A Change Is Gonna Come 2019
“This celebration of political anthems transformed them into compelling art”
**** The Guardian
Four of the most gifted soul, jazz and rap artists explore the power of protest songs in this not to be missed collaboration. Leading an incredible sextet, are supremely talented queens of their trade: the soulful Carleen Anderson, jazz virtuosos Nikki Yeoh and Camilla George and rising UK rapper Lady Sanity.
On stage together for the first time, they will perform unique interpretations of iconic songs from Nina Simone, Gil Scott-Heron, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke and more. This special set also features powerful new compositions by Anderson and Yeoh highlighting the ongoing fight for equal human rights.
The band also features the talents of bassist Renell Shaw who has collaborated, recorded and toured alongside artists such as Rudimental, Skepta, Nitin Sawhney, plus drummer Rod Youngs who has played with Gil Scott Heron, Hugh Masekela and Jocelyn Brown, amongst others.
Line up:
Carleen Anderson - vocalist, MD
Nikki Yeoh - piano & keyboard, MD
Lady Sanity - rapper
Camilla George - saxophone
Renell Shaw - electric bass
Rod Youngs - drums
Born in Texas Mercury-nominated Carleen Anderson was reared on the sounds of the Pentecostal Gospel church where her Grandfather was pastor, and whose family was friends with Martin Luther King. She moved across the Atlantic to the UK in 1990, where she became the lead singer and music composer of The Young Disciples and lead vocals for the Brand New Heavies. Her most recent project Cage Street Memorial, traces 100 years of family life and national politics in a critically acclaimed album, book and live ‘tribal opera’.
Since her emergence on the British jazz scene in the mid-90s, pianist Nikki Yeoh has proved to be an improviser, composer and all-round adventurer who has continually sought to broaden her musical horizons. She has led her own bands in venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, performed with DJ Pogo, Neneh Cherry and The Roots and composed works for John Surman and Joanna MacGregor. Nikki received The Jazz FM Instrumentalist of the Year Award 2017 for her long awaited solo album Solo Gemini.
Lady Sanity, Birmingham born and bred, is a rapper and musician. Drawing on influences from talents such as Lauryn Hill, A Tribe Called Quest and Ms Dynamite, she has played major UK festivals and supported Hip-Hop heavyweight KRS-one. Most recently, she has released ‘For Figures’, a 5 track EP centered on her path of self-discovery in her musical journey thus far, supported by PRSF ‘Women Make Music’ fund. In April 2018 Sanity travelled to the Gold Coast, Australia, for the Commonwealth Games 2018 closing ceremony; representing her hometown in front of an estimated 1 billion as her live performance was broadcasted across the world.
Camilla George – MOBO-nominated, Nigerian born saxophonist and star of the award-winning group Jazz Jamaica. Camilla’s love of fusing African and Western Music to make her own unique style is a key reason why she is a firm fixture on the new London Jazz scene alongside peers such as Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings. Her music is a hypnotizing blend of Afrofuturism, hip hop and jazz. Camilla’s music is politically minded and heavily linked with African history and in particular slavery. Her latest album looks at tales that slaves passed onto their children through generations.
Produced by Sound UK. A Change is Gonna Come is supported by Arts Council England and PRS Foundation's The Open Fund