Concert Review
Slaka the Beatchild
April 10, 2014
Toronto, Canada
Concert Review
Slaka the Beatchild
April 10, 2014
Toronto, Canada
With a host of amazing artists who have dropped gems on the soul music scene, Toronto, Canada is no stranger to soul lovers. With Deborah Cox, Glenn Lewis, Tamia and Jully Black to name a few, the Tdot is one of the many musical cauldrons in Canada simmering over with talent. Slakah the Beatchild is part of this movement, solidifying his spot with the beloved Soul Movement 1 album in 2010. Fast forward to 2014 and the album release event for the highly anticipated Soul Movement 2. Sprinkled with a smorgasbord of features on the album, it was a delight to see the likes of some of Toronto’s best players on the scene: Saidah Baba Talibah, Melanie Durrant, Tankia Charles, Merna (aka Ayah), Shi Wisdom, and hip hop artists D.O. Gibson, Tona and Spek Won were all in the house to support the man on his new soulful adventure.
What Slakah had in mind for the night was clear to all. It was going to be a non-stop party from beginning to end. Everyone was already in form once Slakah came through. And as much as we would have loved to have seen a full spread of musicians supporting him on stage, all we needed was exactly what we were given - a bassist, guitarist, Slakah on keys and his 808 drum machine. We were ready. His cover of Toni Tony Toné’s “Let’s Get Down” was funky and just right with Slakah cutting up both the singing and rapping verses. It was a bonafide party in the making. Slakah got in his solo grooves with “Something About Her” and “B-Boy Beef” - all the while, the b-boys in the crowd gave us a show of their own with back spins, flips and major popping and locking.
With all of the artists in the house, it was inevitable that the mic would be passed around and the night would be filled with cameos. Merna (aka Ayah) jumped on to accompany Slakah for a smooth duet on “Enjoy ya self” while Melanie Durrant’s scats and bebop two-step brought the song to a whole other live remix; and Tanika Charles delivered the goods with a blaxploitation Motown-esqued infused track entitled “Love Fool.” Hip hop is a huge part of Slakah’s repertoire and it was definitely represented when Spek Won and D.O. Gibson dropped a couple of their tracks. Spek Won kept the soulful infusion going while spitting “Pick Up Lines” over D’Angelo’s “The Root” - brought to you by a mean bassline and Slakah. Tanika was brought back on stage and covered the chorus flawlessly on “Passports & Cameras” and Slakah and Spek Won dared to make everyone shake, drop, pop and twerk it with “Stompthatflo.” The beats were tight, the flow was right and the hip hop vibes kept on flowing. Tona spit some game on “Can You See It” and D.O. Gibson brought it back to The Art of Fresh days with Slakah.
It was a non-stop flow of musical genres that came together with the swerve and excitement of a live mixtape. The evening was an ongoing balance of hip hop and soul - the two genres of music that keep Slakah in the studio producing, performing and creating. From the B-boys to the Soul Train line - the show and album Soul Movement 2 are no doubt a celebration of Slakah’s continuous and formidable work in conjunction with the phenomenal artistry that Toronto has to offer. Slakah himself stated “Toronto is so full of talent…” and he is absolutely on point about that. The soiree made its mark as a great start to one’s spring soul concert calendar. The vibes have only just begun.
By Ann Marie Collymore