The pioneers of neo soul took Auckland to church on Sunday.
It was like Musiq Soulchild, Angie Stone, Anthony Hamilton, Mos Def, Common, D'angelo and Maxwell were performing at a communion – complete with a church organ.
All in all, that shit was incredible.
Listening to singer Anthony Hamilton’s set at Soulfest, Texas native Fortécia Irie felt like she was back home.
“In Houston, especially in Southern tradition, Baptist churches have like this amazing energy and they have tambourines and just like all of this ... it's very, very uplifting and it makes you wanna jump and shout ”...
Standing up front with the other shorties is where I met this random Texan who was on the last night of a trip to New Zealand for her 30th birthday.
“Man! I've only seen this on TV,” I said. Witnessing Anthony Hamilton's set live made me understand the religion in soul music and that for some, soul music is a religion.
Artist and director Jessica Sanderson said: “It's like Christmas but on a whole new level — all your friends are here, people that you haven't seen for ages are all sharing the same space, listening to amazing soul music — it's like a better church — well it's my kind of church anyway.”
Wellington singer Louis Baker got into the likes of D’Angelo soon after he started playing music. “They're all people that I just love listening to and I love the music and they're here in Auckland so, I'm so happy man."
It did feel kind of odd to see my musical heroes in such an ascending order, considering they're all of a calibre unto their own. No biggie, it just made it hard to know when to go to the drinks line which was quite long, all the time.
Jessica Sanderson, Jessica Silk, Raukura Turei at Soulfest, Auckland Photo: Unknown
Neo-soul is a term that was given to artists like Erykah Badu, D'angelo, Maxwell and Lauryn Hill during the ’90s as a marketing tool. Music journalist Mark Anthony Neal said neo soul and its various incarnations have “helped to redefine the boundaries and contours of black pop.”
Before playing her single ‘Brotha’, Angie Stone thanked the “kings” of this tour and pointed out that neo-soul exists today because of them.
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“Yeah, I'll tell you what it's like.. It's like a giant Otara market except it's not out south. It's right central and there's a combination of 'everythannng'.
"You know when you get purple, pink and all these different colours? What do they all make when you just chuck them together as a kid... it makes brown. There's an awesome brown vibe here. But not in an exclusive manor, in an inclusive manor so... Choice vibe,” said actor and singer James Tito.
"It's just a sea of beautiful people, wearing the most amazing... soul festivity," said Jessica Silk, from Nelson, who's travelled the world listening to live music because that's what she loves:
Mos Def walked out onto the stage spreading rose petals in his path; as he approached the mic, a woman behind me exhaled and said “Oh, there he is”. She sounded relieved he was going to be doing his set at all – there had been talk he wouldn't show up as he did in Sydney. However, Kiwi fans were not disappointed, as Mos performed stripped back classics like 'Fear Not Of Man' and 'Hip Hop'.
Common's set was definitely the height of the evening in terms of party; during which, he jumped off-stage to shake hands with fans.
“Where my people from NZ at right now?! My Maori people, where you at right now?!” He called to a roaring acknowledgement.
Common live at Soulfest Photo: Unknown
For his first time in New Zealand he made sure we'd remember him; spitting a freestyle rap that featured Queen Street, K'rd and a “congratulations to the Kiwis”.
Some things that had punters frustrated were the overwhelming lines at the bar inside the VIP area. For one French, soul music lover, the dissection between VIP and general admission was cold and uncomfortable.
Jen Raoult, from France has been in New Zealand for over six years, she said “I really loved all those artists but I thought the set-up of the place wasn't quite right, we were really far from the stage and I think this VIP area was totally wrong as well because when you're at a concert, everybody should be able to get as close as possible to the stage”.
Another highlight was when Angie Stone called Bella Kalolo, Aaradhna and Letti Chadwick from Pani and Pani up to sing back-up vocals with her; then she asked if we'd all like to want to go on a vacation with her. “I would love to go,” Aaradhna replied:
Although Maxwell thought he was in Australia initially, he tried to make up for it by really talking to the crowd and letting us into the space he was in. “I have never been to New Zealand… I’m so grateful to be here,” he said.
“The greatest thing about flying to New Zealand is being on the plane with D'Angelo. In so many ways we built this right here... We will be back,” Maxwell said.
Finally, I think the Ginnen Group deserve an amen for bringing Soulfest to Aotearoa and pulling off what most people felt was, once, impossible.
Amen.
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