MOBO Awards Pre-show @ HMV Oxford Street, London Tuesday 19th September, 2006   Reviewed by Ashley Charles The turnout at HMV is somewhat disappointing, no more than 50 people gather on the shop floor in anticipation of the show’s opening.   None of the bigger names in urban music are billed to perform but the line-up is an impressive one none the less; with the next wave of British artists due to hit the stage, expectations are high.   First on stage was 21-year-old R&B newcomer Jai Amore, East London’s combination of Usher and Omarion. His charisma shone as he amused the crowd with his dramatic performance of ‘Holla At Me Babe’ fulfilling all the necessary criteria: Michael Jackson-esque footwork? Check. Open shirt? Check. Accurate execution of an a capella vibrato? Check, check, check.   He was soon joined on stage by collaborators Choong Family; Afix, Scandal, H.T. and Nutz P promoted their ‘Higher Elevation’ album with their popular debut ‘Memory Lane’ and the more recent ‘Choong’, both of which were well received by their Hackney faithful, who turned up in numbers.   The occasion captured the essence of the Music Of Black Origin’s intentions, which were to showcase all those areas of black culture that have emerged into the mainstream. Accordingly, music was not the only art on display, but the show was equally punctuated with dancing and fashion shows by the event sponsors Sleek and Endzone, demonstrating the boundless extent of ‘black origin’ in modern day Britain.   Anticipation began brewing amongst the audience at the introduction of Big Brovaz, the British collective who drifted from prominence to obscurity and now with a great deal to prove. “We’ve been doing school tours trying to re-ignite that passion amongst our loyal fan base,” commented Randy before the performance. Big Brovaz indeed fulfilled all expectations with up-tempo performances of their well known songs ‘Nu Flow’, ‘Favourite Things’ and ‘Baby Boy’.  The crowd sang along word for word with an accuracy and enthusiasm that would suggest that their demographic is ever-present. But, to assure fans that their return is not based solely on the back of old hits, they brought down the house with ‘Big Bro Thang’ the next single off their new, fittingly titled album ‘Re-entry’, due for release in January 2007.   The finale was reserved for the sensational Akala, a hot favourite for the MOBO main show. Introduced as ‘one of the finest spitters in the UK’, he took to the stage with a charming swagger to perform tracks from his album ‘It’s Not A Rumour’. With songs like ‘Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’ and ‘Shakespeare’, he recited lyrics with a conscious substance so commonly absent from today’s Hip Hop. His well crafted word play and lyrical wit drew aroused responses from the audience; with punch lines like, “I’ve got more lines than Whitney’s nostrils”, he proved himself to be a natural born crowd pleaser.   The event was indeed a modest affair which reached no where near capacity, but the proximity between artist and audience which this incurred ensured that the pre-MOBO launch was successfully an intimate and interactive showcase. Return To Concert Review Archive
	US Music | Clubs | Front Page | UK Music | Events