It’s no secret that Canada produces compelling singer/songwriters so it’s only natural that Canadian Music Fest would feature hundreds of budding stars eager to carry the torch to international acclaim. The tiny back room of the Free Times Café on College Street was crammed last night with enthusiastic music lovers cheering on the new tunesmiths.
With a strong sense of self, Mandippal, left, took the stage and launched into a fabulous 45-minute set. His cheerful manner was engaging but it was his exquisite guitar playing and lyrically beautiful tunes that really enchanted the audience. Mixed in with his original songs, Mandippal nimbly played guitar while vocally nailing Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River”; he also performed a Britney Spears and Lady Gaga medley that was hilarious, yet poignant and still musically strong. This talented young singer/songwriter from Cambridge, Ontario is one to watch and I hope to present him later this summer at Nathan Phillips Square.
I also saw two other artists last night: Bunmi Adeoye, above left, and Ché Aimee, above right.
Bunmi Adeoye (pronounced Boo Mee A Day Oh Yeh) performs with a confident swagger and has an easy rapport with her audience: her laughter and light-hearted patter stood in stark contrast to her often brooding love songs.
“I am the one with the unbreakable heart,
I am the one you can scream and shout at,
I am the one you can take for granted,
I am the one with a heart made of granite.”
Bunmi’s carefully-crafted songs are sung with aggression but when she hits her falsetto you can see the vulnerability behind the power and the passion.
Visiting from Vancouver, Ché Aimee favours melancholy tunes, and while she has a decent voice, her set suffered from numerous sound issues including some spine-tingling feedback. Ché noted that she’d met her accordion player the previous day and the pair’s offerings sounded like more of a rehearsal than a performance. The title of the singer’s debut album, “Underachiever,” seemed apt. I’d like to see Ché again in a different setting, I’m certain her talent would be better represented than what she offered at Free Times.
And now it’s on to night two . . .
Life-long music lover Natasha Emery started UpBeat Entertainment in 1992 providing music management services for Canadian reggae, world and folk music artists. After spending six summer seasons at Harbourfront Centre’s music programming department, Natasha joined Special Events at the City of Toronto in 1999 and has presented hundreds of concerts introducing audiences to outstanding Canadian talent in every genre.
Photos: Mandippal courtesy of Mandippal, Bunmi Adeoye by John A. Borham courtesy of One Sip at a Time, Ché Aimee courtesy of Ché Aimee
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