William Mbuende band was simply amazing
William Mbuende Band
Plantation
Sat 13th Aug ‘11
This six piece afro-jazz extravaganza known as the William Mbuende Band brought a fusion of pan-African beats and jazzy highlife to Plantation at the weekend.
A lively Saturday night, Plantation had a buzzing atmosphere - the restaurant was filled with the chatter of friends and families. Willie Mbuende’s melodies drifted dreamily as waiters weaved amongst the tables carrying sizzling dishes of fresh Caribbean cuisine.
The band started at 9pm with some smooth and mellow numbers as people dug into their food.
Hailing from Namibia, Mr. Mbuende himself leads the band with effortlessly flowing, traditional African vocals. He sings with a powerful hearty quality whilst swinging and bouncing to the rhythm of his bass guitar.
For this performance he’s supported by Chris de Juan on guitar and vocals, Justin Fellows on drums, Nick Malcom on trumpet and guest pianist Jim Bloomfield on synth.
Their style blends flavours of jazz and folky African roots with some funky basslines and spiralling trumpets which create a celebratory carnivalesque spirit.
If there was one word to describe the unique sound of The William Mbuende Band, it would be joyful… Despite the sensory medley of artistic and creative complexity, the overall mood created is of uplifting simplicity… As if the rainbow of radiant melodies somehow takes the audience on a journey through a day in an African paradise…
Lights dimmed around 10pm as people moved on from food to cocktails. The band stepped it up a notch with some body-shaking, hip-wiggling beats, and funky bobbing basslines.
The band had a real sense of ‘drive’ and passion, as fingers danced playfully over strings and piano keys, and trumpet player Nick Malcom whimsically wove his notes in and out through the night.
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