By Odeisel

Nneka is very charming; very earthy. She has an aura about her, at least on stage that radiates throughout a venue. She reminds you of a foreigner that knows and speaks English very well, but has only a fleeting command of colloquialism. She is possessed of that early Denise Huxtable (not Lisa Bonet) weird chick hotness.  Think Balki from “Perfect Strangers” trapped in Cree Summer’s body. I know, weird visual.

Nneka’s music emits themes of freedom, change, and love and the passionate delivery with which she delivers it is evidence of her belief in those virtues, which in this era of disposable club music is certainly something to be lauded. Her set consisted of two electric guitars, aside from her acoustic, a drummer, and a keyboardist.  Minimalist, but enough to keep her the center of attention while not over “bohemianing” her stage show.

Her presence is very understated, looking as if either she just rolled out of bed, or she’s cramming for a final, but again, it’s part of her charm. Her voice, however was booming for someone her size and while not crystal clear, it was buttressed by her passionate delivery. She doesn’t move around much on stage, but she projected very well. While the spotlight was on her, she emitted nothing but emotion and heartfelt energy, which is important with the type of aesthetic she represents. She was very cognizant of pacing with the songs she sang, and the emotion of the crowd, from upbeat songs to impassioned ballads was carefully controlled; never allowing too much emotion in one particular direction.

Her songs were separated by short monologues and small talk which both aided in developing familiarity, and also leading into songs form a catalogue that isn’t universally familiar as yet. One such song “VIP (Vagabonds In Power)” featured a rousing call and response with the audience. As upbeat as the song is, its topic of corruption in Nigeria and across the globe is nothing to sneeze at but she makes it interesting enough for you to listen.  From there, she segued into a tribal-like jam, powered mostly by her drummer.

Nneka handled the last song, a slow-simmering emotional ballad, rife with tumult and pushed by piano keys, very deftly.  She was  overcome with emotion and stepped back to collect herself and brought in the other instruments to replace the heartache with force. Well arranged, and brilliantly done.

If Nneka’s musical career remains on this path, she could be one of those rare artists that you don’t have to push for their message even though they suck. She can also spread her message across many venues and fit on different bills because of the combined agility and facility of her stage performance and her ability to read a crowd. I look forward to seeing how it develops. It certainly ain’t on the pop tip. Here’s her latest video “The Uncomfortable Truth”  for your viewing pleasure.

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