Omar / Nakhane / DJ Wildcat
August 14, 2019 7:00pm – 9:00pm
British soul singer Omar Lye-Fook was likely always destined to be a musician. The son of Byron Lye-Fook, a studio musician and drummer who worked with the likes of Bob Marley and the Rolling Stones, Omar was classically trained at London’s Guildhall School of Music, and plays the trumpet, piano and percussion. Considered by some to be the ‘father’ of British neo soul, his throwback sound appeared to be ahead of its time, proving to be more influential in the canon than on the charts—he counts India.Arie, Erykah Badu, and his idol, Stevie Wonder among his fans. Since his debut album There’s Nothing Like This (1990), he’s dabbled in ragga, hip-hop, funk, jazz-pop, rock, and Caribbean dance sounds. He’s joined by Nakhane, a London-based Xhosa polymath who has published a novel (Piggy Boy Blues) and acted in a feature film (Inxeba, or “The Wound”) in addition to his musical output. But it’s his music that soars highest, with an unmistakable voice that floats over experimental electro pop compositions with lyrics that—like much of his other work—tackle the subject of queer identity in conservative society, like his recent duet with ANOHNI, “New Brighton.”
Cost: Free
More Info:
Location
Marcus Garvey Park-Richard Rodgers Amphitheater
18 Mount Morris Park West – enter park at 124th St and Fifth Avenue
New York NY 10027 US