Diandra Reviews It All

There are certain artists, like Javiera Mena or Lila Downs, that transcend locational and language barriers. They touch upon a soulfulness, that whether through grooves or grim outtakes, reveal humanity has an essence that goes beyond every label we stamp on it. As BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! there FREE concert, showed why artist like Ben L’ Oncle Soul have made it around the world.
Ben L’Oncle Soul – The Good Life

I would love to say I had a “Star Is Born” moment, and proclaim I discovered Ben L’Oncle Soul, but everybody there would have immediately shut me down. If Lila Downs had provided the best of Mexican/ Latino culture, then Soul and Sweet Crude gave the best of Creole and French-African pop. As usual, families gathered to cheer and soak in a music dichotomy. On one hand, you had “the new”: Sweet Crude. A six piece band that played the HECK our of their instruments. They were not kidding in their goal to give the crowd a NOLA vibe. Blending creole french with english affirmations, songs such as “Mon Esprit” and “Isle Dans la Mer”, brought the house down with their fiery positivity. It is not everyday that positive vibes sound like Mardi Gras, of which Alexis Marceaux feels like the headline of the parade. With her drums as a parasol and her personality as the sun, she cannot stop dancing and acting out each song as if Sweet Crude were also a theatre troupe. Their presence led up to Ben L’Oncle Soul, i.e. living legend.
Sweet Crude – Mon Esprit (Official Video)

How Ben adds spiritual weight to every lyric is beyond me. Whether he is singing in French or English, and whether you understand or not, he puts emphasis on his voice as a beacon of understanding. As singers, we are often taught to use lyrics as emotional launchpads, which Ben does, but ,because he sings in multiple languages, he cannot just launch he note; he has to rocket it. Hence, he riffs and guts every key he sings to the delight of the crowd. You would have through Ben was hitting home-runs with how everyone cheered, and he certainly had a Derek Jeter/ superstar personality. When he is on, he is the main player of the stage, which is something even the most record-breaking artists wish they could have; a personality. (lol!). I kid, but, at the same time, I am driving a point. No matter what, the biggest/ most important aspect of a production is the performer. For More Information On BRIC! Celebrate Brooklyn Click Here.