WAF Young Reviewer - Endz Jazz Soul

By Yash

A fabulous night featuring creative and boundary pushing artists named Lizzie Berchie, David Mrakpor and The Oracle Collective to create an unforgettable event.

On Thursday 15th June, I went to the World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens to listen
and view 3 talented artists/ groups performing jazz soul music. The venue was very
impressive and already set me up for the excitement and fun I was to have. The
building is colourful and bright - making sure you’ll be buzzing by the end.

It was presented by a fabulous radio presenter from the BBC who made sure nothing
was missed out and built up the anticipation for the audience, who were definitely
looking forward to the night - All in all making the atmosphere look very positive at
the start.

We were then soothed in by a next generation soul singer named Lizzie Berchie (her
socials will be linked below), who gave us seven beautiful and unique tracks, which
will be featured on her upcoming album! I was so blown away by her performance
and so was the audience! She managed to keep the audience engaging and on their
feet, giving multiple dance calls and getting everyone on the dance floor! It felt very
Alicia Keys inspired while still keeping the soft, gentle aesthetic of soul jazz, making
the atmosphere feel very relaxed yet something you could slow dance to, which was
extremely impressive to say the least and just goes to show the boundaries the next
generation of artists are pushing to ensure only the best can be made. Something
that I would also like to mention is her cohorts with a guitarist, drummer and 2
backup vocalists, not only enhancing the performance but showcasing their talents
and high standards, which can be undermined for the instrumentalists/ backup
vocalists and is definitely something we as listeners should appreciate more.

The next artist was David Mrakpor and his and his band’s performance was very
inspiring, at least for a guitarist like me! As you might have guessed, David’s
performance had more of a focus on the instrumental, especially with guitar with the
saxophone and drums accompanying in the background. This performance was also
very soothing yet had a nice ambience to it, something you can vibe to with friends.
An amazing performance with talented instrumentalists with creativity, passion and
love.

The final performance was from the Oracle Collective with Lizzie Berchie making a
guest appearance for the final song. The Oracle Collective used different worldly
issues and condensed it into 4-5 phenomenal songs on the themes of love, peace
and non-violence. One of my favourite parts of the whole event was the
engagement, especially with the Oracle Collective, they always got the audience
involved and energised especially with the heat. Another great detail with this event.
Back onto the Oracle Collective as a whole, the music was uplifting, relaxing and all
in all a great vibe, I would definitely recommend checking them out!

Something I would like to mention is how all 3 acts were unique in their own right,
Lizzie focussed on getting you in the feels, David was more based on the actual
instrumental and getting you pumped for more guitar and drums and Oracle
Collective giving a message of hope and love. It shows how these performances
leave an impact on people and for the artists, how it progresses them to adapt and
change to fit the music industry.

The music industry is already filled with artists, some good, some not so good, and
supporting these performances pushes the next generation of artists into the
mainstream and gives more variety of music rather than the typical pop music being
the main thing only with other types of music being less prominent. Performances
like these can be supported by anyone of any age and I believe just giving new
artists who you haven’t really heard much off a chance and coming down to support
and enjoy their music will go a long way in supporting them as artists and the always
changing music industry.

Overall, I would rate this whole event a solid 9.5/10, the venue was fantastic and was
welcoming and chill, perfect for the heat, with the artists and songs being absolutely
beautiful and enjoyable for any age. This event has created a long lasting memory
and I wish all the performers and World Heart Beat all the best for the future.

Lizzie’s Instagram: @lizzieberchie
David’s Instagram: @davidmrakpor
Oracle Collective’s Instagram: @theoracleco
World Heart Beat’s Instagram: @worldheartbeat

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