Trinidad & Tobago
originally published on October 18, 2009;
updated on October 22, 2009
It had to have been something special about Brenda B. Butler, the San Fernando girl, that would lead Production One to break away from its monthly schedule to do a special SONGBIRDS...live this past Sunday, October 18. What it is that is so special about Brenda B.? One will just have to wait on the fans who no doubt crowded the Aura from 05:00pm Sunday evening to hear Butler's neo-soul and Jazzy vibe. And we hope they will tell us all about it.
Butler does not come straight to Jazz, we suspect, having been weaned on a varied diet of the soul of Brook Benton, the glam-rock of Elton John, the pop-in-transition of the Jacksons and the modern rock of Genesis. Yet when it came to performing, Butler was at first pointed to Classical music, which was what her school choirs were all about in her teenage years.
Finally, in the early years of the decade of the 1990's, Butler landed a couple of solo performances, one of which was in An Evening with Cole Porter, a Trinidad production of The Belvederes, conducted by Richard Yang Tuk. While this show took her closer to the Jazz idiom, Butler maintained her interest in Neo Soul and R&B, nurtured by some of the trend-setters of the style, Jill Scott, India.Arie, Corinne Bailey Rae and Erykah Badu.
For all of Butler's broad tastes in music, it would be fair to say that she was grounded in her faith. Thus, it should not be a stretch to surmise that wherever her singing takes her, it will be coloured by need to use "her voice and heart to evoke different emotions in people's souls," as she put it. That was tailor-made for an interesting menu at SONGBIRDS...live @ Aura with her backing band, Judah B and the Same Street Band of Judah Bharath on guitar, Sam Mitchell on bass and Ian Joseph on drums.
No sooner had Brenda B Butler exited the Aura stage than her Facebook profile was flooded with comments from her fans - not one ounce of reservation could be found amidst the myriad comments.
So it was crystal clear that through her two sets, complete with wardrobe and make-up changes, Butler had "At Last" taken "Pause" to spread her vocal "Pearls" "Like a Star." Surely, it was "Never Too Much" for the Aura patrons, judging by the repeated cries for an encore performance.
"He Loves Me"; "Is it a Crime"? Butler asked, referring to her God. Well, the 'music-Gods' could be heard saying, as the last note sounded at Aura: "Hit The Road Jack," Brenda B. is in town.
Previous SONGBIRDS have been Caroline Mair, Ruth Osman and Candice Alcantara. Next SONGBIRD is Vaughnette Bigford in November.
Concert Review from outside the Woodshed: Jazz diva serves sweet music
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7 responses so far ↓
Vaughnette // October 19, 2009 at 8:26 pm |
Woodshedders,
Brenda and I met a couple years aback when I was taking voice lessons at the Naparima Bowl. We just saw each other and I guess, as kindred singing sisters, we connected. I had not seen Brenda for a few years before we reconnected a couple of months ago. I knew she could sing; the thing is I did not know the dynamo she could be on stage.
Wow, what stage presence, a magnificent thing to behold. Brenda was totally herself last night (Sunday, October 18, 2009), warm, bubbly, engaging, funny. She captured her audience totally. Delving into hits like Never Too Much, Like a Star, I am not my Hair, Video, Love’s in need of love today, He loves me, and I could go on and on – after all it was two forty minute sets.
Throughout the sets, her voice was powerful and she maintained the energy level till her last song, Jammin’ by Bob Marley. We never took our eyes off of her. I needed to leave but I could not; it was just a really beautiful evening.
BRENDA ROCKED THE HOUSE.
Brenda Butler // October 20, 2009 at 12:09 pm |
First of all…Wow Minchie: I did not even know you did a little write-up on me (pre-show). I love it. Thank you! I’ve got to get some writing lessons from you
…REALLY love your style.
VB…that is a glowing review…THANK YOU! I’m glad you were too riveted to leave! lol. I must admit that in spite of the early technical issues, and some occasional tonal challenges of my own
, I had an absolute BLAST on Sunday. It was a privilege and pleasure to be on the stage as you, the audience, made it so easy to connect. Thanks for the love and support!
Looking forward to writing MY review when you do “Songbirds…Live” on November 04 – but I already know you’re going to kill it
~B
Israel // October 20, 2009 at 5:44 pm |
Why, I thank you. But then again, were it not for artistes like yourself who excite with your art, I would have no adrenaline, no juices and no muse to inspire me. So “Wow” back at ya.
Nigel Campbell // October 23, 2009 at 9:08 am |
Hey Minchie, I guess I should be impartial in all this, as a producer of SONGBIRDS…live, but you have to “give jack his jacket and Jim his gymboots,” as we say here in Trinidad. Brenda was a star. She owned the stage. She also got a sustained standing ovation, extremely rare in this series. I can say no more. Vaughnette is next on November 04, and I am seeking to close the series for 2009 with a bang. There are a number of singers, both unknown and some with a certain amount of notoriety, all clamouring and requesting a slot in the series. I think I have a cast for 2010.
The series was about exposing unheralded talent in an intimate setting, as well as, upping the standard of performance by singers. Karaoke just won’t cut it. If your name has fame, bring it…and an audience! Yesterday’s fine achievement is tomorrow’s minimum standard. It’s only up we can go! SONGBIRDS…live!
Israel // October 23, 2009 at 4:24 pm |
Do you have any plans of reaching into the other Caribbean islands for talent, talent that may one day – soon enough – grace your Jazz Artists on the Greens main stage? Or is SONGBIRDS…live destined to remain Trini-centric?
And what is this about being impartial? This is neither politics nor criminal justice. If you are not moved to insanity by the acts that you book, from whence are you going to be driven to continue the Jazz march?
Nigel Campbell // October 23, 2009 at 6:06 pm |
I want to get to the other islands. We have had one Guyanese based in Trinidad, Ruth Osman perform on the second show.
The networking among the islands is dependent on effective communication via our website, your blog and other means. We keep trying. If we don’t expand the reach, we will stagnate. I believe that us here in this island are constantly searching for the new. Innovation or bust.
Trinidad offers opportunities beyond the festival circuit of the other jazz fest islands, St. Lucia, Barbados, etc. We need to grow our Caribbean Jazz idiom. For singers, that means more interaction and more shows. Jazz Artists on the Greens in the other islands is a dream that has potential.
I need to be impartial until the series is over for the year, December. After that, we could gauge the impact of the individual singers.
Israel // October 23, 2009 at 6:15 pm |
Ok, mark your Calendar. We will take up this line of discourse at the turn of 2010.