Subscribe
Twitter
Facebook
Josephine Oniyama is Manchester’s answer to Dionne Warwick, but with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper on top. The small cramped room in Soho House was full of important conversation. It’s a monday night and business things had been happening all day.
I even heard someone say, “poor girl it’s really loud in hear no ones going to be listening.” How wrong they were. The conversation continues over the opening chords, however silence fell as soon as Josephine’s vocals reached our ears. Starting with ‘A freak A’, Josephine’s personal favourite, lyrics ask people “if you have a mask, put it on” and soon we are captivated by her skilled storytelling music.
Portrait gives a haunting edge to Josephine’s voice and ’What A Day’ brings in an up-tempo western twang to her set. Throughout it’s apparent just how talented the wonderful Josephine is but left many of us wondering why such a talent waited so long to release her debut record.
Album Portrait had just come out on the day of the gig and in Josephine’s own words “was a huge relief” - an eight year journey filled with its ups and downs and finally here it was.
The gig really showed off Josephine’s musicianship and vocal ability. Finishing with ‘House Of Mirrors’, even Josephine seemed surprised at her own vocal control and skill. An effortless and divine performance from an artist who truly deserves a lot more recognition.
1 Comment
Josephine @ Bush Hall, Feb 6th 2013
Opening with ‘I think It Was Love’ the Princess of Cheetham Hill’s voice soared to swoon her audience in Bush Hall’s ‘room of mirrors’, on Wednesday February 6th.
The beauty of Josephine’s confident performance was not only as paired back as anything Lana Del Ray has given recently, but peppered with wit and humour to match the diverse age-group of her audience! As with most of the audience I was bearing witness to an enigma devoid of contemporary reference points! Just as Amie and Del Ray forced us to score back decades; Josephine too, requires us to articulate her influences in witnessing and listing. Her sense of introspection echoed those early works of Janis Ian in ‘Between The Lines’ and ‘Aftertones’ while her voice was truly exquisite.
Wednesday’s show [with her accompaniment, Steve] may have functioned as a rest-bite from touring with Paloma Faith, but for Josephine audience it certainly was an impressive interlude. Running through from ‘I Pray That I Move’ to ‘Portrait’, Josephine’s post Warholian observations reflects on the contemporary question – of not how but which portrait to choose. ‘How would I know?’ would even satisfy someone like Dylan or Cohen!
As the great Liverpooludian; John Lennon belloing out in ‘Whatever Get’s You Through The Night’, Josephine reminds us – prior to ‘What A Day’, that whatever works – use it. Like Kiki Dee she’s got the music in her – she’s the real deal. One of those [rear] archetypical voices who has something worth saying. Then, as if hailing from the Appalachian Mountains she plucks her strings to ‘Pepper Shaker’ before following up with the more acoustic version of ‘Original Love’. I would recommend you listed to the album ‘Portrait’ to hear how she harmonises her protesting passion of questioning reality. On Wednesday the audience not only got the full monty of her debut album but four additional songs that didn’t get there. Finished with ‘The Last Minute’ and ‘A Freak A’ before her exquisite ‘House Of Mirrors’ Bush Hall erupted and of course, clamoured for an encore. Something, Josephine told all present – she enjoys delivering. As I write this, Josephine’s supporting Paloma Faith, but she’s going to be headlining in April. Miss her at your pearl! I’ve got my ticket for The Tabernacle on the 18th.