MISE EN BOUCHE PRESENT BENIN CITY
Gwdihw Bar, Sat 8 Oct
words: ANDREW COLLINS
Even just written down, the idea of a band that fuses ‘funk, drum’n’bass, hip-hop, afrobeat, poetry and jazz’ is bound to cause a level of intrigue and a suspicion of something special. And hearing the real thing will not disappoint. Benin City are energetic, captivating and original with a style of performance that cannot help but draw you in. Their mixture of brass-driven rhythms, hip-hop style and a heap of other sounds and influences culminate in a vibrant, engaging sound. They are fronted by Joshua Idehen who offers poetic lyrics that are attention-grabbing and often humorous, all over the backdrop of a driving jazzy groove.
The band has sold out the E4 Uderbelly and The Roundhouse; made appearances on XFM, BBC World Service and BBC Radio 3, and they’ve also found fans in BBC 6Music and Radio 2 DJs Craig Charles, Huey Morgan and Mark Lamarr. The latter being able to do very little except resort to the phrase “whoah, Nelly!”
Benin City will be joined by Cardiff City Circus, a show on Xpress Radio that says it uses “hip-hop, and the holy power of the funk, to help enrich our communities by supporting the people that give it its character”.
Benin City’s stand-out style and obvious credentials suggest that there are only big things on the way for this band. And so, it doesn’t seem wise to pass up a chance to see them as they make their way to Cardiff to perform at Gwdihw’s intimate and very popular Mise En Bouche night on Sat 8 Oct.
Admission: £3. Info: www.gwdihw.co.uk