SOUL REBELS LEEDS WITH TETES DE POIS

SOUL REBELS LEEDS OPENING PARTY 2018 @ THE
WARDROBE LEEDS – SAT 3rd FEBRUARY
FEATURING TETES DE POIS, OTIS MENSAH,
MAMILAH + SOUL REBELS DJs

After a great 2017, when “Soul Rebels Sessions” reached it’s 5th birthday, Saturday 3rd February 2018 sees the opening party of the new season at The Wardrobe Leeds. Once again, a great night of next generation jazz/soul/hip-hop/funk musicians from Leeds and beyond.

This time round, live onstage are a quality new Leeds funk/soul band featuring a great singer plus support from a young Sheffield MC/poet saying something different and positive from the norm. And finally, a headline act who are definitely making noise UK wide this year.

Headliners Tetes De Pois were born 2 years ago at Leeds College Of Music and play jazz with added soul and global beats (Latin/Afro). This firing 7 piece from the Tight Lines collective have began to break out from Leeds and are now gigging across the country, both at gigs and festivals, including London’s Hootenany venue and the huge “A Love Supreme Festival”. If you caught them warming up for London’s Ezra Collective in November 2017 in Leeds, you know the quality they bring to the party. First time headlining a “Soul Rebels Leeds” session.

Support is Otis Mensah, a young MC/poet from Sheffield whose lyrics are more like the street-poetry and songs of Gil Scott Heron than contemporary hip-hop though he does cite classic hip-hop artists like The Roots, Mos Def and Common as a big influenece. Already supported with radio play by BBC 6 Music jazz/soul/global beats don Gilles Peterson, Otis makes music that challenges the norm and writes lyrics that make you stop, listen and think. Just check his release from late 2017 “Free The Slaves” and you get the story. Though he’s already performed at Glastonbury Festival, this is his first time in Leeds so come and check this young man out. Original and thoughtful hip-hip from the underground.

Opening act Mamilah are a young old school style funk/soul band from Leeds coming from the ever growing Tight Lines stable. Whereas many of soul acts go for neo-soul or future soul, Mamilah take it back to the old school. Classic funk and soul original material that references the legendary kings and queens like Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Donnay Hathaway, Minnie Ripperton and Roberta Flack. Featuring lead singer Lydia Kotsirea alongside a booting brass section and kick-ass rhythm section, get down early and get on down to the funk/soul jams of Mamilah.

As always, Soul Rebels DJs Lubi and Chris Welch keep things flowing nicely before, between and after live sets with the right sounds – jazz, soul, hip-hop, Afro, Latin,
reggae, Brazilian beats and funk. Whether you’re a breaker, jazz daddy or a soul sister, they’ll make you smile and shazam their music all night long.

Check out DJ Lubi’s “Soul Rebels” show on KMAH Radio every two weeks on Monday afternoons 2-4pm (www.kmahradio.com). Also Chris’s “Sounds Like This” show every Sunday afternoon 6-8pm on Sheffield Live 93.2fm. Essential old and new jazzy and soulful beats from across the globe.

Doors 8pm. Live music between 8.30 and 11.30pm. DJs to the end.

Tickets £7/£6 students advance from the following outlets :
www.lunatickets.co.uk – www.jumborecords.co.uk – www.crashrecords.co.uk – The Wardrobe bar – Tetes De Pois/Mamilah