Energetic and slinky grooves from the Father of British Neo-Soul
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With such vibrant energy, it is easy to forget that Omar Lye-Fook has been writing, producing, and performing for over thirty years now. A classically-trained multi-instrumentalist, Omar released his first single in 1985 and has since forged a reputation as a pioneering figure in British neo-soul.
The diversity of his audience last night at Pizza Express High Holborn – of various ages and ethnicities – was perhaps a further testament to how consistent he has been in releasing infectiously groovy and hooky music.
Clad in a red and white dashiki, he swaggered to the stage with ‘I Can Listen’ from his 2013 album The Man. He followed with ‘Ghana Emotion’, an ode to the country where his Caribbean parents now reside, which had intricate musical flourishes and the ear-worm hook of ‘take a stroll along the beach’.
One of the highlights of the first set was ‘Insatiable’, recorded as a duet with Natasha Watts for Omar’s most recent release Love in Beats. In Watts’ absence, keyboardist Lex Cameron (a regular in the London soul scene) lent his falsetto vocals to the track. Omar played with and funked up the song’s structure, scatting and stomping on the stage. Throughout he showcased his command of the synths.
In the second set, he paid homage to neo-soul godfather Roy Ayers with the iconic ‘Everybody Loves the Sunshine’. The languid haze of this Ayers classic was counterposed with William DeVaughn’s crisp ‘Be Thankful For What You Got’. The audience were perhaps most rabid for ‘There’s Nothing Like This’, the title cut from Omar’s 1992 debut album and his signature song.
The Full Band:
Omar – Vocals/Synths
Lex Cameron – Keys/Vocals
Gordon Mulrain – Bass
Darren Abraham – Drums
Hawi Gondwe – Guitar
(Image taken from Omar Lye-Fook’s Facebook Page)
