired songs and sounds in her performance; it was as though we were being musically introduced to the East African countries of Rwanda and Uganda.

Though beautifully presented, I think that this act would have been better received in a seated venue because the bar and standing arrangement of the Mbira brought much distraction.

However, the highlight of the evening was Somi’s performance of a Ugandan love song about the pain of a previous loved one. The songstress exuberated passion and pain into the air - feeding her audience with a feeling of a past experience, as Somi concluded this piece with weeping like sounds. This Jazz princess hauled us back to South African soul and humbly left the stage with nothing but a shower of silence and applause.

Issued for:
T-Musicman

Issued by:
Lesego S. Motshegwa

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