THE Soothsayers' blend of African roots, seamlessly interwoven with hip hop and dub riffs behind superbly melodic horns, had the audience on their feet within minutes of the band's appearance on stage at the Queen's Hall, Narberth, last Friday. The ever-appreciative audience danced and swayed to the seriously infectious rhythms as they were treated to some of the best Afro-jazz fusion music around at the moment. It really was impossible not to be affected by the almost bewitching music of this London-based band. The haunting and expressive vocals of Lagos-born Adesose Wallace (pictured) perfectly complemented the superb saxophone and trumpet melodies of band leaders Idris Rahman and Robin Hopcraft, while the guitars, bass and drums drove the music to ever higher peaks. Playing for over two hours, the Soothsayers and audience fed off each other's enthusiasm and appreciation. There were a lot of tired but very happy people leaving the Queen's Hall afterwards! Thanks, as ever, to Declan of SPAN Arts for organising another great event.
