Before she brings her ethereal R’n’B to Bluesfest in 2019, Meshell Ndegeocello will share an intimate performance with Sydney at the Factory Theatre on Saturday, April 20. The master vocalist, songwriter, rapper and talented multi-instrumentalist, Ndegeocello will be performing tracks from her 2018 release Ventriloquism, all the way back to her landmark neo-soul album Plantation Lullabies, which debuted in 1993.
As a key proponent for this collaborative genre, Ndegeocello’s songs are characterised by the diverse influences of neo-soul. In her majestic stage performance, you’ll hear elements of soul, contemporary R’n’B, jazz, funk, hip-hop, African roots and even touches of electronic and pop music. This Bluesfest sideshow from the ten-time Grammy nominee is set to be an impressive performance.
Those who have followed her work over the last 25 years can look out for old favourites like ‘I’m Digging You (Like an Old Soul Record)’ and ‘Step Into the Projects’ along with early hits which explore Ndegeocello’s experiences as an African American, gender and race relations, and her sexuality. Her most recent album, Ventriloquism, reflects on the era of Ndegeocello’s popularisation, covering hit tracks recorded in the ’80s and ’90s. We're looking forward to hearing her renditions of pop and R’n’B classics like ‘I Wonder If I Take You Home’ originally recorded by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam with Full Force, TLC’s ‘Waterfalls’ and Sade’s ‘Smooth Operator’.